On Her Own

Chapter 1

Rachel jerked herself awake and looked around her abnormally bright room. The quiet girl had every single light in the room turned on tonight. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She'd had another nightmare. It was about him and that night. She'd been scared half to death ever since.

It was her first night alone in her dorm room, her roommate Toni Monetti was spending the night with her boyfriend. She hadn't told Toni about that night yet. Rachel didn't know how the other girl would react to the fact that a friend of theirs had tried to rape her. The only thing that saved her was a guy hidden in the shadows cast by a truck. She didn't know who saved her but she was eternally grateful and embarrassed.

Rachel jumped slightly when someone knocked on her door. She debated answering it, fearing who it was on the other side.

"Rachel?" There was another knock.

The girl in question smiled slightly, recognizing the voice of her best friend turned boyfriend. She got up and crossed the room wearing a sports bra and a pair of booty shorts, opening the door for him. She stepped out into the hall and looked both ways before ducking back into her room. Shutting and locking the door, she turned to face her boyfriend.

He was tall, with a lean muscular build. His shaggy black hair usually fell in front of his cool blue eyes and Rachel loved brushing it back with her fingers. He was usually in a pair of black boots, and his denim jacket. Tonight he was in a pair of sweats. And right now those cool blue eyes of his were watching her curiously.

"You alright Rachel?" He could tell she was thinking about something.

She nodded and walked up to him, resting her forehead against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She hadn't seen him in almost two weeks.

"I'm fine Richard. Just worried about an english assignment that's due on Monday." She couldn't look at him. Richard was the only person she had trouble lying to, and she was pretty sure it was because of how much she cared about him.

"Where's Toni?" His voice was soft and close to her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her skin.

"She's spending the night with her boyfriend." Rachel placed one of her hands over his heart, letting the steady beat of his, slow her pounding one.

"Then I'm guessing that's an invitation for me to spend the night?" She could hear the smile in his voice. Richard took a half step back and lifted her chin with his finger. When she didn't respond he cocked his head to the side and frowned slightly, knowing there was something bigger than her english bothering her that she wasn't sharing.

"Hey," He whispered, gaining her attention.

She looked into his clear eyes, her own clouded with her thoughts on that night.

He smiled down at her. "I've missed you."

She showed him a small smile. "I've missed you too."

Rachel took his hand in hers and tugged, leading him over to her bed. "I could use some company, it's been too quiet with Toni gone."

Richard sat down on the edge and watched her get comfortable. "What about that english assignment that's due?"

She shrugged at the ceiling. "What about it?" She hadn't been lying when she said she was worried about it. It was impossible for her to get away with lying to him. It was sitting half done on her computer, just as it had been when she started it the day before the party, but she hadn't been able to focus on it. She'd been busy thinking about other things.

He raised an eyebrow at her, smirking. "I know you Rach, you only worry about an assignment if you haven't finished it."

He noticed her tense slightly. It was going to bother her all night. Getting up, Richard went over to her desk and grabbed her laptop and english book before bringing them over to the twin bed. "Come on, you know it's gonna bother you until it's done."

She sat up on her elbows and looked at him. "But you're here, and I'd rather spend this time with you than with my homework…" And she didn't think she'd be going to that class anytime soon.

"Go ahead and finish it, I'm more than fine with just hanging out in here with you. Besides maybe I'll reward you if do your work like a good girl." He commented playfully as he put the computer and book on the quilt in front of her before laying down with his hands behind his head.

She took a slow breath before she pulled the laptop onto her lap and opened the book to the page she needed and propped it against a pillow next to her.

Richard moved silently about the room for the next few hours, keeping himself busy while Rachel attempted to finish her paper. Whenever she began getting frustrated or would start to lose her focus he would go back over to the bed to help her get going again.

Rachel sat on her bed with her back against the wall as she typed her paper. She wanted to be able to see Richard as he moved around her room. It was comforting to know he was here with her. Nothing would happen to her while Richard was around.

Every now and then she would start to lose focus on what she was supposed to be doing and would let her thoughts get sidetracked, thus sidetracking her. When this happened Richard would come sit next to her to see how much more she had done. He would encourage her to keep going and would sit next to her for a few sentences before he began wandering around her room again.

Rachel worked late into the night before finally printing it. After stapling it and putting it in her bag along with her book for class, she sat on a corner of the bed and looked over at her boyfriend who was currently sprawled across the majority of the small mattress.

"Push over, you're taking up the whole bed." She complained lightly. He grinned and moved in a bit so she could lay down next to him.

"Ugh, remind me why I let you spend the night with me?" She questioned as she got comfortable. She felt him laugh next to her and smiled lightly. She was safe.

