~ Can't You Help Me As I'm Starting To Burn? ~

Part 24

My eyes opened slowly, and I felt like I was still dreaming.

I mean, there's my big brother and sister standing right in front of my bed.

And right next to them is Matt.

How can this even be happening.

I haven't seen Caleb and Elizabeth in over four years.

Ever since they saw the bruises Ryan gave me, and tried to take me away from him.

But now I open my eyes, and they are right there in front of me.

Like ghosts from my past.

I tried to keep the tears away, but it doesn't work.

My eyes fill with tears and they start streaming down my face.

"Cale? Eliza?" I said in a shaky voice.

Eliza nodded and came closer to me.

I reached my hand out and touched my sister's hand.

I could feel her.

She really is here.

"We missed you Bells." Cale said from my other side.

"Caleb." I said, my throat tightening.

"Hey baby sis." Cale said, his hand rubbing up and down my cheek.

"I missed you guys so much." I told them, pulling them both down and into my arms.

I held them tightly to them, scared that if I let them go, they would never come back to me again.

Eliza pulled away and she had tears streaming down her face just like me.

"What happened Bells?" Eliza asked, wiping my tears.

"Things got out of hand." I told her, not knowing what else to say.

"Ryan did this to you. So why don't you just admit it, Bella." Cale said in a hard voice, his eyes full of hurt and anger.

"I wasn't going to deny it, Caleb. Everyone here knows what Ryan's been doing to me. And no one is happy. You two least of all. But I'm done with him. Never going back. This was the wake up call I needed." I told all of them.

"You act like we were gonna let you go back to him." Matt said quickly.

I looked at him and smiled.

"I know. I know. I was just saying." I grumbled.

"How about never mentioning that shit heads name in front of us again." Jimmy suggested.

"Sounds like a good enough plan to me." Cale shot back.

"Fine. I won't." I said, making a promise.

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Bella." Eliza cried again.

"Everything is going to be okay, Lizzie. Don't worry." I told my sister, pulling her close.

"That's like telling water not to be wet honey." She told me with a laugh.

"If I ever see that piece of shit again, I'll kill. I promise you I will." Cale said in a hard and menacing voice.

My breath hitched in my throat as I watched the absolute fury in his voice, and realized that he wasn't lying.

My brother would do anything to protect me.

And him seeing me stay with an abusive boyfriend, and then get put in the hospital, near death.

That's the biggest hit an older brother can take.

And I can't blame him for wanting to kill the man that hurt me.

But no good would come from it.

My brother would go to jail.

Spend the rest of his life behind prison bars because one shit head had a bad temper and low self esteem.

"No Caleb. Absolutely not." I told him.

"And why not? He doesn't deserve to live a second longer." Cale yelled back.

"Nothing good would come of killing him Caleb Antonie Moore. The only thing you're going to do, is get yourself thrown in jail. Then what am I gonna do?!" I yelled back at him.

I didn't realize I was starting to breathe out of control until Matt's hands were on my face and he was staring me in the eyes.

"Bella, baby, you need to breathe for me okay. Everything is fine. Nothing bad is going to happen." Matt promised me.

I stared into his eyes as my breathing started to slow down and then go back to a normal level.

My head was no longer cloudily, and I could think straight.

"You okay?" Matt asked me softly, cupping my face.

I nodded with a smile and Matt grinned, leaning forward and kissing my forehead.

"Good. Just stay relaxed Bella." He told me softly.

I nodded again and watched as Matt walked back to the foot of my bed.

I looked over to my brother and he had a sad look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Cale said.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted the way I did. Practically killed myself with hyperventilation." I said with a laugh.

Every laughed softly, not wanting to get too loud and have me freak out again.

"Wait, am I the only one that heard that?" Eliza said, trying to get everyones attention.

We all turned to look at her in confusion.

None of us knew what the hell she was talking about.

"Heard what Lizzie?" I asked her.

"Did he just call you baby?" She asked me.

I started blushing like crazy and looked down as I heard all of the guys start to laugh.

"Did I miss something. Is this guy your boyfriend?" Cale asked.

"It's a long story." I said with a chuckle.

"We've got time." Eliza said.

I chuckled and looked over at Matt.

He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Well....it all started when...."