Seeing nothing but Red

by Jazzmine Mellodi

  After practically snatching her bags out of her hands as she had the audacity to tell me she was getting the bus home, after i’d spent all this time waiting for her , so I could make sure she got home safely. I buckled her safely into my ride, something about her made me feel protective. Like a king and his kingdom, i felt the need to protect her, so yeah i did check the buckle a few more times than i should of done. Heck i don't usually wear my seatbelt, but i was considering installing another her side so she was extra safe. On the journey home to her house, i noticed she had fallen asleep, beautifully smushed face upon my window, the soft whispers haunting her pretty head as she slept again. Something made me so uneasy about the way she would whisper and hold her breath in her sleep. I feel like i'm turning into her mother at this moment in time, my tough guy bravado is being utterly shattered by this gorgeous redhead and something about her made me feel she was worth it.

  So we finally arrived at her house, Ty’s car sat on the driveway, this constantly reminding me of what a douchebag he had been and I'm not sure if its because im running on no sleep, worry and lust for this girl or because I'm truly pissed off with him, but it was clear to say the sight of his car had agitated me.

  April was so peaceful , she’d had such a traumatic last 24 hours so i did what anyone would do and gently lifted her from the car and begun to carry her towards the front door, i felt her stir as i began to approach the door her innocent eyes sparkled as they met mine, that was until she realised where we were. She bolted from my arms and scrambled to the ground trying to regain some balance. It was the panic in her eyes, the sheer terror in her face once she spotted that disgusting junk of metal sat on the driveway. Well that was it, i had seen red. Crazy man on the loose. There was no stopping me , i marched towards that front door, the faint yelling of April muffled in the background yelling “stop , Dont”. If i'm honest i wasn't even registering what she was saying, i was past the point of no return. I got to the door and bam, i walked straight into the house, boy was i about to let off some steam.

  April

  I felt this massive weight drop in my stomach, the moment I saw Orion march towards the front door, i knew nothing that came next would be good, i tried. I tried to stop him, but I didn't have a chance, he barged his way straight through the door. He was looking so macho doing so , but I couldn't let that distract me as i knew who was lurking behind the door, the monster inside my home. I froze, I couldn't move, I wanted to , I wanted to run in there and put a stop to all of this but I just couldn't bring myself to take one step closer, I couldn't bring myself to walk up these measly 3 steps on the porch. I couldn't face the reality of what was about to happen. I knew all too well.

  The raised voices, full of rage broke my self doubt. The words “ She deserves more than this” graced my ears. The words were simple but true, it was the raw emotion in that line that took me by surprise. This man I had met only a day ago had become my hero. My knight in shining armour, he saved me when i was in need and now he was rescuing me. Now I just need my happily ever after.

  If only it was that easy. The sound of glass smashing soon followed after those words, worry shook me. I needed to stop being so selfish and get Orion out of here, he can't fight my battles for me. Finding the courage I walked into my house, Ty had Orion by the throat pinned against the wall. My presence shifted his attention, he looked possessed. My heart was thumping so loud I swear the whole room must of heard it, his gaze made me feel like I was suffocating. But surprisingly my fear shifted to anger when i noticed Orion trying to catch his breath after Ty had nearly choked him to death.

  Before I got a chance to stand up for myself Ty was in my face , the pure hatred on his face scared me, I'd never seen him this angry before. “ YOU HAVE DONE THIS, YOU. YOU HAVE BROUGHT THIS ALL ON YOURSELF AND YOU BLAME EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE THE REASON MUMS NOT AROUND.YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH ANYONE. YOU DESERVE ALL THE BAD THAT HAPPENS TO YOU. YOUR NOTHING TO ME. YOUR BELOVED SKETCH BOOK THAT PATHETIC HOTEL WORKER BROUGHT YOU, THE ONE YOU TRIED TO HIDE FROM ME, I FOUND IT AGAIN TODAY. ALONG WITH YOUR OTHER BELONGINGS , WELL YOUR OLD BELONGINGS." his shouting turned into a sadistic light hearted tone "There gone and your soon to be gone. Funny thing is we aren't even related But you thinking we were, made fucking with you so much easier.” with every cruel word he spoke he edged closer, i became inches away from the wall, he was edging closer every time he spoke I was trying to feel my way to the exit.

