Chapter Ten.

One of my arms is wrapped around Rin's skinny frame, my hand hovering over her hip. My free hand moves to reach for her chin, my index finger angling her head upward so that her pained gaze can meet mine. I contemplate kissing her, my eyes darting from her blue orbs of sadness to her lips and back again, but I ultimately decide against it. I suppose right now I should be thinking of what's making her act this way. I stay silent for a few seconds before finally feeling like I can talk again. My warm breath hits her lips as I whisper to her in a husky voice that I know she can't resist.

"Rin, please. Tell me what's bothering you..." I hold her gaze, my eyes intense and pleading. She's keeping something from me...And so help me God, if someone is raping my girl, they will die.

A very painful death.

I'd sooner go to jail than let Rin suffer again. (Unless she's suffering by my hands, of course...)

The sorry man who dares hurt her...I wouldn't be so kind as to put a bullet through his brain. I'd rather...Oh, I'd rather drive a knife through his skin time and time and time again. Or perhaps slice him open until he begs for mercy. I'd like to watch the sorry jerk bleed.

"I can't right now. Just..." Rin heaves a sigh and shifts so that she can lay her head on me, and she wraps her arms around my neck to pull herself closer to me. Her head bobs up and down with my chest as I breathe, my hand trailing from her chin to her shoulder to caress her sweaty and smooth skin. "Hold me?"

I plant a gentle kiss on her head, inhaling deeply to smell that sweet shampoo in her hair. My voice is muffled in her hair as I murmur, "You didn't have to ask..."

"I can't believe everything that's happened in the past couple of days," she says, almost in a squeak.

I can feel her heart beating, her breathing in sync with mine...there are no words to explain how good that feels.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" I press my cheek against her head, my hands barely touching her despite the fact that I desperately want more than this...that I want all of her, instead of resting here in the park under the shade of a tree, where the sun is so hot that it leaves us dripping with sweat. My heart beats faster with each passing second, my hormones raging within me the more I can smell her sweet orangey scent. Her body is relaxed against mine, a small sigh of content causing her to quiver in my arms. It takes all I've got to keep myself under control. Then, her heavenly voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Do you remember when you told me you loved me?" she whispers dreamily, her fingernails scraping against my neck in a way so teasing that I had to fight to not shiver, well aware that it would only satisfy her.

"Of course." I move my hand just enough to run my slender, girlish fingers through the locks of her hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "And I meant it, you know."

Rin muffles a laugh. "Nah, you just wanted a whore all to yourself." She sits up slightly, looking into my eyes, while her hands tangle in my golden hair, and she pushes my head closer to her. "But...I'm beginning to feel like you really care for me."

I peck her on the lips before pressing my forehead against hers and puffing out air. My face ends up a little flushed from our being so close, but I can blame it on the heat. Otherwise, she'd never quit teasing me about it. I hold her gaze for a few moments longer before asking, "Are you just now figuring this out?"

A smirk forms on her lips, and she buries her face in my neck, her breath hot on my skin. "I had a feeling," she murmurs.

I open my mouth to respond, but only a gasp comes out when I feel a sharp sensation, followed by a sexy noise from deep within Rin's throat. My chuckle makes her withdraw, and I narrow my eyes as soon as I can meet her gaze again.

I raise a brow and give her a challenging smile. "You bit me."

Rin tilts her head to one side, her grin begging for me to make some sort of a move on her. "Problem, pretty boy?" she taunts.

My expression softens to a simple smile, and I pull her close so that I can speak directly in her ear. "And that's why I love you." I reach up to brush her bangs to the right, but when my fingers barely sweep over the skin on her forehead covered by her hair, she rips away from me with a loud yelp.

"Dammit, Len!" Stumbling to get to her feet and out of my reach, Rin's hands fly up to her face to cover that side of her face. "Don't touch me!" She spins around on her heel, hanging her head and muttering, "Ow, ow, ow, ow..." almost incoherently.

What...? Okay, this girl must be experiencing her time of month, because one minute she's all, 'I had a feeling you loved me, pretty boy.' And the next it's all, 'Don't touch me!'

And in case anyone is wondering, yes. I am mocking her in my head that sounds like the voice of a boy hitting puberty.

Better known as Justin Beiber. *

I stand up, completely and utterly confused. I extend a hand as I approach her, whispering softly, "Rin, I-"

"Don't touch me," she growls, whirling to face me. Her eyes flash with blue fire, and she keeps one hand pressed to the side of her head.

I chuckle sarcastically. "Rin, don't make me do this."

"Do what!?" the golden-haired girl demands fiercely, her voice like a roar. Tears begin to surface, a couple spilling over to run down her cheeks. "What, are you gonna hurt me, too!? Be my guest! I'm just like a damn rag-doll! Throw me around and do what you wish! Everyone does it! Everyone..." She falls quiet in choking sobs. "...does...it..."

I advance on her, grasping her shoulders as tight as I can and swinging her toward the ground. The sudden motion drives the breath from her body, and she squeaks in shock, her tiny hands clutching at my clothes as though she doesn't want to be dropped. I lower her to the ground carefully, so that she's beneath me. Her hot tears are pouring freely now, as I wrench her arms up above her head and pin her wrists down with one of my hands.

I hesitate here, my other hand gently touching her cheek before moving up for her forehead. She squeezes her eyes shut and whimpers as I push aside her tangled bangs and hook them behind her ear. There, in the very spot her hair guarded, is a nasty cut that spread from the top of her hairline down to her eyebrow. It's closed up with what look like amateur stitches, and a disgusting purplish-brown color stains the skin around it.

Upon seeing such an injury, my hold on her weakens. Rin takes that moment to break free and sling her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer to me.

"I don't want to do it anymore! Please, help me..." she begs me, her tears soaking my shirt.

Lifting myself to be kneeling on my knees, I pull Rin so she's sitting up and hold her in my warm embrace.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

I groan. Could things get any worse?

* Sorry, I just couldn't resist that line about Justin Beiber. I apologize if there are any JB fans reading this.

(:Mizune