Suddenly more people flock into the alley, but still I can't get up, I can't even move. I can just make out Tucker in front, holding back whoever is behind him.
Tuck barks some order about watching the girls before racing down the alley toward us. I don't meet his gaze. I'm too ashamed. And when Tuck approaches me, I whimper, irrationally cowering against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest. I don't raise my eyes above his waist, but I can sense his hesitation in his stance, at a loss for what to do with me. I can only imagine what he must think of me right now, and I see him change direction to where Sam hovers over a barely conscious Robin just five or so feet away.
"What theactualfuck?" Tucker demands.
"He attacked Rory," Sam says simply. "Keep him down. He doesn't get up," he orders, his voice tremulous and deathly serious, betraying his barely contained rage.
Sam approaches me cautiously, crouching down so that we're eye to eye. I meet his midnight blues and despite their devastation, I feel immediate relief.
I'm safe.
My arms fling around his neck as I fall onto my knees, launching myself into his arms. Sam catches me, squeezing tight.Safe.
"He found me," I sob over and over, unable to elaborate, drenching Sam in my tears. "I don't know how, but he found me, he found me..."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sofuckingsorry," Sam repeats on loop. What he's sorry for, I can't imagine, but I can't break my rambling sobs to ask him. I just bury my face in his shirt and cry.
I draw strength from the innate security of Sam's embrace, and try to get ahold of myself. I lift my head to find him watching me cautiously. Robin lays on the ground, bloodied but awake, with Tucker's shoe pressed atop his neck in warning. No one else is in the alley, but I suspect the rest of our group is lingering just out of sight.
Sam looks me over, cupping my face and tracing his thumb over the place where my cheek hit brick. He winces with me when he touches what will surely be an ugly bruise.
"I'm sorry," he whispers again. He proceeds to lift each of my arms in turn to search for injuries, but I only have some scrapes and bruises. I've had far worse.
His gaze continues down, and he reaches for my skirt and pulls it over my thighs. I didn't even realize I was sitting here, completely indecent. Sam completes his inspection and his eyes return to mine. Guilt stains each of his features, as if he's the one who attacked me and not Robin. "Tell me you're okay," he pleads.
I nod. "I'm okay."
"I'm so sorry, Ror. I'm such a fucking idiot. I came outside to look for you and... Isawyou with him, but I didn't realize- I just thought you were with some guy and I just..." He rakes his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I'm so fucking sorry."
I want to ask him why he's sorry, to absolve him of his unearned guilt, but I'm too shaken to form a comprehensive thought, let alone speak again. Before I can form a response, Sam slides his arm under my thighs and I'm scooped up from the ground.
"Someguy?! I'm her fuckin'boyfriend!" Robin growls belligerently from the ground. "You're fuckin'mineRory! You hear me, you-"
Tuck digs his shoe into Robin's throat, turning his rant into nothing but a strangled choking sound. Sam stiffens and I tighten my hold on him. I feel in each of his tensed muscles that he wants nothing more than to punish Robin for his claim - to resume his brutal beating. But he manages to compose himself.
"I'll be right back," he tells Tuck. "Keep him down."
Tuck nods once before his eyes meet mine, his brow furrowing in concern. I avert my gaze in shame. I hate the way my old and new lives have collided tonight. Sam is one thing. Iwantedhim to know, to confide in him. It was mychoice. But now Tuck heard Robin say he was my boyfriend. Oh God, and my pitiful rambling! It doesn't take a genius to figure out what just went down in this God forsaken alley, and Tucker's no idiot.
I cringe when I picture myself cowering against the wall with my skirt around my hips and a nasty, tell-tale bruise right on my cheek. No wonder Tuck is looking at me with such pity. I ampitiful. I'm vaguely thankful he had the foresight to ensure the rest of the group stayed back from the alley, but I know it won't stop the story from spreading for long.
"I can- uh, walk," I murmur to Sam. I can tell he disapproves, and the truth is I don't want to be anywhere but his arms, but he places me gently on my feet anyway.
Sam wordlessly firms his palm on the small of my back for support, and I'm grateful for the contact. When we reach the entrance to the alley, I'm relieved to see that only Carl, Dave, Tina, and Andrew remain. I look only at Carl, too mortified to see the others' faces right now. She is stricken with worry. She immediately grabs me and hugs me fiercely.
"MyGod, Rory! What happened? Where did you go? What' going on? Where's Tuck?! No one will tell me anything!" she rants. I say nothing, do nothing, but hug her back.
"Call the cops. Tell them you need to report an assault. Then stay here with the girls, and make sure one of you lets me know as soon as you hear a siren, okay?" Sam instructs Andrew and Dave before he looks to Carl. "You got her?" he asks carefully. I feel her nod against my shoulder.
He starts to leave, to go back to the alley, and I pull out of Carl's embrace.
"Wait! Where are you goin'?" I ask desperately.
Sam looks as if he's the one in pain when he meets my eyes. "Please just stay here with Carl. Okay, baby?Please."
I nod, and Sam stalks purposefully back into the alley. I know Carl wants to ask more questions, but she won't in front of anyone else, so she just asks after Tuck again.
"I don't know!" I cry. "He came after me! And then Sam saved me, and then Tuck was there, and now they're all there, and I don't know what's happening!" My chest is tight with frustration, starving for some semblance of control, and all I really want is to be back in Sam's arms, to apologize for our earlier fight, to beg him to forgive me.
