For the next few moments, Noah didn't speak anything. The only thing that told me that he was still there, was the sound of his harsh breathing. I sat there, waiting for Emily and Sophia to realize that I had been gone for too long or at least Adam would find me and save me from this hell. "C.. Come out Babyyyy." Noah's stuttered, tapping his shoes on the floor. My nose scrunched at his words but I restrained myself from uttering another curse. I just sat there silently without replying. Because, well, he was not ready to listen to my pleas and I didn't have anything else to say. When he didn't get any response from me, he kicked the door with full might. The door didn't open but I could hear the small crack that he created in the door. My heart thumped inside my chest cavity, threatening to fly out of my chest. "Please Noah. Just go." I beseeched again, trying to fight the shaking of my tongue. Noah kicked the door again. Just one more kick and the door would break free. I didn't dare to think the further consequences but my mind knew well. He sighed in defeat when I didn't flinch. I heard his footsteps retreating and after few excruciatingly long seconds, silence prevailed outside. Not even his harsh breathing could be heard now. Just plain silence. I bent down on my knees and peeped outside. On the floor, Noah was laying still. His mouth was half-open and his breaths were turned shallower. With fumbling hands, I unhinged the lock and tiptoed outside. Noah looked like he was unconscious. I wanted to check his pulse but I chose to be selfish. Leaving him there, I rushed towards the door and attempted to unlock it. After many failed attempts, it finally shot open. Shutting the door after me, I dashed through the stranded hallway. My vision was started to turn blurry because of the panic settling inside my mind. I could watch the colorful lights at one corner, indicating that I was so close to the hall. But the distance felt so much longer because of my terrified condition. My legs started to give away. The voice of music was close, too close. My body was shaking due to adrenaline so when I finally reached the hall, my body gave up and I fell down. Everyone was so busy in the dance that nobody seemed to notice me. The last thing I remember was a pair of grey eyes glaring into mine with concern and a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist. ... My head thumped with pain as I groaned in exasperation. The white light of my room felt like a torture on my poor eyes. I hugged the blankets tightly to prevent the cold air from entering inside. But something felt wrong. This bed was much harder than my soft bed and the bedsheets were nowhere as soft as my silk ones. Scared, I opened my eyes and looked around in panic. I looked around the familiar beige room. The wooden bed with matching cupboard and a neat study table in one corner strengthened my suspicion. "You are awake." Adam spoke and I angled my neck to look at him. He shut the door behind him and trudged inside. There was a brown mug in his hands, smoke was coming out of whatever liquid was inside it. "Here. It was the only thing in the kitchen." he passed the cup to me. I looked at the milk, unable to understand what happened to me and how did I end up inside his room. "Wh..what happened?" I asked softly, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. "I found you unconscious in the club." he whispered and sat down beside me. For the first time, there was no hatred or irritation in his eyes. Instead, there was softness. And concern. I blew on the milk, trying to cool it down. The night played in my mind and another chill ran down my spine. My insides were clenching with pain but I didn't want to show him my weakness. I was never the one to get scared. But watching Noah out of his senses, ready to take my virginity in a club bathroom, had shaken me to my core. "Who did this?" he whispered gently. "No-" I stopped when Adam's attempt of choking that guy made an appearance in my mind. "No.. Nobody you know." He didn't ask anything further. He had understood I didn't want to talk about what happened back then and he respected my decision. "Can I stay for tonight?" I asked and my question caught him off-guard. "I can't go back to my house in this condition. Dad will kill N.. him." I said, looking at my wrists which were slightly abraded because of the way Noah gripped them. My dress was torn from the bottom and my shins were covered with dirt. He contemplated for a moment. He didn't look too comfortable with my request and I felt bad for causing him the nuisance. "Fine. You can stay." he answered after few second. He stood up and walked towards his study table. Picking up my purse, he gave it back to me. I pulled my mobile out and checked the notifications. There were thirteen calls from Dad, ninteen from Sophia and twenty four from Emily. The phone vibrated again and I picked it up this time. It was Dad. It took me few seconds to force myself to pick up the call. "When are you coming back Ali?" Dad asked in a worried voice. I looked towards the clock in Adam's room and it was almost midnight. I never spent a night away from him so his worry was justified. "Umm.. Dad.. I.." I looked at Adam who was looking at me with blank face. "I'll be staying with Em tonight. Her father is not in town and she was feeling scared." Dad didn't speak anything for a moment. I thought he might have caught my lie but then he spoke, "Well. I just want to make sure you are OK." I played with the hem of my dress nervously, feeling the tears struggling to spill down again. I wanted to tell him about what happened in the club but I couldn't, not before making sure what actually happened to Noah. "I am fine Dad." I plastered a fake smile on my lips. After Dad cut the call, I sent a text to Sophia and Emily from Adam's phone about my whereabouts. Though I didn't tell them what happened back there. I slowly hopped out of the bed to use the restroom. That's when I realized that I was not wearing my jacket anymore. I probably left it back in the bathoom. My face turned warm when I realized that I was strolling in front of Adam in a tight, short dress. He noticed my nervousness, his own eyes refused to meet mine. He just said, "Do you want some clothes?" I hesitated for a moment, thinking whether to say yes or not. "Y.. Yeah." He pulled a pajama pants and an oversized hoodie from his cupboard and passed it to me. I thanked him and walked inside his bathroom. It looked like a cubicle, with a toilet at one side, a shower at other and a sink in the middle against the wall. I turned the shower on and let the water clean the dirt, making sure not to wet my hair. After wearing the pants and hoodie, I exited the bathroom and walked inside the room again. Adam was nowhere to be seen. Shifting on his bed, I hugged my knees and hid my face in between. I never expect tonight to go that bad. Dealing with a drunk, horny teenager was not on my to-do list for tonight. What would have happened if Noah didn't get unconscious? Different scenarios entered my mind, all of them were horrible enough to make me shiver in disgust. I sat there still, until a hand touched my shoulders and I flinched badly. It was Adam who was awkwardly trying to pat me. He just stood there nervously, watching my exaggerated response. "Are you sure you are okay?" he asked softly and sat down in one corner of the small bed. I shook my head in negative. His eyes brimmed with pity for me and he shifted closer. After a while, I felt his hand on my back. He rubbed small circles on it and his actions comforted me. This time, I didn't flinch. Instead, I leaned into him and rested my head on his shoulder. My breaths were now turning smoother. The trembling of my hands was finally starting to stop. I didn't know how long I sat there. The last thing I remember was a very soft and gentle touch on my cheeks, followed by draping of the blanket over me. _________________________