Stay Together Chapter 18 by Maira Dawn

Chapter 18

(COPYRIGHT©2024 MAIRA DAWN)

While everyone else was fixated on the death of the man on the stage, Emily stared into the crowd, searching.

Maybe, just maybe

Not the worst, the very worst. Not trampled to well, you know, or anything like that. Maybe if he’d just turned right when they turned left. Or saw another supposed friend from school.

One had to assume he had at least a few of those. Even creeps usually had friends.

And if need be, maybe a minor injury. Just a small one. One that would keep him wherever he was and not allow him to get up and walk straight back to them - to her.

Ugh. How could it be that the end of the world had actually come AND the slimiest boy in school, instead of being far, far away, was here - right beside her.

Exactly where she had never, ever wanted him to be?

She took a few steps forward and then a few more, slowly drawing closer to the frenzied crowd.

Was he out there? Her heart raced, pounding against her ribs with each step.

The fear of seeing Andrew again consumed her thoughts, a suffocating dread that made it hard to breathe.

As she neared the mob of people, the noise grew deafening - a cacophony of shouts, cries, and bullets. The stench of unwashed bodies and raw terror hung heavy in the air.

She gagged, covering her nose with her sleeve.

Emily glanced back over her shoulder, shocked at how far she’d come already. She should go back to her family. They would be worried about her.

But the crowd pressed in from all sides, jostling her. Elbows jabbed into her ribs, shoulders slammed against her own. She stumbled, nearly losing her footing on a patch of uneven ground. If she fell, she’d be trampled.

Panic clawed at her throat. She had to get out, had to escape before-

“Well, well. Look who it is.”

The slick, taunting voice sent ice through Emily’s veins. She spun around and there stood Andrew, just a few feet away. His cold eyes glinted with a disturbing excitement as he glanced from her to the gunfight and cries of pain just a few yards from them.

A cruel smirk twisted his lips.

Emily’s breath caught in her lungs, her body going rigid with terror.

No. Not him. She hoped. . .

He looked more evil than he ever had at school.

Her mind screamed at her to run, but her feet remained rooted to the spot, frozen with fear.

This was stupid. He was a boy, just a boy from school. Why was she so afraid of him?

Andrew closed the small amount of distance between them in an instant, his movement smooth and predatory. He towered over her slight frame.

For a moment, he stared at her.

She tried to look away, but there was something there just below the surface that she couldn’t quite identify.

Then he leaned in close, his hot breath tickling her ear as he whispered, “You want to know a secret? This is the world I’ve always wanted to live in.”

Emily’s heart seized at Andrew’s chilling words. Her mind reeled.

He’d always been a very unwelcome suiter, but now she realized he was more than that. What kind of person was he that this . . . chaos would cause him such excitement, such . . . glee?

A deep shudder ran through her, and she turned away. She stepped away from him only to have the crowd press her back, trapping her with her tormentor.

When his arm brushed hers, she yanked it away. “P-Please, just leave me alone,” she choked out, her voice barely audible above the noise of the crowd.

Andrew’s lips curled into a sneer. “Oh, but where’s the fun in that? You’re such an easy target.” He reached out, his fingers grazing the side of her face in a mock caress.

She flinched away from his touch, bile rising in her throat.

She’d known he’d try something like this. It had just a matter of when. She tightened her jaw. What she needed to do was to stop cowering like a scared little bunny and do something about it!

A surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins, fueling her determination. Using all her strength, she shoved Andrew away, catching him off guard. He stumbled backwards, causing a commotion in the crowd. His face twisted with rage.

“You little-”

But Emily didn’t wait to hear the rest. She spun on her heel and plunged into the crowd, pushing and weaving her way through the sea of bodies. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out the shouts and cries around her.

She risked a glance over her shoulder, searching for any sign of Andrew. For a moment, she thought she’d lost him, but then she caught a glimpse of his dark hair moving through the crowd. His sharp blue eyes locked on her.

“Emily!” Her father’s urgent tone cut through the noise. Her heart lifted as she scanned the crowd in front of her and spotted him waving frantically from the edge of the crowd.

Emily pushed forward, desperate to reach the safety of her father’s side. Just a little further...

Looking behind, she saw Andrew closing in, his face a mask of fury as he shoved people out of his way.

Emily gasped. She was so close, almost there. But looking ahead, she couldn’t see her dad anywhere.

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on her shoulder, yanking her back. She cried out in fear and frustration. She whirled around, ready to fight.

But it wasn’t Andrew.

Her father pulled her closer, staring at her. His face etched with concern.

“Emily, I was worried sick! Are you alright?”

She collapsed against him, her hands clinging to his shirt. Emily couldn’t stop shaking. Relief ran through her, but fear was there too. This was not over. She’d be a fool to think it was.

She nodded yes to her father’s question, not trusting herself to speak.

James wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he scanned the crowd with a wary expression.

“Let’s get out of here,” he murmured, guiding her away from the chaos. Emily clung to his side, her heart still racing as they pushed through the throng.

As they reached the outskirts of the crowd, Emily couldn’t resist one last glance at the mob. Andrew stood a few feet away, his eyes boring into hers.

A chill ran down her spine. She spun away, burrowing closer to her father’s protective embrace.

“Emily, are you alright?” he asked, his gaze flicking between her and Andrew. “What’s going on here?”

Andrew’s demeanor shifted in an instant, his threatening expression vanishing like smoke in the wind.

“Mr. Alden,” he said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. “I was just making sure Emily was okay. She seemed a little lost in the crowd.”

James’ stern expression softened a bit. “I appreciate that, Andrew.”

Emily shuddered at the lie, her stomach twisting with disgust. She opened her mouth to protest, to tell her father the truth about Andrew, but the words stuck in her throat. Now wasn’t the time.

Later, as they all got ready to continue their trek, Emily spotted Andrew standing at the edge of their group. He watched her with a calculating expression, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Her blood ran cold at the thought that ran through her mind.

Andrew was their group now. He would be with them - with her - every step of the way.

She gasped and tore her gaze away from his, focusing instead on the faces of her family and drawing strength from their presence.

She would have to tell them. But she knew they would face this problem as they had everything else - together. And though she did not know what Andrew planned, she would do whatever it took to protect her family.

Continued . . .

Please remember this is a developing story and in a rawer state than what I publish. As such, it has only been self-edited and you will see some errors.

In addition, some changes may occur between now and publishing, including major storylines. I try to avoid this, but it sometimes happens.

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