by Holly Vane
“We're not even together!” Holly saw Caleb walking back to them.
“Is that what you called me here for?” He asked Jo.
Jo fidgeted under his gaze.
“You kissed Dominic?” Caleb turned on Holly before Jo could answer.
“Don't you start.” Holly tossed back at him. “You don't get to play the jealously card. You walked out on me last night remember? Apparently that's what you're good at!”
Holly turned back to Jo. Leaving Caleb stunned.
“Yes Jo I made a mistake. But it's not like you and him were together. But yes I'm sorry. And I would do almost anything to make it up to you. But leaving Dominic alone is just not going to happen. I like him and he likes me so...there.” Holly tossed Jo's dress in her arms.
As she walked away she could feel their eyes following her.
She felt strangely free. All the pain and guilt had gone. She felt a desperate longing to see Dominic.
“Holly wait.” Caleb's voice made her stop.
“What is it now?” Holly said, waiting for him to catch up.
He looked....hurt. Desperate.
“Holly it....killed me to leave you last night. But I had to. I don't know what Dominic told you...”
“He told me all about you. How you toss girls aside like they're nothing” Holly rounded on him. Her anger rising.
He snorted. “He's confusing me with himself Holly.” He breathed out slowly. There was something in his face that caused doubt to nag at her insides. Was he telling her the truth?
“Caleb, you never even said Goodbye. You just bailed.”
He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes so intensely that her legs threatened to buckle.
“And I regret it. But trust me when I say that I didn't have a choice. Holly kissing you...made me feel closer to heaven then I ever thought possible.”
Holly felt the anger towards him die. How could she be mad at him, when he took her breath away with just words.
She also knew that he was keeping something from her. Dominic too.
“How do you know Dominic?” She asked him firmly. Caleb still hadn't let go of her hands. He held them in his palms.
“Holly I told you before...”
“No you didn't. You fobbed me off, and at the time I didn't press it cause I only just met you.
But don't you think that it's a bit weird, that both of you just happened to move here at the same time. That you seem to know and hate each other vehemently, even though he lived in New York and you California? Something's going on Caleb and I want to know what!”
Caleb looked down at his shoes rather then look at her. Her hands fell to her sides when he released them. “Holly I can't tell you.” She barely heard him, his voice was so low.
She smiled at him sadly. “You two have done nothing but turn my world upside down. I wish that you had never came here. And most of all I wish that...I didn't feel the way I do about you.” Her voice broke. Holly turned and sped down the street. Her heart breaking with every step.
***
Dominic flew through the air like a feather on the wind.
He landed heavily on a pile of rubbish a fair, few feet away. He rubbed his hands together to get rid of the mushy mess he'd just landed in.
“Ugh.” He said. Then looked up. Caleb towered over him.
“Really? You want to do this here?” Dominic asked him lightly. Gesturing at the alley they were in. That extended off Main street, just a few feet away busy shoppers passed by.
“To think that I actually felt grateful to you.” Caleb said. Carrying on like Dominic had never spoke.
“Well I did save Holly from a fiery death.” Dominic remarked, as he got to his feet.
“You just wanted me out the way! So you could pursue her.”
“Duh!”
Caleb flung him against the alley wall. Squeezing his throat. Dominic kicked him in his unmentionables.
Caleb doubled over in pain.
“Now since you're down there. Listen.” Dominic told him. “I said I would protect her, and that's what I did. I never promised anything else.”
Caleb sank against the wall, the pain was excruciating.
“You kissed her?” He asked feeling it subside a little.
Dominic smirked. “I did a lot more than that.”
Caleb forgot about the throbbing sensation and looked at Dominic sharply. “Meaning?”
Dominic shrugged his shoulders. “A gentleman never tells.”
“It's a good thing you're not a gentleman then. You didn't have...” Caleb trailed off. He couldn't bear to say the word. The thought of Dominic touching Holly, his Holly, was bad enough. A shiver ran through him.