  I should know where the door is i live here but i had no chance of focusing on anything other than survival. Once my back hit the wall I shook my head in disbelief, I couldn't believe all this shit coming out of his mouth. The twisted way he was smirking and laughing while he was shouting such vile words at me. Like i said a man possessed. I have had enough, what I am about to do may get me killed but i can't give up now.

  With strength i didn't even know i had i pushed him away from me , must have taken him by surprise as he lost his balance. The door was in view. I had two options, run, which was a sensible option, i should do that. But my second option was to fight back, that's what i decided to do , i needed to do this for myself. He’s taken everything from me and now, now i am nothing. I launched myself at him, i was unsure what i was going to do after this point but it didn't matter because before i got a chance to think about it , i felt the impact of a hand embrace my face, the power knocked me off my feet and i swear it threw me across the room because the door looked ever further away than it had before. My eyes felt weak and i had the sudden urge to sleep, which was ironic considering i had been fighting only seconds before hand. The vibration of stomping feet coming closer made me wince, i wasn't sure what was going to happen next but i was losing all hope of me making it out of here alive. My mind slowly drifting in and out of consciousness, there was a loud Thud and warm hands around my waste and that was it, i had officially blacked out.. Again.

  I woke up feeling extremely warm, even though I had absolutely no idea where i was, i felt safe. Funny isn't it, how you can not even know where you are but you feel safe. The light crackling of wood from a fire surprised me, I wasn't expecting to be near a fire. But then again I wasn't expecting to be anywhere as I didn't plan on blacking out let alone waking up. I can't remember much of what had gone on when we arrived back at my house, it all happened too quickly.

  But i know this bruise on my face is because of it,I must be bruised becauseI haven't even moved and it hurts. I go to sit myself up but get a sharp reminder that i'm in worse shape than I was after leaving the hospital, my back is bruised , not knowing the full extent of my even more recent injuries I adjust myself slowly, whilst taking in my surroundings. This place is beautiful. I'm laid up on a sofa in front of a fire but once I take a look around me I see the most beautiful view. There are no walls just glass panels surrounding me, the view of the ocean is captivating . The sun is beginning to set on the horizon. Am i in heaven? I could imagine heaven looking like this.

  I feel peaceful, I don't feel the need to hide, run or worry. I know wherever I am , I'm okay. As I gazed at the view from the sofa, I heard light footsteps getting closer. Before I even saw who it was i knew it was Orion. His Aftershave had imprinted on my brain, mainly because it made him smell amazing.

  “ Hey sleepy head, how are you feeling” Orion was sweet, but by the time he got round to actually looking at my face his tune changed, it's like someone took away a child's favorite toy, all the lightheartedness switched to sadness and anger. “ I'm so sorry i put you in that situation. If i had known he was going to get so aggressive i never would of done what i did, well i would of but I would of made sure you were out of sight. It kills me to look at what he's done to you April.” with that i broke a little inside. This guy was taking all the blame for the situation when in fact i'm the only one who knows what he gets like, I should've warned him. Like Ty said, This is my fault.

  “I’m fine” I lied. I tried to carry on this lie with getting up from the sofa, to sell the whole package of the lie, howeve
r as soon as I stood up, I couldn't help but whimper from this intense pain in my back. I felt my eyes begin to water trying so hard to hold back these tears. “Orion, i know i’ve asked a lot of you these past few days. But may I please ask you just one more thing.”

  Orion

  I literally can't get over what is happening right now, not only did I spend the night in the hospital with a total stranger who i’d chased down the street in my car which had caused the whole hospital situation to begin with. I then took her back home to my so called friends house who was her brother, for him to beat me up and then throw his sister into a wall and nearly fucking kill her. If it hadn't been for a random passing cop car i think he would've actually killed her. Luckily it spooked him enough to run out the back of the house in a panic. Giving me enough time to swoop her out of this shit hole.

