“I found it on the ground under you last night when I picked you up. Oh, and I rang ya mom too and told her that you were ok. That both you and Tammy were safe, so she wouldn’t worry.” My heart sinks. Shit! He rang my mom? I hope dad wasn’t around. I panic for a moment, then remember who I was thinking about. Who am I kidding? He’s never home.
“Um thanks,” I say as his Nan comes in with boxes of food, a thermos of hot soup and another one of coffee. Kissing the four of us, she shoos us out the door.
“Time waits for no-one. I have things to do and you four have places to be,” She says, stopping as Knox wraps her in his arms and kisses the top of her head. It warms me, watching just how freaking loving he is to her, well to anyone. It’s definitely a different side to him from the hard guy we see at school. I like both sides equally, though maybe this sweeter side a little more. Thanking his Nan as she hugs and kisses me, I take the steps one at a time, super slow. They are steep, thick, metal steps and it’s really hard to take the deep step down as pain shoots out though my body, causing water to pool behind my eyes. Finally, at the bottom of the steps, I can let out my breath as I just stand there for a few seconds.
Knox comes up from the side of the building, scooping me into his arms “You should have waited. I would have carried you,” he says, annoyed at me. That’s sweet but it also annoys me too. I’m not that broken, am I? Like given what happened and the bruises yes, I look like a hot shattered mess but I can and will walk fine by myself. It makes my hair bristle is he just here coz I’m hurt and was near raped last night? Or is it a mix of both interest in me and the fact that he is a guy who actually gives a fuck about women.
“I can walk you know?” I tell him coolly.
“Well aware of that babe, but not when ya hurt and I’m around.”
Rolling my eyes as I relax in his arms. There really is nothing I can say back to him. I definitely don’t want to argue and start something that could just be me being fiercely independent. He opens the door to a Chevy pick-up that has the logo of the shop on the doors and bonnet. I smile as he slides me into the front seat. Tammy approaches me, kissing my cheeks, “see you at the weekend. Jamie said he’ll bring me over. Text me though so we can talk about you know who. “Her eyes are still glazed over and her speech is a bit sluggish she had more to drink than I did. “You’re ok?” I ask raising my hands to her face. I see my eyes in her concerned orbs meeting a haze of drugs and new emotions. “I will be and thanks to Jamie I am it could have been so much worse SJ like shit.” I nod my head searching her features. “I’m in debt to him he saved me and Knox saved you I was so wrong about them.” I hear the honesty in her voice and a hint of sadness for the guys who she thought she knew but all they wanted was to get their end away. “I’m sorry I left.” Is all I get to say as Jamie wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her over to his own pick-up. I smile as he picks her up from under her bum and places her in the front seat. They actually suit each other and I hope they can actually figure it all out.
Jumping in, Knox touches my leg, “Ready babe?”
“Yup as much as I ever will be,” I say while he backs out of the drive and we head out back over the Brooklyn Bridge to upstate New York, where the rich and famous live.
Chapter Seven
Sarah-Jane
I look out of the window as we drive, running my index finger over my split lip. I flinch as it catches the dried blood every time I go to speak or smile, it re-opens. I run my fingers over my neck. I know where every spot, mark, lump and scratch is. I examined my body closely in the shower this morning. That had stung, not only my wounds but my soul. Never have I ever felt so dirty and unclean, scared or humiliated. I had tried to scrub my body clean, but all I did was wash memories to the surface and aggravate the marks more.
I watch the trees, houses, stores and even people flash by as he drives us across town to the gated community that holds the secrets of our home. He pulls in, entering the pin to the gate after I tell him it. I take a deep breath as I try to prepare myself for what’s to come. The sharp pain that rakes through my body causes my eyes to water. Knox places a hand on my thigh, “It’s going to be ok. I’m here.” He is so calm and attentive.
Pulling to a stop, he gives me a reassuring smile as we exit the car. Walking up the steps, I push at the door. Looking up, I send out a silent wish to my brother for daddy not to be home. Mom is so much more chill and understanding when he’s not there. My mom is in the kitchen. Her head is in a glass of gin by the looks of it. Great, just what we need. Walking over, I wrap my arms around her sad frame, holding as tight as my sore trembling body can handle. She brings her hand up to my wrist patting it, moaning out, “Hello darling.”
