Page 7 of Shattered Silence Duet

I don’t know how to respond, not that I could say anything, so I just stare at him as my heart rate starts to pick up and the beginning of a panic attack starts to form. I try to get my hands between us to push him off me.

“I hope I didn’t hurt you, let me help you up.” He moves to stand, pulling me up with him, with one arm around my upper body and the other…OH!The other was on my butt. I quickly stand and push his arm away as I step back. I’m pretty sure he shouldn’t be touching me there.

“Oh, you’re a shy one, aren’t you?” he asks with a wicked grin on his face. He’s looking at me like I’m a challenge he wants to win. I don’t like it. I’ve seen that look before.

I try to step around him to go inside, but he reaches out and grabs my wrist. “Come on, gorgeous, let me help you. You’re newhere, right? I haven’t seen you before.” He cocks his head to the side while firmly holding my wrist, refusing to let me escape. I try to tug it away, but he grips it harder, making me scrunch my nose in pain.

Eventually, I nod my head, hoping that answering his question will get him to let go of me. It doesn’t. He gives me a big smile and pulls me under his arm. My breathing starts to quicken as I keep trying to pull away, unsuccessfully. This guy is a solid wall and I have no hope of extracting myself from his grasp.

“I’m Brad, remember that, you’ll be screaming it later,” he says before he starts chuckling to himself.

My body freezes as my eyes go wide.Is he... threatening me?

My mother’s voice rings in my head, telling me I deserve to be treated like trash, to be punished. She must be right, why else would every person I’ve met try to harm me? Well, everyone except the two people I met yesterday…

I stop struggling and try to take deep breaths so I don’t pass out. Resigning myself to my new fate, I drop my head and let Brad drag me towards the building under his arm. A tear silently rolls down my cheek as I stare at the walkway in front of us, wondering what he has planned for me.

We suddenly stop and I see a pair of green sneakers in front of me, blocking our path.

“Get your fucking hands off of her right now,” the new guy with green sneakers says angry. He’s speaking to Brad, but he probably just wants to punish me himself. I’m still not sure what I’ve done, but this world seems hell bent on punishing me, anyway.

“Back off, shit head, I saw her first,” Brad angrily replies while squeezing me closer. My face scrunches in pain. His hand is just above my injury and it’s taking everything in me not to throw up.At least I’m not sobbing, I think as I watch my tears carrythemselves silently to the ground.

“What the fuck? She isn’t a lost item you can claim. And you’re hurting her, so I will ask you one last time to get your filthy mitts off of her before I make you.” He says all of that without shouting, but I can sense the anger radiating from him. I want to look at him, but I’m afraid of him turning his anger on me.

“I’m not hurting her, she likes it. She’s my girl, right, babe?” Brad squeezes me again and I can feel his eyes on me.What do I do?If I disagree, I’ll probably be in more trouble, but I don’t want to agree. I don’t want to be his anything.

The guy in front of me squats down to put his face level with mine, but I make sure to keep staring at the ground, avoiding his eyes.What does he want from me?

“Sweetheart?” he asks softly, his tone so much gentler than the one he used on Brad. I still don’t know what to do, so I squeeze my eyes shut tight.

“She doesn’t want to fucking talk to you man, you’re making her uncomfortable, just get out of my way!” Brad responds angrily, trying to angle me away from the new guy.

“Sweetheart, just look at me for a second. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” He sounds so gentle and sweet I can’t stop myself from opening my eyes to look at him. As I tilt my head up, I’m shocked by his familiar gorgeous face and the concern I see there.

Forget what I said about Brad being big.This guy is huge.He makes Brad look like a toddler. His brown hair is pulled back into a bun, and his green eyes seem familiar. In fact, the more I look at him, the more his whole face seems familiar.

Jasper?No, it can’t be, Jasper’s had short hair, and this guy is wearing his hair in a messy man bun. I have to admit, both versions are highly appealing.Oh!This guy must be Jasper’s twin! I stare at him with wide eyes while he smiles softly at me.

“Thank you. Now just tell me, do you want to go with Brad?” I only have to think for a split second. Jasper had been nice to me and his twin makes me feel like I can be honest right now and won’t get punished for it. Although I know hope has never been my friend before, I decide to take a chance and shake my head once.

The gorgeous man smiles at me, then stands up as the smile drops from his face and he looks at Brad again. “Drop the arm.NOW.” He says it so forcefully, I find myself wanting to obey everything he says.

Brad huffs as he slides his arm off my shoulders. “Whatever. I’ll be seeing you again soon, babe.” I keep my head down but feel him trail his thumb through the tear tracks on my face. I watch him in shock and horror as he sucks his thumb into his mouth. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head at the sight.

“Mmm… delicious,” he says with a wink.

“Don’t fucking touch her!” The twin snarls, shoving Brad’s shoulder and moving to stand between us.

Brad just chuckles, leaning around him to give me one last message. “I’ll be seeing you around, babe.” Then he gives me a frightening smile before he turns and walks away. My whole body trembles as I quickly wipe at my skin where he touched me. At first I thought he didn’t realize he was hurting me, but now I’m certain he didn’t just know, he loved it. He was literally tasting my pain.

My eyes start getting blurry at the thought. I can’t do this. It’s too much. I’d rather be locked in the basement than deal with guys like Brad. My breathing starts to quicken and I realize, too late, that I’m having another panic attack. Black spots start to invade my vision as my head grows dizzy.

No no no, not again!Not here on the steps to my new school! I fight to regain control of my breathing when a voice penetrates my rampant thoughts.

“.... me? Sweetheart, look at me, can you hear me?” I realize the twin who saved me is kneeling on the ground, holding my face in his giant hands.How long has he been touching me like this?I expect the fact that he’s got his hands on me to send me deeper into the panic attack, but it does the opposite. The feeling of his hands on my face helps to ground me. I grip his hands with mine as my breathing starts to even out, the dizziness quickly fading.

That’s when I notice his expression. He looks worried.Why is he looking at me like that?