Less than Perfect by S. J. Evans (librera reader .TXT) 📖

at him—that something was terribly wrong.
“Jules, she’s fine. Just give her some space.” Victor called after him, walking into place behind him.
Rachel scrambled over to Victor, snaking her arm around his and leaning into him. “Let him, Vic. There could be something wrong; she’s not usually gone this long.” She whispered in his ear, walking on her tip-toes so that she could reach up.
“If you say so,” he cooed, bending his head down a little so that he could kiss her. “Let’s hope everything is alright.”
She smiled, clearly enjoying the way his words brushed over her ears, softly. “It should be,” she murmured.
As Jules gave a quick glance back at them he groaned, irritated that they were so calm and casual about everything. Victor may be his closest friend, but he certainly can mess with him sometimes.
He hurried his pace again, trudging through the sand as his heartbeat sped a little, thumping inside him. He maneuvered himself through the shaded green trees, thinking of it as a possible shortcut to the drinking fountains. Turning the corner, he looked for her near the drinking fountains. And found no one.
Something hot and wet trickled down his forehead and he gulped down his worries. She’s got to be around here somewhere

, he told himself, it’s not like she’d get lost. She probably just went on a walk to clear her mind.

He shook his head, a dark oppressing thought squeezing all of the life from him. What if she hadn’t just wandered off, but instead she was carried off?
He flinched, caught up in the worry. No, don’t think that

, he scolded himself. You’re just overreacting.

Although, every part of him was screaming at him that he wasn’t overreacting but in fact was somehow right. But he didn’t want to be right about that. He wanted her to be taking a walk along the beach—alone, safe.
He didn’t understand the force inside of him that was telling him everything had gone wrong. He hardly understood the entire situation. Skye had to be okay. There couldn’t be anything wrong with what was going on.
Then it hit him. A sound. So quiet, so dark, it seemed to scream at him for help. His feet carrying him forward, legs slightly shaky, he neared the family restroom in-between restrooms and pushed away his worry enough so that the ringing in his ears faded away. He heard what he had been dreading. Only, the dread was worse than he thought.
Pressing his ears against the door, he heard the muffled cries of a girl. Anger pulsed through his veins, overwhelming his body with the sudden urge to break through the door. He felt responsible for protecting Skye in that moment. And he sure didn’t feel as though he was doing his job well.
Reaching for the handle, he jiggled it, the lock holding it shut. He knocked his knuckles against the door, his senses intensifying. He didn’t want to even imagine what was going on with her in there. He didn’t want to think of her getting hurt, of her cries that were trapped from someone else.
“Anyone in there?” He called. He made his voice as natural as possible, trying to pull off how anyone else would sound if they wanted to use the restroom, under different circumstances.
Victor and Rachel rounded the corner, finding Jules leaning against the door.
He heard them coming and turned his head, hushing them before they could say a word.
A murmuring voice came from the other side of the door, “Yeah, so why don’t you just buzz off man.” It was a male voice. A familiar male voice. Not Skye’s.
Jules knew that he recognized the voice. And the moment he heard a faint cry come from the other side followed by the same male voice cursing, was the moment he realized what was going on.
Skye’s ex was in there. And he was certain that the girl inside had to be her.
“Skye?” Jules said, loud enough so that his voice was heard through the door. “Skye, I’m coming in.” He added rashly. He didn’t know what to say, he only knew that he wanted her to be safe and in his arms again. “I’m getting security.” He hadn’t even had time to think about that though, he only said it out of impulse. He was acting on impulse.
“Stop,” he heard her scream. Her voice was muffled by sobs, inflaming Jules’ body with fear and hate. “Bryan, let go!”
Rachel was by Jules’ side now, Victor’s lean arms holding her close as if she was the one needing protection. “Bryan’s with her?” She whispered, panicked. Her eyes went huge, her mouth gaping in horror, and she slammed her hands against the door. “Bryan, let her go or we call the police!” She screamed, making a scene.
Victor pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her protectively. “It’s okay, love, it’s okay.” He soothed.
Jules looked at him funny, pleading with him to do something more than to just stand there. He nodded his head towards the door impatiently, his veins pulsing.
Victor carefully pulled Rachel out of his arms, moving her in front of the ladies room behind him. He looked at Jules and nodded, taking the situation lightly. He mouthed something to Jules.
They both slammed themselves against the door, throwing it wide open. They stopped themselves, Jules breathing hard as he bent over from the impact and Victor straightening himself casually as if he had done something of the sort many times before.
A hand landed on Jules’ back, making him jolt upright, and his eyes snapped to the scene.
Bryan, pressing Skye against the wall, his hands tangled in her hair as he breathed heavily, was looking at Jules, infuriated. He slowly moved away from Skye, bending over to pick up his shirt. Wiping sweat off his face with the shirt, he sneered at Jules.
“What is your problem? You didn’t have to break through the door, idiots.” He growled, cursing himself under his breath.
Jules couldn’t respond to Bryan though. All he could do was stare at Skye.
She was panting, tears pouring down her pale cheeks as she stared at Bryan in fear. She didn’t look away, didn’t bother to acknowledge Jules or Victor. She looked fragile like that, shaking and humiliated, her sweater stripped and her clothes frayed from the amount of struggling she had gone through. She looked sickly pale, sweat dripping down her forehead along with the fresh tears. She slid down to the ground, whimpering, and curled herself in a self-protective ball.
Jules felt heartbroken, seeing her so fearful and used. He wanted to comfort her but he also knew that she probably wouldn’t want him touching her so soon after Bryan had tried to do who knows what. He obviously hadn’t succeeded but he came close enough, and just the thought of him using Skye made Jules’ stomach turn with disgust and anger.
He wanted Skye to be safe

