Promise Me Always

by Kari March

  “Do you need help, babe?” I head Jared from the living room.

  “No!” I yelled back, probably a little too desperately. I frantically tried to unlock my phone with one hand as I tossed ice into the sink. I heard Jared stand up just as I touched the little, green phone button that pulled up my contact list. I wasn’t going to have enough time. Panicked, I hit the screen, praying I was calling someone who would answer.

  “T… eee… sss,” Jared said in an exaggerated voice that reminded me of something out of “The Shining”. I could hear him getting closer, so I quickly shoved the phone back into my pocket. Picking up more of the ice and glass, I stood up just as Jared leaned over the counter. He looked irritated as I threw everything into the sink.

  “Yes, Jared?” I replied cheerfully as not to aggravate him further. When he didn’t say anything, I continued to talk, “Are you hungry?”

  “Not for food,” he confessed, pulling the knife out from behind his back. I couldn’t help but stare at the shiny blade as the light reflected off of it. The thought of the sharp edge coming anywhere near me made me tremble.

  “Jared, why don’t you go back over and make yourself comfortable why I finish making the drinks,” I hinted as I tried to lift my gaze to his eyes, but stopped at his mouth as I couldn’t bring myself to do it. They were so lifeless and cold—I wanted to avoid them at all costs.

  “Why do you keep saying my name?” he asked, tapping the tip of the knife on the counter.

  “I guess I just missed saying it,” I said as I batted my eyelashes, trying to convince him that I meant what I said earlier. Truthfully, I was saying it to the person I prayed was listening on the other end of the phone. He studied me carefully as I pulled out another glass and finished making the drinks. After slowly putting all of the ingredients away, I handed him the vodka tonic.

  “Here’s to being reunited,” he toasted, raising his glass in the air. I nodded and slowly raised my glass to his in return. He eyed me suspiciously as he tossed back the entire drink in one swift motion. My hands were shaking like crazy as I put my glass up to my lips and took a small sip.

  “You didn’t answer my question, Tess,” he growled as he set his now empty glass back down on the counter. “You know I didn’t want to cheat, right?” he asked again.

  “I know you didn’t. You were being blackmailed,” I stated, regurgitating the lie he had told me.

  His arms started to shake and I could see the anger rising in his eyes. “Then why did you leave me for that asshole!” he shouted as he slammed his fist down. I jumped at the sound it made when it connected with the hard counter.

  I froze instantly and just gaped at him with my mouth open and my eyes wide with terror. I didn’t know what to do—I was petrified. I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and make it worse, but I knew not saying anything would just anger him further.

  I looked down at the ground submissively. “I’m sorry, Jared. I never should have done that. I love you. Please, forgive me,” I pleaded desperately, knowing deep down that I was begging him not to hurt me.

  Scared to look up and see the look on his face, I kept looking down at the ground. I heard his footsteps getting louder as he came around the counter. My heart was about to burst out of my chest, I was so frightened. He still had the knife in his hand—I could see it through my lashes as he stopped directly in front of me.

  He lifted my chin up quickly with his free hand so I was looking straight into his cold, insensitive eyes. Fear flooded my body and the hair on the back of my neck stood up straight. Something wasn’t right—he looked calm, but my gut was telling me he wasn’t.

  As he leaned down to kiss me, my stomach churned and, before I knew it, his lips were on mine. Forcing my mouth open, he attacked my mouth with his. He tasted like vodka and spearmint as his tongue assaulted my mouth. As he pulled back, panic set in when I heard my phone beep, alerting me to a dropped call. Jared must have heard it too because his eyes filled with rage as he reached behind me and yanked my phone from my pocket.

  “Well, well, what do we have here? You didn’t use this to call anyone, did you, Tess?” he asked, his voice villainous. “Let’s just see… Last call made at three eleven and the lucky recipient was… Surprise, surprise! It’s none other than your lover boy, Blake.” He looked back up at me with a murderous look, “Tisk, Tisk, Tess, you broke the rules.”

