Handcuffed

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Francis found me lying there, bound and sticky, a few minutes later.  The rest from there was a blur.  I knew I was escorted from the school; I knew I repeated over and over that I really wasn’t hurt and I only just looked bad.  I also repeated that I would not tolerate it if they took me to a hospital. All of that though seemed like it was occurring in the background.  I wasn’t sure if the cops were called, wasn’t sure if Francis called him. I wasn’t sure of anything until I saw Luke later on.

Francis drove me back to his parents’ house where he dropped Brooke off for the day earlier (she didn’t go back to school for a few more days).  He called up Luke and told him what had happened over his cell phone as he drove. Luke would be over soon enough.  Meanwhile, when we pulled into the driveway of the grand house, Jan immediately attended to me and cleaned me up.  Still in that daze, she patched up my stomach, let me shower off, and gave me some of Shannon’s old clothes.  Jan then led me down the upstairs hall and showed me into one of the guest bedrooms where I laid down, following her words to get some rest.  She didn’t bother trying to talk about what happened though, which I appreciated.  As far as they knew, it was just some random kid from school that did this to me. 

 Vague. Daze.  Blur. It wasn’t like I was so troubled, I couldn’t talk.  I just had enough for the day.  I didn’t want to bother talking about it; there was no point.  I also had no patience for my own hope.  I was pissed off and sick of the drama.  I knew that as of now, they were trying to find who did it at school.  Even if I said it was Clare, it wouldn’t matter.  I was crazy. So let them work their asses over nothing why not. I was content laying here in bed so not my problem. 

My mind snapped back into focus when I heard the bedroom door fly open loudly. Light poured into the darkened room from where Jan closed the curtains and blinds tight, keeping out the afternoon sun.  Light from the hall now rushed in and flooded the space.  With the abrupt bang of the door flying open and the sudden light, I sat up slightly from where I was in bed. I looked towards the door and my eyes widened slightly before I cringed. 

My eyes on him instantly, my initial and absolute thought was that Luke didn’t need to see me like this.  He lost it yesterday.  Imagine what he will do now.  At least he wasn’t seeing me soaked with pop and taped to the floor with a bloody stomach.  Imagine what he would have done if he were the one that found me?  

Right now though, I saw his eyes start to melt and thrive in pure anger and overwhelming sadness.  His body, I could see, was now physically shaking before me.  Fists clenched, lips in a tight scowl, he stood there and stared at me, eyes looking me over instantly for damage.  What he probably didn’t know was that it wasn’t that bad.  He couldn’t see anything; my stomach was only cut up a bit.  I expected a look of relief because I knew I looked fine having just went through a massive clean-up job thanks to Jan.  That didn’t happen though.  So I could only assume Francis told him about the state he found me in.

There was intense silence between us before he slowly shut the door behind him.  “Let me see it,” he said in a low voice, his face supporting a mask he was having a hard time keeping up.  And honestly… it was kind of scary.  His eyes, his entire body… he looked crazy.  He was ready to lose it; hell, the insane vibe that came off him already said he was breaking. 

I didn’t respond.  I just continued to stare at him, unable to take in such a strange sight.  He stepped closer and when his tight lips parted again, his teeth were clenched.  He swiftly came to the side of the bed and he ripped off the covers that were over me, looking down at me.  Gasping at his quick movement, he came to sit down on the side of the bed and carefully, he grasped the bottom hem of my shirt and folded it up just below my chest.  All the while, I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.  So… so angry.  So crazy.  His eyebrows acted in waves, the jade light in his eyes darkened as he took in the bandages.