“Mommy, I have someone for you to meet,” I say into her hair. “Mom, before you turn around can you promise me not to freak out? I kinda look a bit worse for wear.” My nerves are sitting in my stomach, anxiously rolling around.
“That will explain why I had a phone call from a young man saying you and Tammy were fine.” She says it so calm and composed. I’m confused. I step back, as she pushes herself up from the table, raising her eyes to my face. She gasps, tears welling in her eyes. My heart drops. She steps forward to touch my lip, before lowering her eyes to my neck, running her fingers down to the marks there, pulling me into her embrace. That’s when she cries.
I cry with her silently, letting the tears fall, holding my ribs with my arm, “I had a slight mishap last night. I’m ok though, but I can’t go to school till I’m better. Daddy won’t want me out and about looking like a hot mess,” I blurt it all out in a rush. I take a breath, it stings, “Is he here?” I ask her.
“He’s not here. He’s left for some business trip back to Seattle, I think.” She turns and gestures to Knox for him to sit. “I’ll fix some ice tea, shall I?”
“Mommy sit. I’ll get it,” I say, walking to the fridge as she introduces herself to Knox. She has a smile plastered over her face. It’s the fake one that hides her true pain. But as they talk, I see the real one coming to the surface as Knox works his charm. They sit down and the chatter continues as they cover a range of topics, until I sit down and remind them of the elephant in the room. Me, my face, my body; last night’s events.
Knox looks at my mom, touching her hand kindly. He looks back at me before saying, “We have a lake house out at Cayuga Lake, not far out of Aurora. It’s quiet. Not too many go there this time of year. The people there keep to themselves. It’s beautiful. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take Sarah-Jane there to recover without the judgment of this town and its people, including her father. She seems so afraid of his reaction,” he speaks so confidently to my mother. I smile up at him. I feel so protected with him, it’s weird we’ve only just met.
“It’s more what the community he’s in will think. If that’s what you would like to do, I see no problem with it,” my mother says, placing my hand inside her delicate, shaking one. She looks into my eyes before saying, “Darling if that’s what you would like? Then go, heal. He wouldn’t notice if you were here anyway. He barely notices anything two feet in front of him these days.” My heart breaks as pain and sadness fill her eyes. She pushes herself up and looks at us both, before thanking Knox and she excuses herself. “So, nice to meet you but I have a slight headache. I shall retire to my room,” she pulls me into her arms and whispers into my ear, “Ring me, sweet girl, when you are there. I love you beyond all else.”
“Love you the best,” I whisper following her up the stairs to pack.
Running my hands through my hair over my temple, my head is still fuzzy. I don’t really know what to pack so I just throw in a few nice dresses, sweats, t-shirts, shorts, jeans and a few pair of shoes to go with them, PJs and a jacket and we are good to go. I change out of Knox’s clothing, bringing them up to my nose and breathing him in. I chuck them into the top of my bag for him and, well, me too. Looking in the mirror one last time, I shudder at the angry marks spotted over my face and nec
k. My eye is still half closed with a massive red-blue-purple ring forming around it. Shaking the gross vision of myself from my head, I head back down the stairs. He’s waiting for me at the bottom. He grabs my duffle bag from me. I breathe out as the weight of it leaves my body. “Thank you,” I say, looking into his eyes before heading out to the car, my hand in his.
The drive out to Cayuga Lake is easy. I sleep on and off before we pull into Aurora. The sun is setting over the lake. It’s so stunning. The light dances in bright reds and oranges as the water ripples out from the edge, disappearing into the centre and starting all over again. Winding down my window, I let the freshest air I have ever felt, fill my lungs. I swallow down the pain in my ribs as the cool air kisses my lungs. It is so refreshing. Thinking over the idea of spending the night together, it’s going to feel a little weird. It will be a test to us both as we have never really been like this before. We have kind of been thrown together. I wouldn’t change it, but I am so nervous. I think he senses it as his leans over and rests his hand on my knee. I smile down at his hand and squeeze it with my own. “It will be ok,” he tells me calmly as we pull up the drive of the most beautiful lake house. It sits on top of a hill that looks out over the stunning lake, which now has the moon dancing on its surface, in place of the glorious sun that, not long ago, kissed the moon goodnight and travelled around the world to brighten another place. Pulling to a stop, he opens his door before running around to my side of the truck. He opens it, giving me his hand and pulling me up and out into the soft warm night’s air.