  The following moments all happened in slow motion. I watched, frozen in fear, as Jared lifted the knife into the air. My eyes widened in terror, knowing he was about to strike. Before I could even think, I threw my knee up straight to his groin. I struck him hard and fast and then watched as he folded over and sank to the ground, screaming in pain. I reached down and grabbed my phone off of the floor and jumped over his hunched over body. Just as I took the next step, Jared reached out and grabbed my ankle, causing me to trip and I went crashing to the ground. I tried to hurry to my feet when out of nowhere…

  Whack!

  I felt something crash into my ribs and I doubled over, screaming, as excruciating pain radiated throughout my whole body.

  “You stupid bitch!” he yelled.

  Whack! Whack! Whack!

  A horrible stabbing sensation ransacked me over and over again and I thought for sure Jared had gouged me in the side with his knife. I was struggling to breathe from the pain and tears were streaming down my face as I cried out in agony. Trying to pull myself off the ground, I looked back and saw Jared searching for something on the floor. It was then that I knew I hadn’t been stabbed—he was looking for the knife. He must have dropped it when I racked him. I started crawling as fast as I could, trying to escape the monster that was behind me.

  The next thing I knew, I was being pulled backwards by my legs as he twisted my body and flipped me over onto my back. He straddled me, pinning my arms under his knees, and I was defenseless. He was just too strong. There was no way I was giving up though.

  He reached down and continued searching for his knife as I thrashed my body in every direction, trying to free myself. I screamed for him to get off of me, praying that someone would hear me and call the police. Finally, one of my arms broke free and I violently swung it in every direction, hoping to make contact. I felt a sudden sting in my hand as I connected with Jared’s face and a he released a low growl.

  We both flinched at the sound of my front door flying open and simultaneously froze when we saw Blake standing in the threshold, fists clenched at his sides, and eyes full of fury. You could visibly see his rage as all the muscles in his arms tightened, revealing the tiny veins in his forearms. A rush of relief overtook me at the sight of him standing before me and I stopped struggling, letting my body finally rest. Just the presence of him made me feel safe and I knew my rescuer had come.

  “You’re too late, Bentley! If I can’t have her… no one can!” Jared snarled, his words ringing in my ears.

  My whole body went stiff when I saw panic flood Blake’s face; every inch of him looked terrified as his posture changed from defensive, to gut-wrenchingly scared. His eyes were wide with fear as he took off, barreling towards us.

  I was almost too scared to look up at Jared after what he had just said, not to mention the frightening look on Blake’s face. Just as I turned to face him, my heart leapt out of my chest at the sight of Jared, grasping the burnished metal knife above his head. This was it.

  I shut my eyes, waiting for the impact—but it never came. I looked up just in time to see Blake lunging at Jared, forcing him off of me. I exhaled the breath I was holding in and forced my tired, trembling, bruised body off the ground.

  I stood there in shock as I watched Blake and Jared exchange blows to each other’s faces and bodies. There was ringing in my ears, but I could still make out the faint sounds of profanity and grunts as the two toppled over one another, trying to reach the knife that Blake must have knocked out of Jared’s hands when he tackled him.

  Blake was much larger than Jared and it seemed as though he was
winning the battle as he finally gained control, lifting Jared up by the shirt and pressing him against the wall. Blake was breathing heavy—nostrils flaring as he wrenched his fist back and slammed it into Jared’s gut. He then continued to repeatedly strike Jared in the face, breaking his nose, and splattering blood all over my living room wall. I could hear the bones in Jared’s face crunching under the pressure of Blake’s fist and I knew that if I didn’t stop him, he would kill Jared.

  “Blake!” I screamed as I ran over to him, pulling on his shoulders as he continued to strike—one to Jared’s face, another to his ribs, and then back to his face again. “Stop, you’re going to kill him!” I yelled one more time. Blake stopped his torment, stumbling back and releasing his hold. Instantly, Jared sank to the floor, moaning in pain.

  “Are you okay, baby girl?” Blake turned and asked me, grabbing me by the arms, and holding me at arm’s length as he looked me over.

