I'm spoiling you guys, writing so much. Haha, JK. Also, thanks for all the amazing suggestions and reviews. Y'all keep me writing.
Blake blinked his eyes, trying to wish away the blur and sting. He rubbed his eyes, looking around. Michael was no where to be seen, and Nellie was on the floor, motionless. Blake stumbled over to her, kneeling down. "Nellie, baby, can you hear me?"
She could. But she couldn't speak.
Her jaw. It was... Wrong. She couldn't explain it. It felt out of place, disconnected from the rest of her. She opened her bloodshot eyes, turning them to look at Blake. He picked her up, caressing her face and holding her to his chest. "You didn't have to do that," he mumbled into her dark hair. "You shouldn't have done that. But don't worry... I'm not gonna let him get away with hurting you again." He stood up, placing Nellie on the bed. Her breaths were raspy and short, and Blake was starting to worry. He walked out of the room, noticing horrorfied expressions on his friend's faces.
"Where'd Michael go?" He simply asked. Ali wheeled forward, looking up at her friend, concerned.
"Blake, what-"
"Where'd Michael go?" Blake repeated, louder and more fierce than before. Aylin pointed toward the door, signaling that he bolted from the apartment. He closed his eyes. "Thank you. Guys, I need you to take care of Nellie. She's in.. She's in my room, on the bed. I think she's injured real bad."
"Do you want us to call 911?"
"Not yet," Blake told Shanna, who's blue eyes were huge and scared. With that, Blake ran out of the apartment, leaving the group to look at each other with confused looks.
Blake ran downstairs, and out of the building. He darted into the darkness, screaming out for Michael. He spotted Michael's car in the parking lot, and it was starting to pull out of the parking space. Blake bolted, standing in front of the car. Michael slammed on the brakes, nervous. He locked his doors so his old friend couldn't get in. But as soon as Blake walked up to the car door, and shot Michael a famous glare, Michael couldn't resist opening up the door. Blake stepped into the car, sitting in the passenger's seat beside Michael. It was silent.
Then, Blake: "Why?"
Michael shrugged, playing with the strings that fell loosely from his hoodie. "She-She's beautiful."
"I figured that out," Blake chuckled. "I love her more than anything. I just look at her, and I'm like.. Is this real? Am I dreaming?"
Michael glanced at him. "You're lucky," he mumbled. "She'll never look at me ever again. Not even a disgusted glance."
"Because you'll be in jail, for life."
"..."
Another silence.
Michael then sighed, leaning back into his chair. "I'm stupid."
"I know."
"..."
The silences kept growing, until Blake had to ask. "How'd you do it?" He didn't want to know, but at the same time he did. How did Michael get to her before him? Rip such a heavy sweatshirt..? Do it so quick...
"Come again?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
Blake sighed. "How'd you get to her? How'd you.. You know, do it."
Michael looked a little bit creeped out, but decided to tell him. "When you left, I decided to go for a jog. And maybe I could've caught up to you, that's what I wanted. But I got lost in the alleys.. And then I saw her. I wasn't planning to, you know; but she was so..."
"Beautiful. Amazing. Magnetic. Hypnotic. Gorgeous. Per-"
"Tempting."
Blake flashed angry eyes at Michael. He didn't like the fact that Michael found his girlfriend to be so tempting. If Blake decided to be a sweetheart and not tell the police about Michael, he would never let Michael near him or Nellie. Not even a mile away. He'd make sure Michael was gone, out of his-and Nellie's-life. "Tempting?"
Michael bit his lip, but nodded anyway. "I walked up to her, and she crashed into him. I tried to be smooth, but I probably came across as creepy. I was just... So pissed that she was being so prude, that I let my anger get the best of me. My working out must've been really effective, because I tugged at her sweatshirt real good and it ripped. Once I saw her skin exposed.. I kinda went crazy."
Blake drew in a breath, unprepared for Michael's continuation. But he stayed quiet in the seat, not looking at Michael.
"I was mad, like I said, and I shoved her into the wall. She started screaming, so I decided to shut her up. I started kissing her, but she was still making noises and I... I tried to strangle her."
Blake remembered back to when he had found her, and how he had seen red marks around her neck that resembled hands. He shivered, the thought of Michael choking Nellie against a brick wall was too horrorfying. "Th-Then?" He stuttered.
Michael looked pained as he continued. "I threw her on the ground. She had ripped jeans on, and I may or may not had... Ripped 'em up a little more. Once I had her, I couldn't stop. While I was... Doing what I was doing, she started screaming again. I had got what I wanted, so I left her there. Plus it was getting cold out there."
"..."
"Blake?"
"... How.. I... Nellie.. Did she.. Fight back?"
Michael shook his head. "That was the surprising part. She didn't even try. The minute I got my hands on her, she froze, almost like she was giving herself to me. I was pleased, actually."
Blake looked at him, finally. "She's in my apartment room right now. Her jaw could be broken, or she could have a major concussion because you punched her face. And you already ruined her life by fucking her on the streets!" He screamed, his anger rising. "And you turned her in, when all she ever wanted was some damn money so she didn't live on the streets anymore! Which, by the way, was where you fucked her!"
"Stop saying that!" Michael retorted. "You think I don't know what I did? You think I'm not ashamed? Too disgusted to look at myself in the mirror in the morning!?"
"You won't need to look in a mirror anymore, Michael. Not where you're going."
"Jail?"
"Hell."
Blake ran out of the car, running back into the building. He ran back into his apartment, then to check on Nellie. He spotted Aylin holding a washcloth to her head, Shanna murmuring soft words and Abraham kept feeling her cheek, where there was a bump from her dislocated jaw. Blake traveled over to them, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Thank you," he whispered to his friends. They all nodded. "Someone call 911 for Nellie, and Michael."
"What did Michael-"
"Just do it."
Shanna looked scared to question anymore, and she ushered the people out of the room, leaving Blake and Nellie alone. Nellie glanced at Blake, eyes glazed with an unmistakable feeling; fear.
Blake sat beside her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "I promise you're gonna be ok," he whispered in her ear, kissing her hair.
"You-You do?" She mumbled back, wincing from the ache in her jaw as it moved ever so lightly to speak. Blake nodded.
"I do. And when this is all over, we're going to live happily ever after." Blake smiled. He remembered his conversation he had with Aylin. He saved the princess, and she'd fall for him. Like in a fairytale.
Except this was reality.
But still; Blake had saved a victim of rape, who was also a criminal, but she fell hard for him. And he to admit that he probably fell even harder for the short-haired beauty. Abraham poked his head into the door, saying, "The ambulance is on their way."
"And the police?" Blake asked.
Abraham nodded.
Nellie visually relaxed, and she leaned into the pillows she was propped on. Finally, Blake was offering the protection he had promised.
I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter, some more serious shit will go down. But it's almost over. Sad face.