Amber's Pov
The door creaked open as Alex guided me out of the room, his hand steadying me. My legs felt weak, trembling from the shock of what had just happened. The distant hum of the party carried on, oblivious to the chaos I'd just endured. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and my face was damp with tears I couldn't seem to stop.
As we made our way down the hallway, I heard a familiar voice shout, "Amber!" Sapphire was the first to reach me, her face pale with worry. She grabbed my shoulders, her eyes scanning my tear-streaked face and torn dress.
"What happened?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
Luna and Marco were close behind her. Luna gasped, covering her mouth with her hands when she saw me. Marco's expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he looked between me and Alex.
"Amber, what's going on? Are you okay?" Luna asked, stepping forward to wrap her arms around me.
I broke down completely then, the weight of everything crashing over me. Sobs wracked my body as I tried to speak. "He…he tried to—" My voice broke, and I couldn't finish the sentence.
Sapphire's face darkened with fury. "Who? Who did this to you?"
"That bastard upstairs," Alex said coldly, his tone sharp and unrelenting. "He's unconscious now. He won't be bothering anyone."
Marco's eyes widened before narrowing with rage. "Where is he? I'll kill him myself!" He started toward the stairs, his fists clenched, but Luna grabbed his arm.
"Marco, no," she said firmly. "Amber needs us right now."
"But—"
"She's right," Alex interjected, his voice commanding. "He's not going anywhere. The priority is getting Amber home safely."
I nodded weakly, still clutching Luna as she rubbed soothing circles on my back. Sapphire crouched down to look me in the eye, her expression softening. "Amber, I'm so sorry. I should've stayed with you."
"It's not your fault," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Marco crossed his arms, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "I should've been there too. If I see that guy again…"
"Let it go, Marco," Alex said, his voice steady but firm. "The situation's been handled."
Sapphire took a deep breath and stood up. "Let's get her home. She shouldn't be here any longer."
"Agreed," Luna said, holding me close.
"I'll take her," Alex said without hesitation.
The three of them exchanged glances, clearly hesitant, but I found myself nodding. "It's okay," I murmured. "I trust him."
Marco's lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn't argue. "You sure?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said, wiping my face. "I'll be fine."
Sapphire and Luna reluctantly let go of me, and Alex guided me toward the door. "I'll let you all know when she's home," he assured them.
As we stepped outside into the cool night air, I gave Alex my house address, I took a shaky breath. The fresh air helped a little, but my hands still trembled as I wrapped my arms around myself.
Alex led me to his car, opening the passenger door for me. I slid in silently, my mind racing. He got in on the driver's side, started the car, and pulled away from the house.
For a while, the only sound was the hum of the engine. I stared out the window, the events of the night playing on a loop in my head. I wanted to say something, to break the silence, but the words wouldn't come.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked finally, his voice gentle.
I nodded slowly. "I think so. Thank you…for saving me. If you hadn't been there…" My voice cracked, and I trailed off, blinking back tears.
"You don't have to thank me," he said, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "What he tried to do… it's unforgivable. I'm just glad I was there to stop him."
I glanced at him, studying his profile. His jaw was set, his expression unreadable, but there was a fire in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"That guy…" I began, my voice shaking. "He was so drunk, but I could tell he wasn't going to stop. I was so scared."
Alex's jaw tightened further. "You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready."
"No, I need to," I said, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to hold it in."
He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.
"I just…" I hesitated. "I don't know how to feel. Part of me is angry, but another part of me is just…numb."
"That's normal," Alex said softly. "What happened tonight—it's not something anyone should go through. But you're strong, Amber. You'll get through this."
I managed a small smile, though it didn't reach my eyes. "I hope so."
For a moment, silence settled between us again. Then something clicked in my mind, and I turned to him.
"Wait a second," I said, narrowing my eyes. "You… I know you. You're the guy from my second day of school. The one who yelled at me in the hallway."
Alex glanced at me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he sighed. "Yeah. That was me."
I stared at him, my emotions a mix of confusion and disbelief. "What are the odds?"
"I was a jerk," he admitted. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm sorry."
I blinked, caught off guard by his apology. "You…you're apologizing?"
"Yeah," he said, his tone earnest. "I was having a bad day, but that doesn't excuse how I treated you. You didn't deserve that."
For some reason, his words made my chest tighten. I nodded slowly. "Thanks. I appreciate that."
We fell into another silence, but this one felt lighter, less tense.
Then his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it, putting it on speaker.
"Where the hell are you?" a voice demanded.
"Michael," Alex said, his tone weary. "I'm on my way back. Something came up."
"Something came up? You left me at the party, dude. What happened?"
Alex glanced at me briefly before answering. "It's a long story. There was…an incident. I'll explain later."
Michael hesitated. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Alex said. "But I need you to book a ride home for yourself. I'm not coming back tonight."
Michael sighed. "Alright, alright. Just don't disappear on me again."
"Noted," Alex said before hanging up.
He put the phone back in his pocket and focused on the road again. "Sorry about that."
"It's fine," I said, leaning back in the seat.
The rest of the drive passed in relative silence. When we finally reached my house, Alex parked in the driveway and turned to me.
"Here we are," he said softly.
I nodded, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Thank you, Alex. For everything."
"Anytime," he said, his voice warm.
I got out of the car, giving him a small wave before heading inside. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't shake the feeling that tonight had changed everything.