Love You Better (Better Love 1)

He slams his hand on the door right next to my head, and when I jump, he laughs. My pulse is erratic, and anxiety is swirling through me. My fingertips tingle. My head is foggy. My chest aches. Breathe.

“I don’t think we will, Ivy,” he snarls at me. “How did Kelley finally get you to spread those legs for him, huh? You fucked your way through campus, and he was all that was left? Little Ivy Rivenbark with a fucking golden pussy.”

The anger in his voice is barely leashed, moments from being completely unhinged, and terror ricochets through me.

“I don’t remember it being that good,” he muses. “Maybe I should test it out again, yeah?”

I need to get out of this bathroom.

I scan the floor for my clutch which contains my pepper spray and phone and find it next to the door. I must have dropped it when he startled me. If I can’t get to my clutch, then all I have is my body, and he’s easily twice my size. I look him over as he prattles on.

Eyes, nose, throat, groin.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

“How about you and me have some fun, Ivy? We could relive grad night.” He presses in closer and sticks his hand roughly into my hair.

“That was rape, Preston.” I scowl back, trying my best not to sob. “You raped me.”

He yanks my hair, and I cry out in pain, but when he pulls back in rage, I flex my wrist and jab the palm of my hand upward at his nose. The connection makes a sickening crunch, and I drop to the floor for my clutch and immediately start to yell for help.

“You bitch,” he screams, and with blood pouring from his nose, he lunges for me right as I get my hand on my pepper spray. I point the tiny bottle at him and push the button, and he thrashes away with a scream.

I clamber up and out the bathroom door.

“Help! Someone please help!” I scream, and immediately I hear footsteps pounding up the stairs. I press myself against the far wall just as Preston barges into the hallway and Kelley and Jesse reach the top of the stairs.

A crowd has formed behind them, and a few people have emerged from rooms on the opposite end of the hall too. A guy in a backwards Cubs cap catches my eye because he has his phone out.

I watch Kelley and Jesse take in the scene before them. I’m panting, tears are streaming down my face, and I’m sure my hair is a mess. And across the hallway, Preston’s face is covered in blood, his eyes are bloodshot, and he’s absolutely enraged.

I throw myself into Kelley’s arms.

“It was him,” I sob into his chest, and he stiffens.

“Bet you can’t stand that I fucked her first, right, Kap?” Preston spits a mouthful of blood onto the carpet. “Always following after her, pining for her, whining about her. Maybe you want to compare notes now?”

“You raped me,” I yell, and Preston sneers.

“You wanted it.”

“You drugged me,” I say on a sob, and Preston chuckles. Kelley passes me into Jesse’s arms, and then launches himself at his former childhood friend.

Kelley lands one solid punch to Preston’s jaw before Preston tackles him. Their bodies clash and fall to the ground, and I scream. Kelley is fast and athletic, but Preston is big, and when Preston wrestles himself on top of Kelley, the crunch of his fist fills me with terror.

“Stop! Stop it, Preston!” I yell and turn in Jesse’s arms. “Get him off, Jesse! Help him!”

Jesse holds my thrashing body tighter. “In a second,” he says, eyes on the fight. “Let our boy have a chance to fuck him up a little.”

I look back just in time to see Kelley slam his fist into Preston’s already broken nose, then flip Preston onto his back. Kelley starts to pound on Preston’s body, a flurry of fists at his torso and face, and I can hear them grunting with each hit.

One of Preston’s fists crashes into Kelley’s cheek, and Kelley rocks backward, but doesn’t fall. Instead, he doubles back harder, his face furious and dripping blood from a busted lip and eyebrow.

“Get him off, Jesse, please!” I beg again, tears pouring down my face. Jesse waits another moment, until Preston’s brought his arms to cover his face in an attempt to block Kelley’s blows. Then Jesse nudges me aside and steps forward to pull Kelley off Preston.

“He’s done,” Jesse says as he grabs Kelley’s shoulders and hauls him backward. Preston rolls over and spits out another mouthful of blood.

“You fucking pussy!” Preston yells as he gets to his feet.