Silently Falling (ORIGINAL): Chapter Twenty Six

Raine POV

I wake up to the sound of thunder and I keep my eyes closed to protest waking up. The dull patter of rain hitting my roof pleas for my case and makes me curl further into my covers. But the farther I snuggle into my pillow, the more I realize how hard it is and how terrible my headache is. I groan and slowly sit up, another deep roar of thunder groaning with me.

As I sit up, I feel my mattress rumble and I confusedly look down. I see West blinking awake, groaning as he comes to, and that's when all my memories come rushing back.

The party with West, Warren finding me in the few minutes I was alone, West throwing him off of me before too much could happen, my brother beating him up, and then me falling asleep curled into West's side.

I can't believe I was that...broken in front of West. I let him see me completely break down for the second time in our friendship. He's probably going to expect me to explain everything today, to tell him why Warren attempted to rape me last night and why no one seemed entirely too surprised. Distressed and angry, but not surprised.

I don't know if I'm ready for that confession. I've gotten close with West, no doubt, and I've come to develop feelings for him, but Warren raping me is a secret that I've planned to never tell again.

It's something I planned to never happen again, and because of West... it didn't.

I watch as he slowly opens his eyes and yawns, waking in a slightly confused daze. He glances around the room with sleep filled eyes, but as he focuses on me, his eyes soften and his arms tighten around me. I smile slightly, my stresses vanishing for a few seconds.

"Good morning." He says quietly. He lifts his hand and trails his fingers along my bruise with a feather soft touch. "How are you feeling?" He asks softly, dropping his hand.

I shrug, "I have a bit of a headache."

He frowns. "That's to be expected. Thankfully you have a nice brother who brought you Tylenol while we were asleep."

Oh that was sweet of-

Wait.

That means Toby saw me completely cuddled into West's side. That may be difficult to explain.

I look over at my nightstand and see two pills placed next to a glass of water. Since West is closest to it, he reaches over and hands them to me. I sheepishly take them from him and take the pills, perfectly aware of the fact he's staring at me in a failed attempt of being discreet.

"You hungry?" He asks once I've swallowed both pills.

I nod, taking note to the dull ache of hunger forming in my stomach. West nods and slowly gets out of my bed, stretching his arms above his head. I can't help but glance down to where his shirt rides up and I swallow at the prominent V-line that reveals itself. He yawns and glances down at his shirt, looking closely at one spot before smirking.

"Did you know that you drool, Sunshine?" He asks, lifting his twinkling eyes to me.

I blush deeply and ignore him, standing up and attempting to run my fingers through my hair.

West chuckles and walks towards me, "I think it's cute." He says, and I roll my eyes, waiting for his sarcastic spin on the compliment. "It just means you were dreaming of me." He winks.

I shake my head and lightly shove him away, but when a shock of pain runs through my wrists I gasp and pull away. I look down at them and my heart drops at the dark blue and purple bruises imprinted by a monster's hands.

I don't even want to know what my cheek must look like.

"Hey," West says gently, taking my hand in his. I look up at him with sad eyes and he smiles reassuringly. "They're just bruises, they'll fade."

I give a small smile in response and we walk out of my room, but I don't let go of his hand. I relish in the comfort being near him provides me, the warmth his touch sends through my whole body.

We walk down the steps and as we enter the living room, I stop in shock when I see Alyse and Toby sitting very close together on the couch. He has his hand resting on her knee and she has hers playing gently with his hair as they talk quietly. However, when West coughs slightly to get their attention, they look at us and quickly stand up. Toby's eyes automatically go to our hands, but he doesn't say anything. He just meets my eyes, and I instantly recognize the telltale redness around them, speaking measures.

My heart cracks at the thought of him crying and I let go of West's hand to pull my brother in for a hug. He lets out a huge breath and hugs me back tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Raine." He mutters into my shoulder.

I give him a small squeeze in response.

If it wasn't for him and West, Warren would have gone through with his plan last night. If it wasn't for Toby I wouldn't be okay right now; I would be the same person I was for all of my freshman year.

He pulls away and I give a small smile. "Thank you."

He smiles back and nods, "I love you, sis." He says quietly.

"I love you too." I sign, hugging him again.