“It smells beautiful here,” I tell him as I look over the lake.
“It sure does. Come on,” he pulls me up to the front steps. I take them slowly because I’m so stiff and pained. I’m blown away as I enter the house. It’s so cute, ceiling to floor windows so that you can see the lake below and big comfy couches. I plonk down onto one and it’s like falling into a marshmallow. I feel so at ease and comfortable right away and so sleepy as I lay my head back dreamily and watch as Knox goes about opening and shutting things, unpacking the food his Nan had packed for us. He hums as he goes. It’s freaking adorable watching him; I feel so peaceful given the events of the last twenty-four hours.
As the night goes by, I begin to feel better physically but mentally it’s still there; haunting me, cutting through my sleep as I doze on the couch, his eyes assault my sleep as the dark comes his hot breath finds my dreams and his touch attacks my subconscious, I’m fully aware that he isn’t here and he can’t hurt me but my mind the parts of my soul that he broke hasn’t quite caught up and with this realization terror and hot flushes follow. I can’t escape what happened as the walls of my brain bleed into the hallways of the nightmare that was Dan. I wake sweating shaking and searching my surroundings for danger but all I find is Knox pain lacing his eyes and concern etched deep over his features. His fists are clenched around a bowl off hot soup his knuckles white I pull my sore body up shackled with pain and fear for I know it hurts him and I can’t do a single thing to help him with his inside soul battle as im trying to stay afloat myself. Time will hold the key to free us from this burden and nightmare. I take the soup from him my hands brushes his lightly as I look into his eyes, I hold my head high as I will not allow him to see the pity for myself wash over my eyes. “Thank you.” I breath out “I’m going to shower.” Is all he says his tone is cool I watch him walk from the room as I set the soup down on the table.r. I breathe in my new surroundings in. It’s peaceful and quiet here. Pulling myself up from the sofa that has more or less swallowed me up, I walk towards the French doors. I unlatch them and walk out onto the deck, looking out over the still calmness of this magnificent lake. I still as I hear footsteps coming up behind me. His massive arms come to rest on the deck either side of me as the wind sends his intoxicating smell to me. I close my eyes and relax, falling back into his arms as we just stand there for what feels like forever until I shiver as the late night’s wind kisses my bare arms and sends goosebumps rippling over my skin. He runs his hands over my arms, leaving little firefly kisses in their wake. A smile plays at my lips as he scoops me up, pain washes over me from his grip around my body as gentle as it is my body is still so sore. “Bed with you, babe.” He leads me back into the house, flicking the lights as he goes. He stops to pull a bottle of water from the fridge and a packet of Advil from a cupboard. He carries on up the stairs to the master bedroom which shocks the shit out of me as we enter it. It’s freaking massive and the bed is freaking huge. Placing me down gently, he pulls open my bag. He pulls out his top and glances at it curiously before smiling as he looks at me. He walks over my body still as my cheeks flush and I hold my breath his hands find the sides of my tank top his fingers latch around the hem and slowly undresses me not a single word goes between us just his delicate movements and the heat from his touch warms my chilled skin his eyes flicker over the bruises and the scraps my eyes flicker closed for a few moments as he slips my bruised body into his shirt before pulling back the covers. He lays me down and kisses my forehead, “Sweet Dreams, Angel. I’ll be just here,” he points to the chair by the window.
“You’re not sleeping in here?” I ask as I pat the bed. “It’s big enough for like eight people,” I tell him with a smile. Nerves fly through my body like a dancer in a cage.
“Not tonight, babe. You need to rest and I don’t think I trust that I won’t do rather inappropriate things to your sweet body.” I could only watch him as he walks away. I’m left with just his words hanging in the air between us as this bed sucks me in and down into a sleep that is filled with dark dreams and the evil eyes of Dan Johns. But, bad dream after bad dream, Knox is right there with me, bringing me back to the now, to him.