Dominic's smirk froze on his face, turning into a frown. “I could of.” He said to himself. “I could have brought all this,” He swung his arms upwards. “To an end. It would have been so easy...”
Caleb felt the need to throttle him get overwhelmed by something else. Curiosity.
“Then why didn't you?” He asked through clenched teeth.
“It's impossible...” Dominic looked into Caleb's eyes. And instinctively Caleb knew the reason why Dominic hadn't forced it with Holly. Why the world was still spinning on its axis. He recognised the agonised, baffled look in Dominic's dark eyes. Caleb realized that his eyes weren’t as dark any-more. A light swirled around the pupils. Dying the darkness into soft brown.
Hell's prince had fell in love.
It was impossible for Caleb to believe. But the proof was undeniable. Dominic sat down opposite him. They stared at each other, trying to read the other's mind.
Both utterly terrified of what this revelation meant.
***
Holly opened the French doors and stepped out into the night.
Before she closed them again, her mother's voice drifted out.
“Rebellious, does not have three L's Jeff.”
Saturday night was always family game night at the Stevenson's household. Holly loved board games but tonight not even scrabble could lift her mood.
All day she had been trying to take her mind off Caleb and Dominic. Trying to forget how sensationally good Dominic had made her body feel in his hands last night. That had been a big thing for Holly. Letting him touch her so intimately. But she had been so swept up in him that at the time it had seemed natural.
Now she just felt stupid. He had lied to her. She had thought that she meant something to him, but in reality she was just another notch in his belt. Why was he tormenting her like this. Why couldn't they both just leave her alone. Leave her to carry on with life the way it was before.
It was obvious that neither of them cared about her. So why couldn't she break away from there embrace?
“Holly.”
Her head snapped up.
Dominic was standing before her looking devilishly hot.
“What do you want?” She asked tiredly. She was fed up of all their games.
“I wanted to see you.” He said taking her in. She loved the way he did that. His eyes focusing on every inch of like he hadn't seen her before.
“Now you have. Leave.” She flung at him.
Dominic sighed and shook his head. “I'll go. But only if you give me five minutes.”
She settled herself on the last stone step, that led down to the grass, and waited for Dominic to join her.
They stared across the backyard in silence.
Holly looked down at her watch. “Four minutes.” She said to him.
Dominic put a hand over the watches face. “Holly,” He let out a deep breath. He seemed nervous. Dominic never got nervous. He always so sure of himself. “I'm about to bare my soul to you, that's a little hard to do with you timing me.”
“Then don't. There's nothing you can say that I can trust anyway.” Holly replied.
“Okay, I deserved that.”
“Why'd you lie to me about Caleb?”
Dominic got to his feet. He paced the grass in front of her furiously. �
�Because that's what I do. Holly, I'm selfish, cold. Some would even say evil. I've never cared about anything or anyone but myself. I use women like toys. I get what I want then I discard them. It's the way I am.”
Holly stared at him intently. Wondering where this was leading.
“And I like the way I am. It's never bothered me how many hearts I've broken. How many lives I've...ended. Not until I met you.”
Holly laughed. “You expect me to believe that?”
“No. I don't. But it's the truth. I know that I've caused you grief. You lost your best friend over me. And I'm truly sorry.”
A brick in Holly's wall of defence crumbled. He looked so...lost.
“Holly. I care about you. God help me... but I do.”
She felt tears wet her eyes. She took a big gulp of cool, evening air into her lungs. She got to her feet. “Since we're being honest with each other....I care about you too...”
He flashed her a smile.
“But I care about Caleb too.” She quickly added.
“Let me guess, it's his heavenly charm that turns you on.” He said mockingly.
Holly's face was deadly serious. “Nothing turns me on as badly as you do.”
Dominic looked at her, stunned into silence.
“But this...It's all a mess.” She continued in frustration.
