Page 84 of Cheap Shot

“I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer.” I sounded a little bit insane, or obsessed, but I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.

“She said she was going to hang out with her friends. Maybe she’s just distracted.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I ran across the lawn and climbed the steps to the entrance of her building and took the stairs again running up to her floor.

“I’m at a study group right now. I’ll be done in about an hour. If you haven’t heard back from her by then, I’ll call her.”

I shoved open the door to her hall. It was empty. Silent. Strange for this time of night.

“Okay, man.”

“Talk to you––”

A scream sounded from farther down the hall, and I took off running.

“What was that?” Ethan sounded panicked.

“A scream.” I reached Haley’s door and turned the handle. It was locked but when I heard a muffled yell, I took a step back and kicked the door in with all the force I had. It shattered at the contact and swung in.

“What was that?” Ethan screeched in my ear.

“Call 911.” I ended the call and dropped my phone as I ran into the room and tackled the man on top of Haley to the ground.

She was still screaming as I wrested the blond guy until I had his hands behind him and my knee digging into his spine, keeping him from moving.

“Haley, you’re okay,” I told her while I looked over her body for any signs of injury. Her top was torn and there were more angry red marks on her neck and arms, but other than that, she was fine. She was whole. She was safe now.

“Haley! What’s going on?” a female voice called from the doorway.

“Sadie! Call the police,” another girl told her friend.

Jay shifted under me, and I threw a punch to the side of his head. He grunted and stopped moving.

I listened to Sadie tell the operator where we were and what was happening. “She said officers are less than five minutes away.”

I nodded but didn’t take my attention off the creep below me.

The tense moments passed quickly, and soon, heavy footsteps sounded toward us.

“You can get off. I’ll restrain him.” A man stood over me, and I checked over his uniform, confirming he was a police officer, before slowly standing and stepping away from Jay.

He was in cuffs and being carried out of the room within seconds.

Sadie and the other girl, Ella, stepped to the side and watched us from across the room.

I turned to Haley and wrapped her in my arms. She crumpled into me. It was like we were both waiting for him to be gone before allowing ourselves to absorb the situation.

“Haley!” Ethan’s voice carried from down the hall. He ran into the room, looking around before coming toward us. “What happened?”

It was then that I realized she hadn’t said a single word. She was shaking against me, and when I pulled away enough to see her face, she clung to me and pressed herself into my chest.

A paramedic entered the room and was directed to us. “Can I look you over? I want to make sure you’re not injured.”

I shifted, and Haley stared up at the women and gave one nod. I held her hand and looked back at Ethan.

“I heard screaming and busted down the door.” I started to explain realized another officer was at the entrance to the room, listening and assessing the damage. “He was on top of her on the floor. I tackled him and restrained him. Sadie came in right after that and called 911.”

The officer stepped farther into the room. “Miss, can you tell us what happened?”