. Not in any kind of danger.
Rachel frantically charged in front of them, gaping when her eyes landed on Skye. Murmured sobs escaped her lips as she scurried over to Skye, dropping down and wrapping her friend in a hug. She cried in her arms, regretting the fight they both had even more. She never could have imagined what she was now a witness to. She never knew Bryan could be so disgusting. “I’m so sorry Skye,” she whispered, her voice quiet enough so that no one else, besides Skye, could hear.
Skye shook her head, “It’s okay, Rachel. It’s n—not y—your f—fault.” She stammered quietly, her voice hoarse and shaky. All of the screaming was catching up with her. Weariness was starting to eat away at her.
Rachel sheltered her in her arms, holding her like she was her own hurt sister. Protecting her as if someone had just offended her own flesh and blood. And in her mind, Skye was her sister. Long time best-friends was enough for Rachel.
As she regarded Bryan with a cold glare, she wiped at her tears hurriedly. “Get out of here, Bryan. And leave her alone. You’ve done enough damage,” she hissed, anger and disappointment breaking from her lips. She, just as Skye, really hated

Bryan.
When Bryan looked back at Skye, she flinched, averting her gaze. Sighing—though it resembled more of a groan than a sigh—he shook his head and slipped through the door, shifting his head just enough to glare at Jules on the way out.
Jules wanted to take all of his anger out on Bryan, he wanted to grab his arm and give Bryan all of the violence he deserved. But when he looked at Skye intently and saw how broken she was, down on the floor, crying, he stifled his anger and slowed his jagged breathing. He had to use everything he had just to hold himself back.
He knew she was who needed him.
Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself, picturing a time when Skye was less vulnerable, something that would assure him she was a strong girl and he could help her. Helping her, protecting her, caring

about her—that was all he wanted, needed

. She was suddenly more important than anything else that had occupied his mind at one point in time.
Though he knew it was all very dangerous.
He opened his eyes and instantly knew what he had to do. “Trouble?” He asked, trying to smile though the truth had him fighting himself and the smile appeared crooked and weary.
Skye looked at him then, stifling back another cry. “Jules,” she breathed, crashing against Rachel, sobs trembling out of her. She wanted him, needed

him. Wrapping her arms securely around herself, she cried and pleaded for strength and courage, but it couldn’t come. She knew that she was still too shaken up to allow herself to get close to Jules. It was too soon. She needed him to go away, as much as she was eternally grateful towards him for saving her from Bryan’s malice.
She felt a warm hand touch her shoulder and she flinched away, knowing that the warm, strong, safe

hand belonged to him. He meant no harm, only security, she knew that much, but it still didn’t feel right. Not in that moment.
Rachel frowned, looking up at Jules and seeing his perplexed expression. She, at first, didn’t understand why Skye had flinched away; but it didn’t last long until she understood.
“Jules, I don’t think she can handle this right now,” she said. Her voice was quiet, drastically different from any normal time. But it wasn’t a normal time, it was borderline on tragic. “She needs some space, from you two.”
He didn’t understand right away but when he did, it was sudden, and it was hard

. His posture crumpled and he nodded his head slowly, understanding but wishing it could be different. “We’ll be waiting outside,” he said solemnly. “Take your time.”