“It doesn't have to be.” He said quietly. He walked towards her. Holly's heart quickened. He cradled her face in his strong hands. “We could be....” She pulled away, “don't say it.” She pleaded.
“Dominic I need to work out how I feel about you, about...”
“Him?” Dominic asked her.
She nodded. “It wouldn't be fair otherwise.”
She saw his face darken. He looked down at the grass, his hair hiding his expression from her. When he finally looked up again. The darkness had gone.
“I won't wait forever Holly.” He whispered then walked away, he vanished through the gate. Leaving Holly rooted to the spot staring after him.
***
The coming months passed Holly by, like a dream.
Instead of thinking about her intense and complicated love life, she focused on school.
She'd already sent off applications to colleges around the Northern and Southern states. At the bidding of her mother.
Holly hadn't seen much of Dominic, Caleb or Jo. They all seemed to be keeping out her way.
As her social life was reaching the critical list, her grades were gradually building up to perfect.
So it should be after all the studying Holly did. It was all she did now. At least it got the principle off her back. After her altercation with Heather Mr Woodborough had been keeping a very close eye on her.
A dark haired boy interrupted Holly's self-pity. She had glanced around the nearly empty school yard. Hoping to see Jo or Caleb walking toward her. But instead her eyes focused on the boy. As soon she did he vanished inside the school building. She could have sworn that he'd been following her for a week now. Always there when she turned. It was getting creepy.
Inside she heard the bell go, announcing the end of lunch. Holly picked up her bag and went to class.
Sitting in the back row. Holly felt miserable. In front of her Jo and Ricky were sending each other notes, while Miss Mills wrote on the blackboard. Jo used to send notes to her. The thought struck her like a bullet to the head. She squeezed her eyes shut and faced her desk. Dominic was slumped in his chair across the room, his-devil-may-care-grin etched on his face as he whispered over his shoulder to Heather.
Holly signed heavily. Wanting to feel his arms around her more than anything. Since that night in the backyard, Dominic had seemed to have lost interest in her. He would say the occasional hello when they crossed in the corridor. But it wasn't anything compared to the way he used to talk to her. And Caleb had vanished off the face of the planet. Holly had even tried waiting at the gym for him. But he never showed up.
When the bell finally sounded. Holly rushed past them all. Her head down. She turned a corner and banged head first into her stalker boy.
She stumbled back but his hand shot around her wrist roughly.
“Sorry.” Holly muttered. His hold tightened. “Hey! Let go of me!” She said louder, panicking.
There was something unsettling about his eyes. They were cold, angry. His face looked anything but kind.
“Hey! What are you doing. Holly?”
The boy hesitated at Jo's sudden appearance. “Is this guy bothering you?”
Holly stared at her gob-smacked.
Jo hit the boy in the chest with a book. “Get away from her Pervert!”
The boy looked around fearfully. When he saw the stares Jo's words were attracting. He let go of Holly and flew from sight.
“Who the hell was that creep?” Jo asked her.
Holly flung her arms around her.
“Hey! Don't crease the top.” Jo said amused.
“Does this mean you've forgiven me?” Holly asked tears forming.
Jo started to walk.
“Well, I've been doing some thinking. And maybe I was a little rash. It's not like Dominic was my boyfriend or anything. But it doesn't mean that I'm okay with you two. Let's just get that out in the open.” She turned to Holly. “This could be our last year together for all we know. I don't want to spend it being mad at you.”
Holly was walking on cloud nine. “Thank you.” She whispered.
Jo shrugged. “It's okay. I know I'm the coolest best friend ever.”
They smiled as they walked out into the open.
Jo's smile vanished slowly. Her frightened face was trained on something behind Holly. But before Holly could turn she was pushed to the ground roughly. She held out her hands to break her fall, she landed on the concrete stomach first. The air rushed out of her chest.
Holly heard the whack of Jo's head bounding off the truck of an Oak. Holly watched Jo fall to her knees, her eyes glazed over.
