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1
Evan
TheminuteIseeLuketumble out of the trailer onto the gravel,Ithrow open the kitchen door and race to him.Ihave every intention of kicking his uncle’s ass.Itis imperative thatImakeCharlieunderstand that he can’t tell anyone about this!BeforeImake it across the backyard, he has already jumped in his truck and started the engine.Thetires kick dust and gravel at me as they spin and then propel the truck down the driveway.Istop in my tracks, watching him leave, and feeling more afraid thanIhave ever been in my entire life.Adrenalineis pumping through my system so hard thatI’mshaking.
Luke’sretching pulls my attention back to him.He’son all fours as the contents of his stomach spew onto the ground.Whenhe sits back with his legs folded beneath him, he wobbles.Islide my hands under his arms and help him to his feet.
“Fuckinghell,Luke!Whatthe fuck did he do to you?”Ihold him against me, but he moves to push me away.
“Don’t…”
“ThinkI’mgoing to leave you out here in the dirt, throwing up your guts?”Ipull his arm around my shoulders and take as much of his weight as he’ll give me.It’sthen thatInotice blood is webbing across the top of his foot.
“Fuckyou’re bleeding!”Ispit out.
NowIreally want to go after his uncle.Ican’t bear seeingLukelike this.Myheart twists with pain.
“Didhe hit you?”Iask, referring to the wound on his head.
“Yeah, after he threw random shit at my head, he punched me in the stomach.Hardenough to make me sick apparently.”
“I’mgoing to kill him!”
Luke’shand lands on my chest. “He’snot worth it.Needyou,” he says with an exhausted release of breath.
Helets me carry some of his weight as he hobbles up the steps and into the door thatRachelis holding open.AfterIhelp him onto one of the kitchen chairs, she drops to her knees in front of him.Herfingers quickly assess his wounds.Eventhe bottoms of his feet are bleeding.
“Whatdid he do to you?” she asks as she lightly skims her fingers around his now swelling eye.Thereis more blood there, trickling from a cut above his eye.
“Hethrew a can at my head.”
Feelinglike a caged animal,Ipace the floor.
Rachelwhips her head up. “Getthe first aid kit out of the bathroom and a clean, wet cloth.”
Ihurry to retrieve the items.WhenIreturn, she’s inspecting the bottom ofLuke’sfoot.
“Hewas breaking stuff and started throwing it at me.Istepped on some broken glass.”
Shetakes the cloth and carefully wipes the blood from his face.
“Damnit!You’rea mess, covered in dirt and blood,” she insists. “Anyof these cuts could get infected.”
Grabbingthe bottle of disinfectant, she pours it over his foot.Lukehisses in pain.Shetakes tweezers from the kit and begins the tedious task of removing the shards of glass from his skin.Witheach sliver of glass she removes, she curses under her breath.
Ipush my hand through my hair.Myhead is a fucking mess, andI’mstill physically shaking.What’sgoing to happen now that someone knows about us?Whatthe fuck are we going to do when everyone else finds out?
Myjaw ticks and aches asIgrind my teeth together.Eachtink of glass into the small bowl sitting on the floor next toRachelfeels like it’s piercing my heart.
“Hewon’t tell anyone,”Lukesays calmly.Hisvoice sounds like sandpaper from the strain of being sick earlier.
“Youdon’t know that,”Ihuff.Ican’t even look at his face because each timeIsee the bruises and cuts, a new wave of anger hits me.
“He’smortified,”Lukesays. “Hewouldn’t want anyone to know about this.Besides, he doesn’t know anyone in this town, and doesn't even know you by name,Evan.”
“Youcan’t be sure of that,”Iprotest.
Crossingmy arms in front of my chest,Itry to focus on whatRachelis doing.Currently, she is dressing the cut next to his eye which is almost swollen shut.Ithrow open the freezer and find an ice pack.Ihold it out to him.Hetakes it, butRachelstops him before he can put it on his eye, looking over him carefully.