  She didn't look great but out of shock i took her straight to my house, it was far far away from his reach and I knew he wouldn't find us here as there was only one person who knew about my beach house and i doubt he would even remember it, as he’s pretty much drunk 24/7. That's my dad for you.

  Anyway I carried her to my beach house, lit a fire and placed her on the sofa, she had been tired before, so I was hoping she would be fine and just get some rest. Boy did she need it. 14 hours later I heard the rustling of movement so I went to check on her, she just needed some rest i knew she’d be fine. However that all changed once I saw her face, her beautiful face was marked with dark purple bruising all across the left side of her cheek, her lips plumper than normal, her eyes were just sad. I couldn't explain it, i just felt so much sadness when I looked into her eyes, because this girl was so vulnerable and yet she hides it so well. But she must be too tired to hide it right now as she looks so fragile.

  I tried to apologise but it seemed to worry her, she quickly shot up. I was surprised because i didn't even want her to be moving but she just got up and as soon as she did it i heard the uncontrollable whimper travel through her body. Her eyes flooded with water. Before i can even begin to support her, i just simply wrap my arms around her fragile body and try to take some of the pain away, she looks me straight in the face. Seriousness taking over, “Orion, i know i’ve asked a lot of you these past few days. But may I please ask you just one more thing.” my heart melts, she's so sweet even when she's in so much pain. “ Of course, anything April” there was a long pause, as if she was building up the courage to ask me something sinister. “ Do you mind if i have a shower or a bath? I just feel really grim right now and i think it might make me feel human again.” i was shocked, the fact she even thought she had to ask.

  “ Look Red, i want you to treat this place like your own. I’ve set you up with the spare room, however it is 10x nicer than my own, so we may have to swap” i joked trying my hardest to lighten the mood, “ I don't want you going back to your home whilst Ty is like this. Im not sure whats going on, or if its even my place to but i know i won't be able to sleep at night knowing you are there, is that okay with you? If you would feel more comfortable if i stayed somewhere else then say, i want you to feel like this is home. To me this is your home now, so please treat it as your own, if there's anything you need just ask okay? April? Red look at me?” she hadn't moved the whole time i was speaking, as if she was stuck in time. I knew she was probably feeling guilty, like charity but little did she know i just couldn't live with myself, if she was to walk out of them doors right now in the state she was in. “ I’ve never had someone be so kind to me before, i barely know you, yet you’ve been so amazing to me. I really don't deserve your kindness, but thank you.” her words frustrated me , how could she think so low of herself to not deserve kindness. I would've dug further but i could see she was struggling and i didn't want to cause her anymore distress . “ Let me show you where you're staying and how everything works”

  I led her the way to the bedroom, which was the nicest room and biggest i have no idea why I don't have this room but oh well. Its main feature was the large glass wall which gave the perfect view of an endless sea from the bed! The room was rustic, wooden with contemporary whites. This house was like a sanctuary, something about the beach made me feel at peace. It felt like home, seeing as my childhood had been such a disaster it was nice to have found somewhere which felt like home whilst not actually experiencing one myself.

  The ensuite bathroom, was filled with an oval bathtub, and walk-in shower but to me with that giant bathtub who would want a shower! Once showing her the room and how the bath/shower works i noticed the sudden awkwardness in Red’s body language , I couldn't work out why though.

  Heck i'm just going to ask “ What's the matter? Do you need something?” she responded hesitantly “ Well , yes i do. i , I have realised that I can't get my dress off as the zip is at the back and I'm just too sore to bend round enough to do it, do you mind? I am really sorry” With an understanding nod she turned her back to me and i started to undo her dress.

