Sixty

My eyes scanned the corridors as I made my way to my next class.
When I woke up that morning, Adonis was nowhere to be seen, it made me wonder how he got out without my early bird of a mom seeing him.

And I wanted to thank him again.

Thanks to his firm hold and assuring words, I feel much more better about the way things played out the previous night. While I prepared for school this morning, my head continuously played scenarios where Adonis failed to enter the room at that exact moment.

With the way his hands held me, I could tell that Bryan really meant me harm. My devastating thoughts at that moment could have come to pass and…

I am just glad it didn’t happen.

I shook off the frown on my face and I resumed my steps which I had unknowingly stopped when my thoughts became too violent. And, as I looked up, my eyes locked with the man I had been searching for.

The distance between us was quite a lot, so I contemplated running towards him. But when the chatters of the students around us reached my ears, I reconsidered that decision.

Instead, with my heart now pounding hard, I waved in his direction, but as I did that, the scarf around my neck fell onto the ground. My chest felt tight as a certain fear gripped me as I hurriedly bent to pick the garment.

“What the-”

”Jake.” I faked a laugh as I stood straight and wrapped the scarf around my neck appropriately.

His hands hanging in mid air, his face wearing complete confusion and concern, he asked, “What on earth was that?”

“What?” I laughed again.

“What? Seriously Ruby? Tell me, what is going on? Let me-” I flinched as he reached for my neckline and he did not miss that reaction. Jake took a step back. Narrowing his eyes as I evaded his gaze, he reached for my hands and gave it a light squeeze.

I shuddered as the horror of the previous night came rushing to me.

*No. I am not okay*.
*I am so afraid*.
*Somewhere within me, there is this fear… the fear that Bryan Lockwood is watching me, he is plotting his next move. He is plotting how to get rid of me*.

*Last night, I had Adonis to make me feel a bit better. But*…

I looked in Adonis direction but he wasn’t standing by the door anymore. His quick absence made my fear grow.

*I could feel it already*.
*Bryan’s deadly breath*.
*That sight of the mixture of dirt and blood, I was beginning to see it*.

*He feels so close. He is coming for me. I can hear him whispering his deadly plans like the deadly villain he is*.

I closed my eyes to get rid of the feeling. I wanted to forget totally, his face, his voice, the way he crushed me with his weight. I just want to able to just live a life without that psycho in it.

He makes me so scared.

“Ruby!” My eyes snapped open at the loud voice. I locked eyes with Jake’s. I could hear my heart making a dangerous rhythm and while that happened, my brain concerned itself with how crazily my hands were shaking. My eyes pinched at several intervals as the trembling traveled to other parts of my body.

With more fright gripping my body as I was becoming confused at how funny I was feeling, I tapped Jake repeatedly and loudly.

“We need to get you to the nurse,” he said, wasting no time. Jake carried me bridal style and as I leaned into his chest, I wondered if that’s what my life will be from that moment on.

A life that fears the mere thought of a terrible person.

*I hope not*, I thought as I closed my eyes again.

~

The blank state of mind I woke up to gladdened me. The journey that led me to that moment was a terrible one. That nightmare felt so real, I just had to be glad that I won’t be remembering the terror for a few minutes, better still, my entire life.

“I gave her a little dosage of Prozac earlier, that should have calmed her down a bit. She is sleeping right now,” I heard the voice of the school nurse say. As I sat up, I wondered who she was talking to.

“Can I see her anyway?” Instead of a smile, the expression on my face as I heard Adonis’s voice suggested that I didn’t want to see him at that moment. I think that is because something inside me that keeps telling me to end things with him. Something within me keeps blaming him for how I have fallen into Bryan’s trap.

It is all false, and I don’t trust that tiny part of me.

But it could become rebellious if I’m not careful.

“You have five minutes, Mr. Klaus. Five minutes,” the nurse replied.

“Thank you.”

I looked down at my hands that were intertwined in a manner that showed how nervous I was at that moment. As his footsteps seemed closer, I tucked my hands beneath the sheet and tried to plant a smile on my face.

Our eyes finally met and the expected didn’t happen.
He didn’t say anything, I didn’t either.

Adonis grabbed a stool and sat beside my bed. From the small table beside my bed, he grabbed a packaged cream that sat with some other medications. I watched in silence as he scooped some of the cream onto his palm and when he was done, he reached for my chin, raised my head slightly and made my breath seize for a second when he traced a line on my neck.

The line was definitely one of the evidences of Bryan’s dreadful visit.

Soon, Adonis began to apply the white colored substance as gently as he could. I watched his calm face as he dutifully carried out his action.

“These days…” His voice finally caressed my ears and the soothing feeling it gave made my insides melt, it made that doubting voice disappear for a second. “I keep thinking about one thing.”
I didn’t ask him what, I just waited fro his next sentence.
His fingers created a rhythm as they rubbed in the cream on my neck. “The time you asked us to take a break… I keep thinking about that time and I sometimes wish I should have said yes to your request.”

Adonis paused what he was doing and he sighed. “I keep feeling that I’m hurting you by loving you and keeping you close. I know it is stupid to feel that way, but…” His eyes met mine and I felt a certain rush. The same rush that I felt when I first saw him. The feeling that makes me want to figure out the kind of person he is.
“It sometimes feel like an option,” he completed his statement.

“But?” I asked the lingering question.

“But it is not the best option.” The middle of his forehead wore a small frown as one of his hands reached out and cupped the side of my face. “I can’t leave you, not at this point.”

“Adonis…” As I covered his large hand with mine, I felt the urge to cry. I understood, to some extent, how his heart and head could be in a mess. It was so hard to determine what to do in such a situation.

Do we end things or do we stick by each other like we are being held by the strongest adhesive?

“I’ll be honest with you, Ruby…” His fingers circled over my skin as he smiled. “Things will keep getting crazier even when we are not together, so I will not be taking the risk of keeping you away from me.”
Adonis leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on my lips. “I am sorry that things keep turning out this way. I-”

“Is she inside there?” My dad’s voice interrupted our little moment and my whole being was thrown into jeopardy again.

“Adonis,” I quickly snapped out of my fear. “You need to hide.”

He got up immediately and moved to the next bed. After laying on it, he drew the curtain to conceal his presence and that seemed to do the work.

“Ruby?”

“I am in here Dad,” I called back to him.

When he finally found my bed, my Dad dropped onto the stool carelessly and reached for my hand. “Ruby, are you fine?”

“I am, Dad.”

His eyes captured the mark on my neck and he shook his head in disagreement. “No, you are not.”

My other hand covered his. “Dad, I am fine. I am.”

“That guy…” My heart skipped as I sensed he was about to mention Adonis’s name. “The one that keeps hurting you… Bryan Lockwood, right?” I nodded eagerly even though I was wondering who eventually told him about the psycho. Definitely not the bodyguard, that guy does not do his job at all.
“Who is that bastard? Tell me all about him.”

I sighed. I guess it is time to share a part of my twisted days with my father. Hopefully, something good comes out of it.

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

*Heyy guys. I hope you are all good. I know it has been almost two weeks without an update, I sincerely apologize for the wait. I needed to take a mini-vacation to get myself together and all. I am glad to be back here. We are gradually approaching a certain climax and I can't wait! Till next time, guys! Much love*.