"Maybe it's because I make a good pillow?" He replied jokingly, wrapping her up in his arms so he could slide one arm under her head. He knew how she liked to sleep.

"Oh yeah, thats why." She chuckled softly and curled into his chest, one of her legs slipping between his. She knew she would sleep well with him beside her.

Richard pulled the blankets up a little higher around them before wrapping an arm around Rachel and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning sunlight came pouring through the window, landing right at the head of Rachels bed. The two people occupying the bed groaned in unison. Richard put a hand in front of his face, trying to block it from the overly bright sunshine. "Can you turn off the sun?" Rachel moaned burying deeper into the blankets.

"Come on, we're both awake. Might as well get up." Richard moved over her and held himself above her, leaning on his elbows. She pouted up at him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stood up, pulling her closer to him.

He captured her lips with his, kissing her deeply. Rachel instantly tensed against him and had to remind herself that it was Richard. Her Richard. Not the monster who attacked her.

Richard pulled back when he felt her tense up. "Rachel?" His voice was quiet, with a hint of worry.

The chain glinted under the collar of his shirt. She moved back and turned towards her closet before responding, her heart breaking from fear and anxiety. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

And with that said, Rachel began digging through her closet for something to wear for the day. As she found each new article of clothing, she removed the one that she wore to bed and replaced it with the clean one.

Richard watched her change, she was acting strangely. Last time she had kept something big from him it was a birthday present that she had gone through a lot of trouble getting. But he had a pretty good feeling that it wasn't anything like that this time. He walked up behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist.

"Whatever it is that's bugging you, you know you can tell me right? You can tell me anything." He placed a soft kiss on her neck.

She placed her hands over his and replied quietly. "Yeah, I know."

"And I'm always going to be on your side." Richard told her.

"I have to go talk to my english professor…" She trailed off as if there was more she wanted to say.

He wasn't going to force her to talk. And he wasn't going to argue with her over it. So instead he just placed a kiss on her temple and put his shoes on. Grabbing his sweatshirt he walked out of her room and left her to her thoughts.

Rachel stood there, in front of her closet, looking at the door long after he had left. She knew she should tell him about that night but she didn't know how. And once he knew, he would worry about her. She didn't want him to worry.

Pulling on her socks and shoes Rachel left her room. She should go see her english professor about her grade, which had been dropping lately. But she didn't have the strength to go talk to him at the moment, so instead she just wandered around campus.

Rachel knew that she couldn't keep this from him forever. She just didn't know how to tell him. If he knew about it Richard would freak out. She had to tell him though, no matter what. Eventually.

"Hello Rachel." The sound of that voice made Rachels blood run cold.

He was standing right in front of her. Roy Harper. He looked similar to Richard except his hair was orange and had brown eyes. He was more cocky, competitive and aggressive than Richard was though and that was the biggest thing that set them apart, though they had been competing against each other since the day they met.

Rachel stood there rigid. "What do you want Roy?" Her voice was cold, she didn't want him to know how scared she was right now.

"Oh, I think you know what I want Roth." He took a step forward and she took two back. There was no one around except for the two of them.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now Roy." She tried acting annoyed, then turned and started walking away. She didn't want to be alone with him. If she could just get to a busier part of campus she'd be fine.

"Where are you going Rachel?" He taunted grabbing her arm, pulling her to a stop.

She glared at him, trying to keep herself together. "I'm going back to my room-" He stopped her there.

"That's a great idea, that'll be much better than against a tree." Rachel's eyes widened in horror as he released her arm and took her hand instead.

Her room would be empty, it was still way too early in the day for Toni to be back. She couldn't let him get in her room. She just couldn't. There would be no hope of being saved this time.

"Rachel?"

She heard Roy growl quietly next to her and looked up.

Richard was walking towards them.

"Act normal, or you'll regret it." Roy growled quietly at her, frowning as Richard got closer to them.

"What do you want Grayson?" Roy asked taking a step forward so he was toe to toe with Richard, and in front of Rachel. Both were glaring at each other.

"What, am I not allowed to talk to my girlfriend?" Richard shifted his glare to where Roy was still holding Rachels hand.

Roy shot Rachel a quick glance and released her hand. Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at the ground, breathing slowly, evenly.

She tensed and jerked away when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Rachel," The soft voice, a complete opposite of what it had been moments before, calmed her a bit.

She let the hand guide her to Richards side where it circled around her waist possessively.

"Rachel, what about our plans?" Roy commented as she leaned into Richards side. She merely continued to look at the ground, trying to keep her breathing even. She shook her head lightly. She was practically trembling under Richards arm.

Richard took that as his cue and turned the two of them around, walking away.

"Don't forget what I said Rachel!" Roy called after them.

Richard wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. And he was planning on finding out one way or another.