The first two nights, he sleeps in the chair by the window, watching me and the house below. It takes all I have to convince him that it is ok to sleep in the bed with me on the third day of being in this paradise. He finally caves in and says that he will sleep in the bed. My face breaks out into a face shattering grin. I love having him close by but that night, he sleeps like a stone, not daring to move one bit in case he hurts me, and on top of the blankets too. Silly man but I won’t lie and say that it feels amazing knowing that it’s not just sex and my body he wants he actually cares and his feelings run deeper than just a lay. . The next night, I get him to sleep under the covers and I instantly feel safer and calmer, snuggling down with him, wrapped in his strong arms all night long at last.
The days fly by and, before I know, it is dinner time on their fifth day at the lake. We make it together. I’m healing nicely, still tender and blue around the edges but at least I’m on the mend. We eat dinner out on the deck in the slowly setting sun, looking over the lake. He looks at me, “You think you’ll be up for a walk around the lake?”
“Yes, I’d love to,” I reply excitedly, happiness lacing my voice. It will be nice to get out and just walk around stretch and ease some of this pain in my body. Knox makes me feel so special just by the smallest gesture of a walk, the simplest smile or look a small touch of his hand sends butterflies through me he keeps the dark at bay and the helps to ease the nightmares.
“Great! There’s something that I want to show you and today’s the best day to see it,” He picks up our empty plates before heading inside to put them in the sink. He returns with my jacket and Nikes, a water bottle and a blanket under his arm. He leans down to put my shoes on and laces them up.
“You know that I can do that,” I tell him.
“Yep but I can too, and I just did. Let’s go,” he offers me his hand before he pulls me up and wraps my jacket around my shoulders as we head off towards the lake. The small stones crunching under our feet as we walk hand in hand. We are so comfortable around each other, it’s unreal. He’s seen me at my worst and lowest; the scars, the bruises and marks still vivid in our memories and splashed all over my body but not once does he look away from them or me as night after night he changes me into his T-shirt to sleep in and then helps me
dress in the morning. It felt odd at the start but now it’s a sensual act that my body and mind look forward to each and every day. It also looks forward to the night time snuggles on the sofa, watching old school movies like Dirty Dancing, which is my all-time favourite.
We come around the side of the lake and pass the cutest little jetty. There is a small garden area that sits just up the bank with wooden benches and, from inside, the lake and the little village is visible. Stepping up into the garden area into this tiny little bush-like setting that wraps around the back and sides of the seating.
“It’s stunning here,” I say quietly.
“Just wait till the sun sets,” he tells me as I look up at him. He takes my hand into his own, pulling me in closer. I lean my head on his shoulder and relish in this moment. Just as the sun dips down for the night and the moon starts its journey into the night’s sky, I watch as the stars start to pop up and the little solar lights ping on around the lake and garden. Before I can say anything, there is a buzz of noise around us as these tiny fireflies leave the bushes and head out around us, dancing in the sky and over the lake in the most exquisite sight I have ever seen as they fall into a soft haze of togetherness.
He breaks my train of thought by tipping my chin up and laying the softest kiss on my lips, running the tip of his tongue over the split that has all but healed before he slides his tongue into my mouth, as mine reaches out to meet his. Enjoying the thrill of excitement, it brings my body, I cup my hands around his face as his find my back, pulling me deeper into him. I gasp into his mouth as the movement hurts my still tender ribs. He stops, breaking the kiss, he breathes out, breathless against my lips, placing his forehead to mine, “I’m so sorry babe.”
“It’s fine,” I say, looking into his eyes as sadness washes over them. We fall back together and watch the night time sky light up with the hypnotic dance of the fireflies reflecting off the lake. As the wind picks up, they all seem to head back into their bushes and we head back to the house. Knox wraps the blanket around me and his big strong arms hold me tightly. I try hard not to grimace. I hate how he backs off when he thinks he’s hurting me. I want him to hold me.
Broken (Reapers Reign, #1) Page 10