  “I think so,” I said as tears began to fall down my cheeks. He pulled me close to him, wrapping his arms around me. I could feel the pain from my ribs radiating through my body, but I didn’t care. Blake was here, he had saved me, and I would take all the pain in the world if it meant he would never let me go.

  “The cops are on their way. Let’s get out of here.” He pulled me close to his side and led me to the door.

  We were almost there when I felt Blake’s muscles tighten around my waist. He started spinning us around quickly. As I turned, I saw Jared coming up behind us, knife in hand, ready to strike. Blake took a step forward as he pulled me behind him, protecting me from the blade, and I watched in horror as Jared’s knife slid across the flesh of Blake’s bicep. Blood poured from the wound and my hand covered my mouth as I screamed in horror. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

  Blake was caught off guard as he grasped his arm and Jared struck again, landing a punch to Blake’s jaw. Blake staggered backwards and Jared took the opportunity to slam into him, pinning him against the door.

  I gazed in disbelief as I saw Jared push his forearm against Blake’s throat. Slowly, he lifted the knife in the air as he looked at me. “You’re next, baby,” he said, narrowing his swollen eyes at me.

  No! This was not happening!

  Without even thinking, I threw myself at Jared. Jumping on his back, I rammed my fist into his face over and over again. He released his hold on Blake and returned his attention to me. I held on tight as he turned and twisted, trying to fling me off his back. He lurched backwards until he had me up against the wall. My heart started to pound as he took a few steps forward—I knew what he was about to do. He receded quickly and violently, slamming me against the wall—my head flinging back, crashing even harder on the solid surface. My eyes rolled back into my head and darkness consumed me.

  “Where the fuck is she?” I fumed at the nurse in the ER. The last image I had of Tess was of her unconscious body being loaded into the back of an ambulance.

  “Sir, you need to have your arm taken care of before you can go anywhere. Now, please—hold still, I’m almost done.” I could tell the nurse was losing her patience with me, but fuck I needed to see Tess. I needed to know that she was okay.

  I knew she was alive and that was all that really mattered, but I saw how hard she hit her head and that scared the shit out of me. I’ve ran into burning homes, searched for victims in smoky darkness… hell, I have even been trapped in infernos with no way out. But watching Tess’ lifeless body fall to the ground was by far the most terrifying moment of my life. Head injuries could be serious and I prayed that when I finally made it to her room, she would be awake.

  Right before I was done being stitched up, Devin came bursting through the ER doors. He spotted me immediately. “Jesus, Blake! Are you okay?” he asked as he rushed towards me.

  “I’m fine. Have you heard anything about Tess?” I asked him. “The fucking staff here won’t tell me shit.” The nurse finished up the last stitch on my arm and gave me an evil glare.

  “Not really. Palmer just said they were on the fourth floor and that they were taking her for a CAT scan,” he said as he checked out the damage on my arm.

  The nurse came back a few moments later with some paperwork. Once I signed the forms, I was finally released. Devin and I frantically headed to the elevator.

  The ride up was slow and torturous. I don’t think the fucking thing could have moved slower if it tried. The doors finally opened to the fourth floor and my stomach dropped at the sight of Tess’ parents. Craig was holding Elaine as she sobbed into his shoulder. Palmer, Lexi and Avery were sitting on the couch, all holding hands as tears streamed down their faces. Something was wrong, I could feel it.

  My heartbeat picked up as I stepped off the elevator. The doors closed behind me and Craig finally looked up. His worrisome eyes stared right at me and I noticed he had also been crying. Fuck!

  This wasn’t happening. I was almost too scared to ask how she was, fearing that I already knew the answer. My whole body started to shake as the realization of the situation sunk in. As if Devin could sense the very thing I was sensing, his arm immediately wove around my shoulders, comforting me like the big brother he always was. I leaned into him to keep myself from falling over as we made our way over to Craig and Elaine.

  “How’s she doing?” I asked, my voice cracking as trepidation set in.

