Anything For Rachel – Episode 33

#EPISODE_33

 

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It was almost like I could physically feel my entire world being shaken around me. I don’t know why, but the moment I read the announcement on the TV I pictured myself in my house back in Nevada. I was standing in the middle of my own living room and everything was shaking. The pictures shook free from the walls, the glass shattering when it hit the floor. I could hear plates crashing out of the cabinets from the kitchen, and crack ran down my walls.

 

My knees felt like they were locked into place as I looked over to Calvin and Octavia whispering to each other in the doorway. Or maybe they weren’t whispering, maybe the whooshing in my ears was just too loud for me to hear them over. Octavia’s mouth was moving quickly, then Calvin covered his face with both hands before he suddenly shot away from Octavia over to the other side of the room where he threw his fist into the wall over and over, blood spurting out and spraying across his white shirt. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew it was bad. Bad enough to cause Calvin to lose it, and Octavia to look like she’s seen a ghost, or just been told that her best friend is dead.

 

Dead.

 

Lexton.

 

The news said I’m the queen now, which means that something has to have happened to Lexton. I could feel my hands shaking at my sides. Something is wrong. Octavia mentioned Lexton, so she must be dead. Either she’s dead, or she’s told everyone the truth, or she’s decided she doesn’t want to play pretend anymore. The maybes and what ifs where driving me insane until I looked over at Calvin again.

 

The pain on his face broke me out of the fog and I ran across the room to him.

 

“Calvin!” I yelled. “Calvin, stop!” I tried again. He ignored me and continued to break the bones in his hands against the wall. I moved closer, trying to grab his

 

 

arm, but he was moving too quickly and my hand almost got in the way of him and the wall but Octavia was the one who pulled me back in time. “Calvin! Please!”

 

 

 

I didn’t know what to do when he still kept on, crimson blood going everywhere, even on my own white shirt now. I’d never seen Calvin ignore my pleas before and it only told me how bad things must be. Fear nearly crippled me when I looked into Octavia’s eyes, a deep crease forming between her eyes and the same look of complete nothingness on her face.

 

“Give him a minute.” She muttered to me but I looked at her in disbelief.

 

“No.” I told her. “I won’t watch him hurt himself, even if it will heal.” I said reaching out for him again, but Octavia knocked me out of the way.

 

“He’s going to hurt you if you don’t give him some space.” She snapped at me.

 

My face was hot and angry/panicked tears fought their way onto my cheeks. I just needed to stop him so I could know what Lexton had done. “Calvin would never hurt me.” I told Octavia, then turned back to him.

 

He was suddenly away from the wall and in my face.

 

I thought I’d seen Calvin lose control before, but I hadn’t. Not until now.

 

He’d lunged away from the wall and into my face, making me shrink away from him until I lost my footing on the rug and tripped into the floor. He just leaned down closer, his eyes black and the veins in his neck and the one on his forehead bulging madly. It was the first time I’d ever thought he looked like a monster, his lips pulled back far over his teeth, baring them at me fiercely where I was sprawled on the floor. “You think I won’t hurt you?” He demanded, his voice booming with power. “Don’t you see? All I can ever do is hurt you! I will be the death of you and everyone you love! Why can’t you see that? Why are you so stupidly blind to see what is right in front of you?” He screamed at me and I leaned my face away from his, pressing my wet cheek against the ground, fear in me bubbling to the surface through my weak cries. I’d never feared this man before. “I’m a monster! I took something I never should have had! I ruined you! You will never be safe, you will

 

 

never be happy! I can’t protect you, or anyone else! All I will ever be able to do is hurt you!” He whispered menacingly. “I will hurt you.” His cruel voice hushed, a promise.

 

“Calvin, get away from her.” Octavia said firmly, but a very careful sound to it. “Look what you’re doing right now.” He cut his glare away from me for only a second to look back at her.

 

“Look at her.” She said, a slight shake in her voice. “It’s Rachel, Calvin.” She said. “You’re scaring her.”

 

I wanted to disagree, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t speak at all because of the tremors that were wracking through me, leaving me incapable of anything but gurgled cries as the man I love with all of my heart loomed over me with so much anger on his face that I wasn’t entirely sure that he wouldn’t hurt me anymore. I never thought it before, but now, in this moment, I feared my end my just come from the hands I love the most.

 

Calvin’s empty eyes turned back to my face and he sneered before finally he leaned back slightly, his shoulders shaking slightly. He closed his mouth, sitting back on the floor, and rubbed his face, his eyes normal when he brought away his hands.

 

Octavia was at my side instantly, pulling me up off of my back to hold me against her, brushing my hair back as I continued to cry.

