Here's the next chapter of Runaway.
This would have been up last night, but for some reason I couldn't upload it.
Thanks for the feedback, etc.
I own Marianne & Jack.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy reading it!
"Good boy. You stay and keep her company." Jack told his dog as he turned on the engine of his truck.
Rex sniffed the air and turned around to go and stand beside Marianne. Since Heath had not yet returned, the dog would be staying at the farm with the New York native while Jack went to deliver some hay bales to somewhere out of town. Marianne waved off the older man and went over to continue weeding the garden of the farmhouse. It was a nice change to have the colourful flowerbeds and trees around her, as opposed to the concrete-filled streets of New York.
"Go on then!" Marianne grinned as she tossed a ball for the dog to catch.
She had not long been back to gardening when Rex reappeared and dropped the ball in front of her. The dog's eyes flicked back and forth between Marianne and the ball. He was poised and ready to run after the ball, desperate for her to throw it across the yard. Chuckling lightly, she picked up the ball and three it as far as she could across the yard and towards the barn. Rex darted after it, causing a few chickens to flap and jump out of the way.
Tossing another pile of weeds into the wheelbarrow beside her, Marianne looked up to see where Rex had gotten. The dog had abandoned the ball, in favour of following a scent that led him to the doors of the barn. He began to paw at the doors, obviously on the scent of something inside the barn, striking Marianne's curiosity. The New York native stood up and wiped her dirty hands on her apron, making her way over to the barn, where Rex had begun to wag his tail as he continues to paw at the barn doors.
"What is it Rex?" she asked in a whisper.
Slowly unbolting the barn doors, she pulled them open, as Rex rushed through the gap to investigate. The dog ran over to the far corner, under the staircase, furiously wagging his tail.
"Hello?" Marianne called out, slightly apprehensive now.
The sound of someone coughing came from the direction that Rex had gone in. Following the noise, the New York native found the dog pawing at someone underneath an old blanket. Taking a breath in, she reached out her hand and pulled the blanket from the figure, which blinked and groaned as the daylight shone into the barn. "Heath?" Marianne exclaimed.
The person did not reply, although it was definitely Heath Miller. He looked terrible, with ripped, dirty clothing and bloody bruises and scars covering his face and arms. His brown eyes looked up at Marianne with an emptiness that was almost heartbreaking. Rex whimpered in confusion as he pawed the redhead's tattered clothing. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Marianne said, helping Heath to his feet.
Inside the house, the brunette fetched some first aid equipment and sat down on a chair opposite the redhead. She could see the full extent of the bruising in the daylight that shone through the windows. Dipping a cloth into some warm water, Marianne turned her attention to the wounds on Heath's face first. The redhead flinched and let out a hiss as she dabbed the cloth against a cut below his right eye.
"I'm sorry." She murmured as she wiped away some dried blood.
Heath remained still and silent as she soaked the cloth again and moved onto the other wounds. The New York native tried to be as gentle as she could as she wiped some more dried blood from his bottom lip. Their faces were mere inches apart but Heath refused to meet her eyes with his own. After she had cleaned his face, she moved onto his bruised arms and grazed knuckles, taking his hands in her own. "Thank you." He managed to say, clutching a hand to his ribs.
"Take off your shirt." Marianne told him, aware that he was hiding more wounds.
Heath nodded slowly and stood up, unbuttoning the torn shirt and wincing as he slid it off his shoulders and allowed it to land in a heap on the floor. The New York native frowned as she saw that there was some angry red and purple bruising covering his ribcage area. Carefully soaking a new cloth in some more warm water, Marianne gently pressed it to Heath's wounded ribs and murmured her apologies as he winced at the pressure.
"Who did this to you?" Marianne asked him.
"Doesn't matter." Heath replied, refusing to meet her gaze.
"Your face and hands should be fine, but I need to bandage your ribs, ok?" she asked him. He nodded in reply.
The brunette took some bandages from the first aid kit and carefully wrapped them around Heath's middle. She made sure they were firmly in place, but not enough to cause him any pain. Heath sat in silence while Marianne put the first aid kit back where she found it. His eyes remained dark and empty, although he managed to smile and pet Rex the dog, who seemed worried about his condition.
The New York native returned with a glass of water and some bread for Heath to eat, not knowing how long he had been in the barn. She watched as he managed a little of the bread, and drank all of the water, before trying to stand. Marianne rushed to steady him, gently snaking an arm around his middle, careful not to hurt him. The redhead grimaced as he tried to walk, but his body seemed to have given up on him.
"My turn to look after you." Marianne whispered, helping him up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Stuff needs doing." He protested.
"Not while you're like this." She shook her head.
"But Jack…" he started.
"I'll take care of Jack. The best place for you now is in bed." Marianne told him.
Pushing open the door of Heath's room, the New York native glanced around. It was around the same size as her attic room, with a large window and a big wardrobe in the corner. A wooden chest stood in front of the bed, and a blue rug was on the floor. Helping the redhead over to the bed, Marianne paused to pull back the covers. Heath sat down on the bed and looked up at her. "Thanks, I'll be fine now." He nodded.
"If you need anything, just yell." Marianne told him.
The next time Marianne checked on him, he was fast asleep. She explained how she had found him to Jack, who seemed to think that Heath mist have gotten into a fight when he took off. He assured her that Heath had been in a number of fights, and someone had to lose. The New York native had never seen such a beating, which made her all the more worried about her father, and what Phil would do to him if he discovered that he was lying.
What do you think?
Who did Heath get into a fight with?
Are Marianne and Heath getting closer?
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