  Craig’s eyes glassed over and his face fell. “The doctor called it a traumatic brain injury and she hasn’t woken up yet. They think she may have some swelling in her brain. They took her for a CT scan—we should know more soon.”

  I tried to keep a straight face as I nodded my understanding to Craig, but inside—I was a fucking mess. My mind raced back to all of the medical classes I had taken, recalling everything I knew about TBI. My anxiety rose with every fact that flashed in my mind.

  Coma… minimally conscious state… seizures… nerve damage…memory loss…

  Fuck! Please, God, let her be okay!

  I pushed my hands through my hair, closing my eyes, hoping I would wake up and this would all be a fucking dream. But it wasn’t. This was real as hell.

  I felt sick as bile started to rise in my throat. I needed to distract myself before I lost it completely. I made my way over to the wall of windows on the other side of the waiting room. The sun was starting to come up over the horizon and I watched as it slowly crept higher and higher, turning the midnight sky into vibrant shades of purple, pink and orange. All the while all I could think of was Tess.

  She’s going to be alright, she has to be.

  My eyes were full of unshed tears as I stared out at the colorful sky. It had only been minutes, but felt like hours, when a doctor finally appeared.

  “Tessa Collins’ family, I presume? I’m Dr. Zell. I have some information on your daughter,” he said professionally and Craig approached him. I studied his impassive face, hoping to get just the slightest clue of how she was doing, but he was a blank slate—void of all emotion.

  He looked down at his clip board before he continued. “Her CT results are back and we didn’t find any excessive swelling. She woke up a few minutes ago and she is quite confused. She has a headache and she’s a little dizzy, but those are normal symptoms from TBI. Her ribs are bruised and she has some swelling on her face, but all of that will heal in time. It looks like she will make a full recovery, but we are going to observe her for the next twenty four hours just to be safe. She will more than likely be able to go home tomorrow morning.”

  Relief swept through me as Craig shook the doctor’s hand eagerly, and I finally released the breath I must had been holding in. She was going to be okay.

  “You are more than welcome to go back and see her now, but only a few people at a time, please.” Dr. Zell motioned for Tess’ parents to follow him. Palmer and Cole were close behind.

  I watched as Lexi picked up her phone and started spreading the news, via text, that Tess was going to be alright. I noticed Devin and Avery in the corner of the waiting ro
om, deep in conversation. Devin looked noticeably tense and I wondered what they were talking about. Deciding that I would wait until we were alone to ask him, I turned back to the window, shutting out the sounds of Lexi, Avery and Devin as I got lost in my own thoughts.

  I was surrounded by all of these people—my closest friends, yet I felt so alone. The only thing that mattered in my life was shut away in a room somewhere in this building, and I had to wait my turn to see her—to touch her with my hands and see for myself that she was okay. I just hoped to God that happened soon.

  The doctor said she would be fine, but it was almost too surreal. I needed to see her with my own eyes to believe it. I didn’t even know if she would want to see me and I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell I would say to her once I did. I just hoped she wasn’t mad at me for letting her down.

  I sat there, staring out at the now brightly sunlit city, silently cursing myself for allowing this to happen. I never should have let my guard down while Jared was still breathing. I was so intent on getting Tess out of her apartment that it never even occurred to me that Jared might still be able to move after I repeatedly bashed his face in with my fists. I never had any intention of stopping either and I would have killed the son of a bitch if it weren’t for Tess.

  I wanted to kill myself for not being there with her or having her by my side. How could I have been so stupid?

  After what seemed like forever, I was hauled from my thoughts as Palmer came up beside me. She sat there silent for a few moments and then rested her head on my shoulder as she spoke. “Thank you, Blake.”

  “For what?” I replied, seemingly shocked as I turned my head quickly and stared at her.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” she asked, her hand making its way to her hip. She looked at me like I was insane for asking that question, but I really had no idea why she was thanking me.

  “No, Palmer, I’m not.” I bowed my head in shame, looking down at ground. “She wouldn’t even be in this situation if it weren’t for me. I should’ve been protecting her. I never should have left her. If I would have just…”