Tortured Souls (Rebels of Sandland 2)

It was her long blonde hair that I saw first, then the way she was clenching her hands in front of her face and biting her nails. Her eyes were wide, scared even, and she was looking straight at me like she might keel over at any second.

My little warrior.

And then I felt it. The thud as his fist connected with my head. My whole body shuddered as I felt the dazed confusion from the force of the punch that hit me. Any boxer will tell you that a blow to the head is the worst. And I’d just done something I’d never done in all the years I’d been fighting. I’d lost my concentration and let the other guy get the better of me.

The crowd started to shout as I staggered to the edge of the ring. I looked up to where she’d been standing, but she was gone. I couldn’t see her anywhere. I suddenly felt desperate. I had to get out of there, but I also needed to win this fight. I wasn’t about to go down for the first time ever on my comeback appearance.

I shook my head to right myself, pictured Lockwood and Yates in that bathroom back in school, and I got my fucking shit together.

“Are you okay to carry on?” the ref asked me.

I nodded and stalked over to Kendall, threw my fist back, and smacked him in the face. He hadn’t expected me to come back at him so hard, and he did a crap job of protecting himself. I gave him a few more steady left and right hooks and he was down and out for the count before I could come up for breath. The ref came over to hold my arm up and declare me the winner, but I couldn’t bask in this glory, not after she’d left like that.

Fuck.

Had she heard me say it was his funeral?

I’d really fucked up. She was never going to forgive me after this. There I was being hailed as a champion and I felt like the biggest loser. There was no golden wave of glory radiating through me. No rush of adrenaline making me want to punch the air. All I felt was shame. Shame and worry.

Where was she?

I didn’t stand on ceremony or give the crowds the victory speech I had prepared in my head. Instead, I grabbed my t-shirt and forced my way out of the ring and through the throngs of people who were patting me on the back as I passed. I headed to where she’d been standing, and as I stopped to scan the crowd, I saw Emily making her way over to me.

“Are you okay? I’ve never seen you lose it like that before.”

“That’s because I’ve never lost it like that before,” I replied through gritted teeth without sparing a look her way. I was too focused on trying to locate a certain blonde.

“You saw her, didn’t you?” she said, and I turned to face her.

So, she’d seen her too.

“I didn’t know she’d be here, Brandon. If I did, I would’ve told you.”

I knew she meant that.

“She found out some way.”

“I gave her the details but I never in a million years thought she’d show up. She said she wanted to stay away from you. I was as surprised as you when I saw her across the room. Trust me. I wouldn’t do that to you. I know how important tonight was, and I also know how hard it would’ve been to see her watching you like that.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, even though my fingers hurt like hell. I was numb inside and out.

“She looked frightened,” I said. “I don’t think she was with anyone else. You need to give me her number so I can call her and see if she’s okay.”

Emily frowned, as if she was thinking about it, then she huffed out a smile.

“I love you, Brandon. But I’m not giving you Harper’s number. She’d never speak to me again.”

“Fine. You ring her. But we can’t let her go. She’s… vulnerable.” I was too, and I needed to know she was okay.

“Wow.” Emily’s eyes went wide. “Never thought I’d hear you say that about a girl. You’re really worried about her, aren’t you?”

I leant down to speak low in Emily’s ear.

“I’m not a totally heartless asshole, Winters. Not to everyone, anyway. Now bloody ring her before I tear this whole fucking place down.”

She rolled her eyes at me and reached into the pocket of her jeans. I watched her pull her phone out and tap the security code in. When she did, I grabbed the phone from her and stalked away.

Emily followed me, shouting angrily for me to give it back, but I carried on scrolling through her contacts until I found Harper’s number. I hit the call button and turned to face Emily, putting one finger over my mouth to shush her and then holding her back with my arm.