He walks back to sit down next to Alyse, and I notice the soft smile that plays on his lips as he sits in a proximity closer than just friends. I raise a brow at her and she tries to hide a smile, giving me a look that says she will explain everything later.

"There's breakfast in the kitchen." Toby says, glancing back up at me.

I nod and walk back to West, entering through the doors to the kitchen by his side.

"Want me to make you a plate?" He offers.

I smile gratefully and sit down on a bar stool, a yawn escaping me.

"How's the headache?" West asks as he walks over with our food in hand.

"It's fading. It doesn't hurt nearly as badly." I sign, picking up my fork to eat.

He does the same and we eat in silence. My eyes go to the window and I watch as the rain pours down outside. I watch droplets slide down the window over and over again, and I jump in the slightest with each roar of thunder. My eyes follow a bluebird as it flies towards our bird feeder, quickly regretting his decision to be out in the rain. Kind of like how I quickly regretted my decision to go to the party last night.

My thoughts travel to everything that has happened within the last twenty four hours, and I begin to feel claustrophobic. I still feel...disturbed from last night, I've just been attempting to push the feelings away.

"Lovely weather we're having." West says, breaking the silence of the room.

I glance at him and give a distracted smile before looking back at the window, my food already eaten.

I hear him sigh and set his fork down but I keep my eyes focused outside. "What's wrong?" He asks gently.

What's wrong is that I still feel violated. I still have flashbacks threatening me. I'm still affected by Warren. I still let my fear of him control me. I'm still mute.

I close my eyes and shake my head, "I don't know." I look down at my empty plate and take it to the sink, taking West's as well. I feel his eyes on me but I don't look over, I just wash off the dishes with my back to him.

"Are you embarrassed of what happened? Because you shouldn't be, it wasn't your fault." He presses gently. "I don't think of you any differently."

I stop and lower the plate into the sink, closing my eyes and biting my cheek to prevent myself from crying. I turn to face him and nod slightly, trying to give him a small smile, but he sees right through it. He continues to frown and stands up.

"That's not what's wrong, is it?" He asks quietly, walking closer to me. He stands so close to me I can feel the warmth radiating off of his body, and all I want to do is curl into him like I did last night.

I take a deep breath and look to the side. "It just...brought back memories that lately I've been able to keep away." I sign, offering him no more.

He scans my eyes, searching for more than I'm willing to give right now. Then he sighs and nods, hanging his head a little. "Well, I'm always here for you." He leans forward and sets a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Nothing's going to change that." He adds, meeting my eyes once again.

I nod with a small, grateful smile and take the small step forward to hug him. I rest my head on his chest and I feel his heart begin to beat a little faster, and I find comfort in the fact it's not just me that happens to.

Somehow, after an entire night of being at a party and sleeping in my bed, he still manages to smell like himself; the faint scent of Old Spice interlaced with mint.

When we pull apart, he tucks some hair behind my ear and I close my eyes briefly from the shocks that explore my skin from the contact. It amazes me how someone so rugged can have such a gentle touch.

"Thank you." I sign.

He smiles softly and tilts his head, "Of course, Sunshine." He whispers.

Neither of us look away from one another, and I feel my unpleasant thoughts slipping away, being replaced with thoughts of West. His dark brown eyes, his mesmerizing smirk, his sharp jaw line, his gentle smile...

His phone goes off and snaps us both out of our dazes.

He lets out a deep sigh as he checks his phone. "I have to go babysit Casper while my mom's at work." He says sadly, glancing at me. "But can we have a lesson tonight?"

"Of course." I sign, feeling my heart drop at the thought of him leaving. Because I know as soon as he leaves, I won't be able to avoid my thoughts.

He sighs and glances outside. "I'll see you tonight, then." He says before completely pulling away from me. I watch him as he walks out of the kitchen and ultimately out to his car.

My eyes stay on the door for moments after he leaves. I can still feel his lips on my forehead, making my entire body flood with welcomed shock from the contact.

I shake my head and look around the kitchen, cringing at how messy it is. I appreciate Toby making me breakfast, but he could have done so in a cleaner manner. I grab a dish towel and start wiping down the counters, trying to keep myself busy.

I walk into the living room when I finish, but I stop in my tracks when I see both Toby and Alyse standing by the staircase. He has his hands on her waist, holding her close, and she has her hands resting on his chest. He brushes some hair from her face with a soft smile, saying something that has her blushing.

