Chapter 121: You Are Safe Now
“I had extra food if you want to stay and eat,” Matt blurted out, seemingly coming out of a trance.
“My dogs have been home too long without a potty break,” she said.
“Is your husband out of town?” I asked softly, and she smiled. She smiled at him.
“You can say that,” she said, and Matt walked over, took a pack of food from the bag, and handed it to her. “At least have one to go; I got way too much,” he said. She stared at it for a moment before taking it.
“Thank you, Matt,” she said softly before spinning on her heels and basically running out. He stood there, staring after her.
“Dude, what the heck was that?” I asked, amused, and he sighed.
“She is so beautiful,” he said, settling back into his seat. He looked at me and then back at the door.
“I hope I didn’t oversleep. I didn’t think you were interested in her, but if I am wrong, just call me off,” he said. I shook my head, chuckling.
I hadn’t told him about Justin and Amelia. Everyone knew we would be living together, but that was the extent of it.
“No, man. Just be careful; I’m not sure what’s going on with her and the husband,” I said. He nodded thoughtfully.
“When she came in the day after Christmas, her ring was gone. I’ve been working here for the past ten years, and I’ve never seen her come in without her ring,” he said, and I snorted.
“Stalker much?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. Very interesting.
“Hey, she’s my dream woman; how can I help but notice?” he retorted.
“Well, she’s an amazing woman, and I’ve only known her for two weeks, so I can’t imagine what knowing her for ten years is like,” I replied, eating some food. He…
“If I see you coming in tomorrow, I will lock you out of the building,” he said as we parted downstairs in the lobby.
I chuckled, shaking my head. I was ready to be back in my bed, but I knew it wouldn’t be the same without Justin and Amelia. I felt bad for having neglected her the last few days, but I was glad they would both be back tomorrow. I pulled into the driveway, feeling like I’d lived here for years. As I made my way inside, I was oblivious to the lights being on in the kitchen. I dropped my suitcase on the chair and took my coat off, hanging it up. There was a bottle of wine on the counter, and I immediately went for it. I definitely needed something to take the edge off, so I poured a glass and went to the fridge to find a snack. I didn’t end up eating that much with Matt.
“Doruld, is that you?” It was Amelia’s voice. My head shot up as she rushed into the room and jumped into my arms. I held her tight, almost shocked to see her.
“Oh, baby girl. I thought you were coming tomorrow,” I said once I got my bearings.
I pulled her back and dropped my lips to hers, gripping her tightly. She whimpered, almost in pain, and I pulled back immediately. Only then did I notice the handprint-sized bruise on her cheek. Anger filled me as my gaze fell to where my hands were. I pulled up her shirt to see her right side; from under her… sts… to the top of her hip was completely covered in a dark reddish-black bruise.
“Holy shit,” that came from Justin because I was completely lost for words. I looked up at her face to see tears pooling in her eyes; she started to open her mouth to say goodness knows what, but I shook my head at her.
“The next words need to be what the fuck happened to you and who the hell I’m about to kill,” I said slowly; tears dropped down her cheeks.
“And this is no way in hell that the stairs did that,” Justin added.
I had to look up at him because the force of his voice was so dark, it was almost… unrecognizable. She began to sob, and Justin came up behind her and, almost as if she were made of glass, placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned her into his body. I didn’t miss the slight flinch that went through her body and the look of pain that crossed his face as well. I assumed this wasn’t the first time she’d flinched at his touch, so I stepped in so that she was fully surrounded by us. Not to be scared, but to feel the comfort of our closeness. She rested her head on my chest as more sobs escaped her.
“Please, babe. Let’s help you,” Justin said, the anger turning into pure worry.
Chapter 121: You Are Safe Now
She reached up and wrapped an arm around my neck and turned slightly to wrap one around Justin’s neck as she pulled us closer to her. Her sobs quieted to sniffs as she clung to us for dear life, and we let her. We needed her to let it all out so that we could talk. I felt like shit that I didn’t go with her; I didn’t think for one second that she would be in any kind of danger being alone. When I looked at Justin, he was looking at me, and the look he had was what I am pretty sure he could see on my face. We weren’t there to protect her, and now someone had hurt her.
Amelia POV:
I was running. It was almost dark outside, and the sky had a pretty orange glow that I loved so much. That’s why I always ran at this time, even in January; Maryland air was warmer than usual. I had only needed a long-sleeve shirt for the slight breeze that was brushing across my cheeks, and there was a dark figure running towards me. I didn’t think anything of it because this was a common path to run on. I heard footsteps coming behind me, and the pace was fast. I glanced back and it looked like a man, but I couldn’t make out his face. I picked up my pace; the trail was almost over, and then I would be surrounded by a neighborhood and a lot of lights. My lungs began to burn, and I pumped my arms. The person in front of me was about to pass, and they looked at me. I felt like all the oxygen left my body as I struggled to breathe. I was almost to the clearing, but hands reached out and pushed me, and I lost my footing and landed hard on the ground and on my side.
“You little whore,” the voice said. I looked up, trying to see the face, but now it was just a blur in the darkness. I knew that voice; I knew those words.
“Who gave you the right to move away?” he said. Pain radiated through my side as a blow struck me on my exposed side.
Over and over, I screamed in pain, something I had never felt before. Hands shook me roughly, and another blow, this time to my face.
“Shut up, bitch; no one can hear you anyway.” The kicks kept coming.
I cried out for help as the hands became rougher, shaking me. I reached out to grab whatever I could to pull me away from the relentless torment, and there was something just in front of me that I grabbed onto for dear life. It was firm and strong, and I knew if I had enough strength, it could save me.
“Wake up, A… Amelia. Wake up, babe; it was just a dream.” It was Justin’s voice. I felt the tears running down my face and gentle hands wiping them away.
My surroundings were fading away; I wasn’t on the trail. I wasn’t with those horrible men; I was in a soft bed, and the smell of my men surrounded me. I opened my eyes; a loud sound filled my ears, and I winced at the bright light stinging my eyes.
“You’re okay, baby girl. Please, you’re safe; you don’t need to scream anymore.” It was Donald. I looked at him and finally realized I was the one making that loud sound.
I stopped screaming, panting and drawing in my breaths. The worry on his face was etched with a twinge of pain. I looked down and saw a trickle of blood rolling down his arm—the arm I was holding onto; my nails had broken the skin and sunk into his flesh. I gasped as I pulled my hand away.