CHAPTER THREE.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. LYDIA'S APARTMENT.
It was late, Jarod know he was missing the party, but he just couldn't go there. Not after what he'd found out. He slowly raised his hand to knock at the door. He needed someone to talk to and Lydia was the only one who knew about Miss Parker. Besides, she needed to be informed about her dead sister and what happened to her as a child. Jarod was sure Lydia didn't know that she was adopted and everybody deserved to know the truth.
When he had stood there for a while, waiting for someone to open, he called out Lydia's name, but there was still no answer. Jarod tried the door and to his surprise it was open. He slowly walked inside. The apartment was dark and there was no sign of people.
Suddenly Jarod caught a low sound from what he thought was the bedroom. He walked there, calling out Lydia's name a second time. He heard his name being whispered in response. Jarod froze, he knew something was wrong. He'd suspected it since he'd seen her bruised stomach. Slowly, he entered the room, almost afraid to look.
"Jarod, is that you?"
"Yes! Lydia, it's okay...I won't hurt you," Jarod said softly as he walked up to the bed. He watched her, she had her back turned against him, and the quilt wrapped around her.
Slowly Lydia turned her head to look at him. Jarod couldn't help but let out a loud gasp as her saw her. Her whole face was covered with bruises and she was bleeding from her lover lip and nose.
"Lydia, who did this to you?" he asked.
There was a silence.
"My boyfriend..." Lydia whispered.
Jarod stared at her in shock. For the moment he didn't think of Miss Parker. All he could think of what the woman in front of him.
"Are you...are you hurt?"
Lydia didn't answer. But the look on her face was enough for Jarod to know.
"Jarod, you have to go. If he comes back and finds you here he will kill me," Lydia whispered. Jarod could hear the fear in her voice.
"I'm not going anywhere without you," he said.
"What?"
"I'm taking you to my hotel room. You can stay there as long as you want," Jarod continued.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"It's just who I am... Can you walk?"
Lydia nodded.
"I'll wait in the living room," Jarod turned to walk out of the room.
Lydia watched him go. She didn't understand, why would someone who had just known her for a day want to help her? Was it possible that there were people who actually could be that nice? Lydia decided she didn't have time to think of that now, she had to get away from there before Greg came back. She slowly tried to sit up. Her body ached, both on the inside and the outside. As he sat up some more, a sudden pain in her side made her scream. She collapsed back down onto the bed and tears slowly filled her eyes. This was the first time he had hurt her this much, and she knew that this time it was her own fault. Just because she didn't think enough...
Lydia tried to get up a second time, but the pain was there and made it impossible to move. With a miserable sigh, she gave up and just lay still. She didn't want Jarod to see her like this, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She had to let him help her. Like it wasn't bad enough she had to let an unknown man see her naked, and now she really looked like hell! She covered herself with the quilt, and just lay like that for a while.
A while later, she took a deep trembling breath. She had to do this, there was no other way.
"Jarod!" she called out.
"Yes?" Jarod peeked through the door.
There was a silence.
"I need...can you help me," Lydia whispered, she felt the tears roll down her cheeks.
Jarod walked into the room. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"I can't get up. It hurts so much..."
Jarod nodded. He walked up to the bed and knelt next to Lydia. Slowly he let his hands follow the contours of her stomach and sides. As he got to her right side, she cried out loud, trying to escape his touch.
"Sorry. I think you broke your ribs," Jarod stated.
Lydia didn't say anything. She just looked at Jarod with sad eyes.
"It's okay. It's nothing that I can't take care of. You will be fine," Jarod said softly.
"Jarod, just help me to get out of here."
Jarod nodded. He looked around the room. Then he walked up to a closet, looking for something she could wear. He knew that the boyfriend could be back any minute and he just had to get Lydia out of there before he did.
A couple of minutes later, he returned to the bed.
"I have to...take this...off..." he said, eyeing the quilt. Lydia didn't do anything to protest and Jarod slowly removed it. As he saw how badly beaten she was, he could hardly hold back a gasp. He felt the anger rise inside of him, but forced himself to hold it back. He didn't want to scare her even more.
Jarod just stood there for a while, watching her. He didn't realize what he was doing until he heard Lydia whimper.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. As he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder if this is how Miss Parker looked. He felt tears brim in his eyes as he thought of her, but ignored them and focused on helping Lydia.
He sat down next to her. "Can you put your arms around my neck?" he asked. Without saying anything Lydia did as he said. She closed her eyes and let Jarod do whatever he wanted. She didn't care anymore; she didn't have the strength...
NOTE: I know... you guys want Parker to be alive. And she IS, just be patient. There are some things that have to happen before Jarod finds out!