“Jo!” Holly yelled. Forgetting the stinging pain that shot through her chest every-time she moved, Holly dragged herself up on her knees and crawled over to where Jo now lay, crumpled on the ground.
Suddenly a rough hand grabbed Holly by her hair yanking her on her feet, then off them again as her attacker pulled her backwards, dragging her by the hair across the campus. She tried to put her hands out to ease the pressure on her scalp, but the rough terrain cut slashes into her delicate skin. Holly felt her hair rip from her scalp. She cried out in pain.
“Hell Whore!” a soft voice shouted at her. The sweet tone of his voice at odds with the nasty words he threw at her.
Holly's fellow students looked on in amazement, shocked into silence and scared at the sudden burst of violence. No one rushed to help her as she struggled with the boy's grip. He was far more stronger than her and Holly couldn't break his hold.
Holly's attacker was nearing the main road in front of the school.
Holly felt the grip of her attacker loosen. Then it was gone completely. Holly turned around to see her stalker boy's head bounce off a nearby car bonnet. Clumps of her hair dangled from his closed fist.
Caleb!
Caleb looked back at her, his face full of rage but his eyes had an almost apologetic look to them.
“Dominic get her out of here!”
Holly felt strong arms around her waist helping her to her feet.
Dominic.
Jo stood next to him, her face was terribly pale. Blood flowed freely down her face.
“Jo, are you okay?” Holly asked.
“Holly take my hand,” Dominic instructed her. He extended his right hand to her, while his left arm was wrapped around Jo. Keeping her up.
When she faltered he grabbed her hand and yanked on it hard, pulling Holly to him. forcing her to concentrate on him. She winced. Her head felt like it had been dragged through barbed wire. “Holly. I need you to focus okay,” Dominic told her firmly but gently. “We need to leave. Now.”
Holly nodded numbly. Ev
erything was happening so fast.
Dominic scooped up Jo's small body in his arms then he hurried away from the school. He kept looking back at Holly to check that she was still behind him.
When they entered the park Dominic finally slowed.
Holly's was gasping for breath.
He looked at Jo with concern. She did not look good. Her face was white, making the red blood running down her face, stand out even more. Her eyes were wide open but they had a dazed look to them. She hadn't said a word since they had been attacked.
“We need to get her to Dr Windsor.” Holly said between breaths. Her whole body shaking.
Dominic looked at her then back at Jo, trying to decide what he should do. “I'll take care of it. But Holly you have to stay here.”
“What? I'm going with Jo.”
Dominic closed his eyes for a second, trying to keep his patience.
“Holly. They weren’t after Jo. They want you. She just got in the way. You're safe here. The trees will hide you from their sights, at least until Caleb can get to you. But I can't wait for him Jo needs help now.”
“Me? Why would anyone be after...”
“Holly. I can't explain now. Just trust me, please?”
Holly felt her stomach lurch. The world was spinning. She was going to be sick. What the hell was Dominic saying?
The dark canopy that the trees created overhead, blocked out the fading sunlight, making Holly shiver with cold. Jo needed help and the longer she argued with Dominic...
“Just go.” She said quietly. Struggling to keep upright.
Dominic didn't hang around. He nodded. Then moved through the trees faster than Holly had ever seen a person go. He was out of sight in a few minutes.
Alone. Everything seemed darker, scarier than it had just a minute ago. Holly's hands stung where the rough ground had sliced them open. Blood pooled at her fingertips then dripped on the ground beside her. Why the hell was she still standing around here for? Home that's where she should be. In the safe arms of her mother.
She felt a sharp, gust of wind against her back. It tossed her hair into her face, making her raw scalp throb.
“Holly?” Caleb's gentle voice called her name.
Holly turned to him. How had he gotten so close without her hearing his footsteps?
His face was full of concern. His eyes ran over her body quickly, then stopped on the bloodied ground.
