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My hand shakes as I start writing things I’d never say, admitting to acts I’d never do. The last few words are horrible, followed by the meanest possible thing I could say to my mother. I’d never tell her that. I’d never hurt her like this. Fight back! Move your legs, whirl around and kick him in the nuts. Don’t just stand there and die. Not like this. Not while hurting everyone you love. Move, Kerry!

As I start to scrawl GOOD-BYE in blood, I hastily change it to SCOT before he pulls me back. I fall to the floor with a thump, leaving a bloody handprint, and spit the rag out of my mouth. I scream again and finally find the power to fight back. I push up and ram him, my skull directly into his junk. He thought I was going to tackle him, so he wasn’t ready for the impact so low. Scott falls back, and we slide across the floor into the bank of cabinets under the windows. He manages to throw me to the side while spewing curses at me.

I flounder on my side and reach for a cabinet, and pull the door open. I p

ull Scott to me, his head anyway, and slam the door. Hard. He screeches as blood rolls down his temple. I spring upright and race toward the door again, but I don’t make it. He trips me and grabs me by the ankles, pulling me back toward him.

I’m going to die. Squirming doesn’t help. Screaming does nothing. There’s no one here. We both know that. I have no pepper spray, no weapons. Scott sits on me, breathing hard, dripping blood onto me. “You stupid bitch. I’ll make you pay. I’ll make you wish you were dead, and, before long, you’ll be begging me to finish it and end you.”

The world is a blurry mix of tears and blood blurring the shadows and light, making everything murky. The only clear thing I’m certain of is the form looming behind Scott. A man with a strong body and a fist wound up and aimed at the side of Scott’s head. There’s no sound for a moment except an audible hiss followed by the crack of bone breaking. Scott falls forward and is shoved aside.

Then Nate is there, leaning in close with his cell phone to his ear. He speaks frantically, saying something about bodies and blood. My head feels warm and heavy. Sleep paws at me, and my eyelids don’t want to stay open. His voice cuts through the mental fog looming thickly over me.

“Kerry, stay with me. Don’t go, Kerry.”

The world fades away, and I feel warm and safe. I won’t die alone. The room shrinks to a pinprick of light. I hear nothing but the distant echo of Nate’s voice before I’m shrouded in silence.

CHAPTER 15

Warmth and darkness wouldn’t seem like they walk hand in hand, but even though I can’t see a thing, I’m not afraid. I have no idea where I am. I hear a high-pitched, irritating sound that makes my skin crawl. I try to tune it out, but it won’t stop. BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

I grimace as pain rushes through my face and down my neck, spreading into my back and legs. The twin slashes on my cheeks feel like they’re on fire. A matching sensation comes from the fingertips of my left hand. I groan and then hear the annoying sound again, followed by the most wonderful, deep, rich voice.

“She’s waking up.” Nate’s hope is palpable. He’s close. I can sense him.

When my eyelashes part, I squint. The room is filled with sunlight, and it’s not until that moment that I feel how much I hurt. I gasp, throat desert dry, and tap at my neck to ask for water.

“You want a drink?” Nate asks and turns toward the nightstand and hands me a cup with a straw in it. He puts it against my lips, and when the cool water rushes down my throat, I realize how badly it was burning. When I stop, Nate pulls the cup away and puts it back in its place.

I blink at him slowly. “Are you mad?” The words are garbled and sound like they came from an old hag.

He’s there, holding his hand to my forehead, pushing my hair gently off my face, smiling down at me like I’m the most beautiful perfect woman he’s ever seen. His eyes are glassy as he shakes his head, “No, not at all. I didn’t think you were going to wake up. You hit your head really hard. God, Kerry…” His voice trails off as he lowers his face toward mine and sucks in a shaky breath.

I glance past him and see people in the hallway, nurses and doctors, my mother, and Beth. I startle and try to sit up, but instantly regret it. My side feels like it split open. I press my fingers to it and feel stitches. “What’s this?”

“He stabbed you. I don’t know if you didn’t feel it, but you kept fighting. When I found you, there was blood everywhere. I thought you were dead. I thought I'd lost you forever.” He touches my face gently and bites his lips together to keep from saying more.

“You saved me?”

He nods slowly.

I glance at the people standing worried in the hallway, heads down and arms folded close to their bodies. One person is missing. “Where’s Josh?”

“He’s okay,” Nate speaks slowly. “They got to him just in time. He’s recovering. Let me call the doctors in to look you over, okay. You’ve been asleep for a few days.”

“Days?” I question. As Nate walks away, I realize there’s something I need to say before I lose the chance. “I love you. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

Nate stops and turns to me. His eyes are puffy, lined with dark circles. He’s not shaved for days, so dark scruff lines his cheeks making his eyes seem bright blue. His shirt collar is unbuttoned, and the fabric is wrinkled. When he walks back toward me, he stoops over and gets close to my face, close enough to kiss me. “No, I’m sorry. For everything. Beth told me about Ferro and everything you did for me. Kerry, I’m such an asshole. I had no idea you—”

“Beth told you?” When I squeak out her name, it’s like a summons because she suddenly appears.

“She’s awake!” Beth rushes to the side of the bed and throws her arms around me in a huge hug.

Nate slips away, while doctors, friends, and family surround me. They fill me in, explaining what happened after I blacked out. Josh will be okay. He lost a lot of blood, but they were able to save him. He’s down the hall from me. Jace lingers in the window and inclines his head when my eyes meet his, before heading back down the hall. He’ll tell his brother. They’ll be all right.

I ask Beth, “Did Josh tell you? He didn’t hurt anyone. He didn’t do it, Beth.”

She smiles softly at me with true happiness in her eyes. “I know.” Her voice is tight, filled with liquid emotion threatening to spill everywhere. “I’ve never felt so unbalanced in my life. Too much really great news with too much really bad news nearly made me lose it. But you’re safe now. Josh gets a chance to start over, and so do you.”

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