  If I had been in any other situation I would be so turned on right now, but as soon as I started to drop that zip, all my dirty thoughts escaped me yet again. Her back was a mess , I'm surprised she had even been able to stand , let alone walk. The strength she carries never ceases to amaze me. Her back was all shades of purple and blue, this must have been from her getting thrown against the wall, from the force of Ty back handing her. Still can't get the sound of her body hitting the wall out of my head. Every time my knuckles gently brushed against her skin i felt her wince under my touch. Scared to even touch her due to the amount of pain she must be in, i tried to move this zip as carefully as I could.

  Once getting low enough for her to be able to step out of her dress i turned my back to give her some much needed privacy. “ Look April , take your time i'm going to fix you some food you must be starving. I’ve left one of my t-shirts and some pj bottoms, if you want them on your bed.” i began to leave the bathroom, even though deep down i didn’t want to let her our of my sight. I wanted to be able to run her a bath and let her just lay her broken body as i slowly and gently wash her skin free off all the bad it’s endured. I wanted to wrap her in a blanket and smother her in comfort slowly making her better with each kiss i planted on her delicate skin. I wanted to take all her pain away, i wanted to take all her worries away, i wanted to feel her breathless body under my skin as i made love to her. But i knew this is not what she needed right now, she probably wouldn't even want it anyway, i'm just getting lost in my thoughts yet again.

  After I'd made her a sandwich and given her some time, i couldn't help but return to the room to check on her, quietly tapping on the door and slowly entering i saw her curled up in my shirt on the bed, fast asleep. Or so I thought, grabbing a blanket from the cupboard I placed it gently over her, trying my hardest not to wake her. I couldn't resist bending down and placing my lips upon her soft forehead, as i pulled away her eyes glanced up at me for a second before she shut them yet again. As I began to leave the room i heard “ please don't leave me” whispered under her breath.

  With that i got into bed next to her and gently pulled her into my chest, slowly stroking her red locks till she fell into a deep sleep. She was fully asleep this time, i knew because yet again she started haunting me with her holding her breath. And here I was thinking we were sharing a moment, when in fact she was giving me a mild heart attack every 5 minutes!

  I must of somehow dozed off to sleep because I was suddenly woken up by talking, alarmed I shot up, half consciously ready to defend April from anyone and anything. Finally gaining some sanity I quickly realised the voice was in fact Aprils, a dim light was seeping through the door of the bathroom, where she had left it ajar. She must have been so quiet getting up out of this bed because when i fell asleep i was holding onto her so tightly I can't imagine my crip ever releasing enough for her to even move left alone leave the bed.

  I relaxed back onto the corner of the bed patiently waiting for her return, to make sure she was okay. I tried hard, very hard not to listen in
to her conversation but i wasn't having much luck. Plus curiosity was killing me, also doing the right thing and respecting her privacy was killing me even more. It is literally like i have a devil and an angel sat on my shoulder. As usual the devil's temptation wins and i can't resist listening, not like i really have much choice either.

  “ Mum, please come home. You're never here when i need you, i need you now. Why have you stuck me with Ty all these years mum. Why. No. Don't give me that. I'm not a child anymore. I don't need your lies. Ty told me i'm not even related to him, Yet All these years you’ve lead me to believe we were brother and sister. Do you know how he has treated me all these years.. Do you. Do you even care? I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BOYFRIEND MUM. do you know he burnt all my belongings because i wasn't home to cook him his dinner, do you know he hit me so hard i can't sit down without crying, do you know when he hit me i fell unconscious and i'm now staying at someone's house who i barely know. Do you know he had men with guns in the house , smoking drugs and using women. Do you know mum, the last 7 years i have pushed that big oak wardrobe you gave me in front of my door because i was so frightened of him.” there was a long pause. “ This is it mum, you don't care. As Long as you're happy you couldn't give a shit what happened to me. Congratulations, and farewell. This is the last time we will speak , you can have all the boyfriends in the world and not worry about me stealing them from you anymore. Like i ever would anyway. Oh really? you never loved me anyway. Brilliant thanks for confirming what i always thought. Bye mum, hope you're happy and all that”