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. LYDIA'S APARTMENT.
It was late, Jarod know he was missing the party, but he just couldn't go there. Not after what he'd found out. He slowly raised his hand to knock at the door. He needed someone to talk to and Lydia was the only one who knew about Miss Parker. Besides, she needed to be informed about her dead sister and what happened to her as a child. Jarod was sure Lydia didn't know that she was adopted and everybody deserved to know the truth.
When he had stood there for a while, waiting for someone to open, he called out Lydia's name, but there was still no answer. Jarod tried the door and to his surprise it was open. He slowly walked inside. The apartment was dark and there was no sign of people.
Suddenly Jarod caught a low sound from what he thought was the bedroom. He walked there, calling out Lydia's name a second time. He heard his name being whispered in response. Jarod froze, he knew something was wrong. He'd suspected it since he'd seen her bruised stomach. Slowly, he entered the room, almost afraid to look.
"Jarod, is that you?"
"Yes! Lydia, it's okay...I won't hurt you," Jarod said softly as he walked up to the bed. He watched her, she had her back turned against him, and the quilt wrapped around her.
Slowly Lydia turned her head to look at him. Jarod couldn't help but let out a loud gasp as her saw her. Her whole face was covered with bruises and she was bleeding from her lover lip and nose.
"Lydia, who did this to you?" he asked.
There was a silence.
"My boyfriend..." Lydia whispered.
Jarod stared at her in shock. For the moment he didn't think of Miss Parker. All he could think of what the woman in front of him.
"Are you...are you hurt?"
Lydia didn't answer. But the look on her face was enough for Jarod to know.
"Jarod, you have to go. If he comes back and finds you here he will kill me," Lydia whispered. Jarod could hear the fear in her voice.
"I'm not going anywhere without you," he said.
"What?"
"I'm taking you to my hotel room. You can stay there as long as you want," Jarod continued.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"It's just who I am... Can you walk?"
Lydia nodded.
"I'll wait in the living room," Jarod turned to walk out of the room.
Lydia watched him go. She didn't understand, why would someone who had just known her for a day want to help her? Was it possible that there were people who actually could be that nice? Lydia decided she didn't have time to think of that now, she had to get away from there before Greg came back. She slowly tried to sit up. Her body ached, both on the inside and the outside. As he sat up some more, a sudden pain in her side made her scream. She collapsed back down onto the bed and tears slowly filled her eyes. This was the first time he had hurt her this much, and she knew that this time it was her own fault. Just because she didn't think enough...
Lydia tried to get up a second time, but the pain was there and made it impossible to move. With a miserable sigh, she gave up and just lay still. She didn't want Jarod to see her like this, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She had to let him help her. Like it wasn't bad enough she had to let an unknown man see her naked, and now she really looked like hell! She covered herself with the quilt, and just lay like that for a while.
A while later, she took a deep trembling breath. She had to do this, there was no other way.
"Jarod!" she called out.
"Yes?" Jarod peeked through the door.
There was a silence.
"I need...can you help me," Lydia whispered, she felt the tears roll down her cheeks.
Jarod walked into the room. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"I can't get up. It hurts so much..."
Jarod nodded. He walked up to the bed and knelt next to Lydia. Slowly he let his hands follow the contours of her stomach and sides. As he got to her right side, she cried out loud, trying to escape his touch.
"Sorry. I think you broke your ribs," Jarod stated.
Lydia didn't say anything. She just looked at Jarod with sad eyes.
"It's okay. It's nothing that I can't take care of. You will be fine," Jarod said softly.
"Jarod, just help me to get out of here."
Jarod nodded. He looked around the room. Then he walked up to a closet, looking for something she could wear. He knew that the boyfriend could be back any minute and he just had to get Lydia out of there before he did.
A couple of minutes later, he returned to the bed.
"I have to...take this...off..." he said, eyeing the quilt. Lydia didn't do anything to protest and Jarod slowly removed it. As he saw how badly beaten she was, he could hardly hold back a gasp. He felt the anger rise inside of him, but forced himself to hold it back. He didn't want to scare her even more.
Jarod just stood there for a while, watching her. He didn't realize what he was doing until he heard Lydia whimper.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. As he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder if this is how Miss Parker looked. He felt tears brim in his eyes as he thought of her, but ignored them and focused on helping Lydia.
He sat down next to her. "Can you put your arms around my neck?" he asked. Without saying anything Lydia did as he said. She closed her eyes and let Jarod do whatever he wanted. She didn't care anymore; she didn't have the strength...
NOTE: I know... you guys want Parker to be alive. And she IS, just be patient. There are some things that have to happen before Jarod finds out!