I start to back up, feeling as if I'm intruding on a sentimental moment between them.

When I hear footsteps running up the stairs I decide it's safe to walk back in. I find Toby standing by the stairs with a smile before he comes back to the living room. He see's me and stops briefly, a little shocked.

"Did West leave?" He asks, coming fully into the living room.

I nod and rub my hand along my arm.

"How are things between you two?" He asks, and I look at him.

"He was there for me when I didn't know I needed him." I sign honestly.

He stares at me through deep eyes for a few seconds and nods. "Well, then that's all I can ask for." He starts to walk out of the room, but stops and turns back. "And, not that you need this, but, I approve."

I smile slightly as he walks away, but I catch his attention before he leaves the room.

"I see you took my advice," I sign, grinning at the blush that lights his cheeks.

Last night, before West came to my room, I told Toby to get over himself and finally make a move on Alyse. And I'm happy to see that he listened.

He nods with a warm smile, "I did. Thank you."

I smile gently in response and he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I take out my phone after not checking it all night, and I unlock it to just under thirty messages, almost all from Tyler.

I open and read through them, and every single one is an apology for leaving me alone last night. First he asks if I'm okay, then he goes into apologizing, and then he tries to explain himself, ending with more unnecessary apologies. His final text was asking to see me, coming off rather desperate, so I quickly text him back and ask him to come over.

I read back through the messages, my brow furrowed in confusion. Why would he think this was his fault? It's no ones fault but Warren.

Just minutes later I hear knocking at the front door and, as soon as I open it, I take in Tyler's appearance. His clothes are disheveled, he has dark bags under his eyes, and his hair's all messed up as if he's constantly been running his hands through it.

"Raine," he breathes, regret forming in his voice. "I'm so sorry."

"For what? You did nothing wrong." I sign, shaking my head at him.

He closes his eyes, "But I did, Raine!" He exasperates. "I left you alone and let him get you."

I pull him to me for a hug, placing one hand to cradle the back of his head as he clings to me.

"I'm not mad at you," I sign once we pull apart.

He shakes his head, "How? I left you all alone, Raine. I practically handed you to him." He says, his eyes washed with guilt.

"Tyler, you couldn't have known he was watching me." I sign with a reassuring smile. "It wasn't your fault." I repeat.

He continues to stare at me, his eyes full of regret and relief.

"Don't blame yourself."

He smiles gently and shakes his head with a small laugh. "How can you be so damn forgiving, Raine?" He asks.

I chuckle and shrug, "It's in my nature."

Then he's kissing me.

His hands come up to my cheeks and he pulls my face to his, pressing our lips together. My eyes widen at the sudden move and I pull away, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Tyler..." I sign, staring at him in guilty confusion.

His entire expression drops and he looks down, "I'm sorry." He says, closing his eyes briefly. "I just... I like you, Raine." He admits, meeting my gaze. "I really, really like you."

I look at him, my response already clear through my eyes, and he sighs quietly, his entire body deflating.

"I'm sorry. I just...I've only ever seen you as a close friend." I sign honestly, shaking my head apologetically. "I never meant to lead you on or anything."

He nods and avoids my gaze. "No it's okay, I get it. You like West." He says, and I freeze.

"What?"

He looks at me and smiles sadly. "I could tell, I just hoped it wasn't true. And to think, I'm the idiot that invited him into our friend group." He scoffs, shaking his head at himself.

I try to think of what to say, but all I do is stare dumbly at him.

"I guess I really have no one to blame but myself." He says, taking a deep, shaky breath. "I shouldn't have slept around knowing I had such strong feelings for you."

I frown deeply and shake my head, placing my hand on his shoulder. "You're an amazing guy, Tyler."

He lets out a small scoff of a laugh. "Yeah, and I'm going to make someone very happy someday, right?"

I avoid his gaze.

I hear him sigh deeply, and then there's a moment of silence before he speaks up. "Does he make you happy?" He asks quietly.

I look at him and furrow my brow.

"West; does he make you happy?" He repeats.

I nod, "He does."

He sighs and nods, avoiding my eyes. "Well alright then."

"Tyler, we can still be friends." I sign quickly, sensing his goodbye.

He forces a smile and nods. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

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