 

Calvin’s expression was unreadable. Like he had no idea what had just happened, but at the same time that he did, but didn’t know how it happened. “I-I….” He

 

muttered, looking at my face. He scooted further away from me, shock in his hollow eyes, his mouth going slack. “I didn’t…” His chocked out. He blinked slowly, his eyes growing wet as he looked at me, but I had to turn away from him. I needed to process things myself. I turned, facing the opposite direction while Octavia continued to shush me gently.

 

I heard the door open and I leaned back to see Logan and Patrick coming in together before they both froze just inside of the door, taking in the scene in front of them. Blood smeared all over the wall and all over Calvin, me crying

 

 

hysterically, Octavia holding me in the floor, while Calvin sat a few feet away staring at us.

 

“What the fuck did you do?” Logan shouted, running over, sliding on his knees to Octavia and me, and pulling us both closer to him. “If you did something to them, I swear to god!”

 

“Stop it.” Octavia scolded him and he looked down at her.

 

“What happened?” He demanded. “Whose blood is all of this?”

 

He looked to Octavia to answer him, but she turned to look at Calvin instead. Logan and I both followed her gaze and we watched Calvin clumsily push himself to his feet, stumbling backwards away from us with his eyes wide in disbelief, before he turned, his face drenched with tears, and he vanished through the open door.

 

“What’s happened here?” Patrick asked from where he stood at the door, his expression worried. “We came when we heard the news, I didn’t expect to find…this.”

 

I pushed away from Octavia and Logan and tried to stand on my shaking legs. “He just lost his cool.” I said shakily, straightening up. “I got too close.”

 

Logan stood up, helping Octavia to her feet, then he turned on me. “Don’t dare take the blame for whatever he did.” He snapped at me. “If he lost his temper, that’s on him, not you.” I had been trying to gain a calm, but Logan broke me down again.

 

I stepped forward, leaning my head into the middle of his chest and he hugged me. “Shhh, it’s ok, Rach.” He whispered. “It’s alright.”

 

“I’ve just…I’ve never seen him like that before.” I whimpered.

 

Octavia put her hand on my shoulder and looked at me with a sad expression.

 

“Neither have I.” She admitted.

 

We stayed that way for a long time, long enough that my eyes were sensitive to the light from all the crying I’d done, and my voice was hoarse. We moved together to the couch, and Octavia turned off the TV before I could see what was there. I kept

 

 

looking back to the door, waiting for it to open, and Calvin to rush in and sweep me up into his arms. I waited for him to come back for over an hour, but I couldn’t stand it anymore.

 

I got up and walked to the door myself, but Octavia stopped me.

 

“You’re not allowed to leave.” She told me.

 

“What?” I asked.

 

“You can’t leave.” She repeated. “It isn’t safe.”

 

I nodded. “I know it isn’t, but I need to go find Calvin.”

 

Octavia pulled her brows together, like she didn’t understand why I’d want Calvin right now after what had just happened, but I needed to see him. “I’ll call him.” She told me.

 

“Can I?” I asked her but she bit her lips and looked down. “In a minute.” She said. “I guess I have to be the one to tell you.”

 

I looked up into her eyes. “The reason why the competition is cancelled?” I asked and she nodded. “Should I sit down?” I sniffled.

 

“Yes.” She replied.

 

I moved back over to the couch and sat beside Patrick. He looked over at me sorrowfully and held my hand in his while Octavia came over and sat down on the coffee table, facing us on the couch. I took a deep breath and held to Patrick’s hand a little tighter. “You mentioned Lexton.” I said. “When you came in, you said it couldn’t go on because of Lexton.” I reminded her. I swallowed loudly. “Is she…?”

 

“Rachel,” She said carefully a sadness and fear evident in her voice.

 

“Oh my god.” I sighed. “She’s dead?” I asked, my heart rate creeping back up. “What happened?”

 

Octavia shook her head. “Not quite.” She whispered.

 

 

I widened my eyes at her, my heart hammering to a stop. “Not quite what?” I asked. “Not quite dead? She’s dying? She what?”

 

Octavia took a deep breath of her own. “She was walking back to her room this evening, she couldn’t find her guard, and so she was alone.” She started. “She was attacked.” Octavia said, looking up into my eyes. “The men who did it…they didn’t kill her, Rachel.” She explained.

 

“Octavia, please just spit it out!” I said, my voice rising.

 

“Rachel, they wanted to end the competition.” She said. “They didn’t want you leaving. They said you’re leaving too soon would throw a wrench into their plans. They told Lexton that they were going to bring you and Calvin down. It was the rebels, they admitted to Lexton that they were the ones who messed with you last week and that they know about Rose’s existence. I don’t know why they didn’t just kill her, but they didn’t.” She said shaking her head. “It’s like they really want you to know that they’re here. They are messing with you and with Calvin.”

 

 

 

To_be_Continued

 

ANYTHING

 

 

FOR

 

 

RACHEL