Lance guided Rachel into her hotel room. "I'm going to take a shower, alright?" Rachel said. He nodded his head and Rachel walked into the bathroom. She turned the water on full blast and stepped into the hot water.
Thoughts of the past night and the night years ago flashed and swarmed all around in her head. Eminem's hands on her, Eric's hands on her. Eminem's hot breath, Eric's hot breath. She shuddered and turned the water on more heat.
Rachel choked back a sob as that night flooded back to her and she was forced to deal with her feelings. For the first time ever, alone.
"Eric. What are you doing here?" The surprise evident in her voice. Rachel shut the door a little bit, a signal that she did not want him in the house. She was all alone and Lance would be coming over soon.
"I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing." Eric slurred to her. It was obvious he had been drinking; it was one of the reasons why Rachel had broken up with him. He was a different person when he'd been drinking. Mean and scary. The break up was mostly mutual, but Eric still wanted her back.
He pushed his way into the house. "Um, you can't stay for too long. My parents aren't home and Lance is coming over soon." She sat on the couch and he sat next to her. Practically on top of her, Rachel noticed. She scooted over and Eric scooted over too, putting his hand on her knee. Rachel moved over again and realized she was at the edge of the couch.
He put his arm around her. "Can't I have a hug, just for old time's sake?" Eric begged. He pulled her against him, crushing her almost. He pulled away and kissed her lips. Rachel kissed him back briefly, a friendship kiss, and started to pull away. He wouldn't let her go.
"Eric! Knock it off!" Rachel was cut off again by his mouth falling on hers. He was kissing her hard; it was hurting her. "Get off!" She shoved him away. He reared back and smacked Rachel across the face. She tumbled off the couch onto the floor.
He flipped her over so she was laying on her back. He straddled Rachel, with his knees on the floor. "Get off!" She screamed, reaching up and swinging at his face. A few punches landed.
"Rae! Stop it! I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to have a little fun! Remember, fun?" Eric yelled at her. He grabbed her arms and held them at her sides, pinning them with his knees.
He reached down and started kissing her. Rachel twisted away, trying to get out from under his foul breath and his kisses. He sat up and looked at her. "What kind of bra are you wearing, Rachel?" He looked at her chest.
Rachel's eyes filled with tears. "Somebody! Help me!" She screamed in terror. Eric smoothed his hands over the top of her tshirt. He ripped it down the middle, revealing her bra cladden chest.
"Get off! Somebody help!" Rachel choked on a sob. "Lance, help me!" She screamed in desperation. He was the only person who could ever save her. Eric moved his fingers to Rachel's pants and her mind instantly shut off from what was going on around her.
There was no way Rachel could fight Eric off. He was too big for her and too strong. Tears slipped out of her eyes and she turned away. Her fingers clenched and unclenched themselves in her hands.
He had her pants unbuttoned and was starting on the zipper when the door banged open. Lance ran in and tackled him to the floor. Rachel rolled away and curled in a fetal position on the floor. Lance delivered a kick to Eric's groin and yanked him up off the floor. "You son of a bitch." He growled at Eric, throwing him up against the wall.
"If you ever touch her or come near her again, I swear as God is my witness I will kill you." Lance brought his knee up to Eric's stomach and dragged him across the floor.
"Okay, man. Okay. I'm sorry. I just wanted to make up for lost time. If she wasn't so prude - "
He was cut off by Lance's fist slamming him in the face. "Get the fuck out. NOW!" Lance screamed, coming at Eric again. Eric scrambled up off the floor and ran out of the house. Seconds later, the sound of screeching tires sounded across the pavement.
He walked over to Rachel and she instantly started shaking when Lance touched her shoulder. "Shh..it's okay. Baby, it's just me. Just Lance." She jumped at his voice and sat up. The side of her face was turning a light purple from when Eric had slapped her earlier. He looked her over and she shrank back in embarrassment.
"Rach. It's okay,
it's just us. Nobody else. Let me see if you're hurt." He
pushed Rachel's hair out of her face. "I'm going to get you
a shirt." Lance stood up.
"No, no! Don't leave me! Please?!" Rachel shouted,
sobbing. He picked her up off the floor, cradling her against his
chest. He carried Rachel into her room and set her on the bed.
She immediately cuddled up against the pillow. He rifled through
Rachel's dresser drawer, pulling out a shirt. Lance walked over
and handed it to her.
"Can you do it?" He asked her, lovingly. He wasn't sure if she could stop shaking long enough to change her shirt. Lance had never seen such violent trembling before. She nodded her head yes and he turned his back. Rachel quickly changed the shirt.
Lance turned around. "Sweetie, it's on backward." She started to cry again, the tears falling fast and hard. "Don't cry. It's okay." He walked forward and pulled her arms inside the shirt and turned it around, so it was facing the front. "Okay, it's on." He pulled her into his lap and Rachel sat there, crying for hours.
The next morning, Rachel woke up in Lance's arms. She looked wildly around her, wondering what had happened. The night before came flooding back to her. She sat up quickly and walked over to the mirror. Her face had turned to a deep purple and it had swollen up a bit. From that moment on, Rachel vowed to never let a man violate her in anyway.
Rachel felt the floor give out from under her and she tumbled to the bottom of the tub. She clutched the shower curtain and pulled herself up off the floor. She wrapped a towel around her body. Rachel curled up on the floor and sobbed quietly to herself.
She felt Eminem's hands on her again and saw Eric on top of her. Rachel's sobs grew louder and louder. "Lance! Help!" She screamed from the bathroom. She was retreating back into the protective shell Lance always provided for her.
The other guys were back and in Rachel's room. They all heard her scream at once. Lance jumped off the bed and tried to open the door. "Rachel! It's locked! Open the door!" He screamed at her, banging on the door.
Rachel heard him, but she couldn't get off the floor. She was someplace else. Rachel saw the visions of the two when they were little, in middle school slow dancing to a song, at her senior prom. She saw Lance floating in the harnesses that NSYNC performed in, telling her a joke and she giggling loudly. Rachel saw him pulling her into his arms, shielding her from rain, brushing strands of hair out of her face.
"Somebody help me! Rae won't open the door!" Lance turned to the others. "Oh God! I can hear her! Help me! Hurry!" Lance sobbed; he couldn't stand not being able to protect her.
