Until I Met You (21 page)

“I’m fine; I just don’t feel too well.”  And I didn’t feel well.  I wanted to throw up—really badly.

“If that’s the case you can go home now.  But I have to tell you something before you do.  I called Seth.”  The unimpressed look was back again.

“Okay.”  I was eager for him to get to the point so I could get the hell out of here.

“He wanted to know what was wrong with you.  He said that you seemed jumpy and scared, and that when your mum rang, you freaked out and ran.  I thought you told him, Angelina?  You said he knew.”

“He had no right to say that.”  I was trying in vain to be pissed off about it, but I was feeling too bad to even care. 

Jonathan shifted his weight and placed his hands on my shoulders.  I felt so ashamed of myself that I dipped my head.  “Angelina, please look at me.” 

The sincerity in his voice had my eyes lock onto his.  “Why did you lie to me?  Why did you lie to your mum and dad?  They think you’re safe with Seth protecting you, but you’re not.  Do you know how much this will hurt them when they find out?  Do you realise how much this will hurt Seth once he knows?  He demanded I tell him what’s wrong, but I didn’t say anything.  It’s not my place, but he knows there’s definitely something wrong.”

I didn’t know what else to say, so all I could say was sorry.  He gave me a great, big warming hug and tenderly stroked my hair.  It was soothing and almost took the sickness away.  It was still simmering on the surface, but at least it wasn’t boiling over now.

“Listen, I have to say this to you.  Either you want him in your life or you don’t, but it sounds as though he cares about you way too much to let this lie.  I don’t think he’s going to stop until he knows what’s wrong.”

I sighed into his shoulder in defeat.  I’m not sure what I was going to do about this, but I had to be strong and try to push him away.

“I need to go.  I need to think.  I feel awful, Jonathan.”  Pulling away, I headed for the door.

“Okay, take what time you need, sweetheart.  Just let me know by the morning if you’re coming in.”

“I’ll be in tomorrow.  I just don’t feel too good now.”  He nodded his head and I made my way out with only a goodbye to everyone.  I craved my own company for a while—with the exception of Jerry of course.  He was the one living creature in my life I could seek solace in.

Chapter 12

The next three days went by in a haze.  I came to work, did what I had to do and went home.  I would lock myself up in the tower, away from the outside world, and I hated Jaden for it.  I would curse him several times for making me feel this vulnerable.  I haven’t felt this way since that fateful night—the night that my whole world was turned upside down.  The night that guilt has been following me for the last eleven years of my life.

Seth tried calling over and over again.  It got to that stage where I switched the phone off just so that I could stop hearing “Angels” haunting my every waking moment.  My heart and body sought for him.  I would wake from my dreams calling his name over and over until my head was spinning.  My head seemed to override what my heart and body wanted.  It had protected me all these years, and I wasn’t about to let it down now.

The three days that went by were awful.  I kept looking over my shoulder, convinced someone was watching me and following me.  I was becoming a paranoid freak thinking I saw monsters in the shadows.

On the third day of my living hell, I was in the middle of closing my last client of the day. 
It was six o’clock and pitch black outside.  I said goodbye to the lady who I was showing the house to, and was imminently aware of how alone I was once she got in her car and drove off. 

For some reason I felt sick.  Nausea was creeping in my stomach and my spidey senses were telling me something was wrong.  Seriously wrong.  I thought it best to just lock up and get the hell out of there.  I can reach the King’s Road in under five minutes and then I should be safe.

I walked a little way down the road and everything was quiet—a little too quiet.  I could feel the hairs rising on the back of my neck, and had to turn round to take a look at what could be causing this.  I felt like I was being watched—or followed—or both.  When I looked though, there was nothing there. 

I kept my pace, quickening that little bit more.  I could see the King’s Road within reach.  I could see how busy it was from a distance and how welcoming a sight that felt.  I don’t normally enjoy the noise, and the people, but this time I needed it—craved it.  I didn’t feel safe, especially when I had a voice inside my head shouting at me to get the hell out of there.

“Princess.”

My feet froze at the sound of an all too familiar voice.  I hadn’t heard that voice in eleven years.  He appeared from beneath the shadows—the monster that haunts me.  He had aged somewhat since his time in prison.  His wavy brown locks I used to love were now lifeless and greasy.  He still looked like the handsome teenager I came to dote on all those years ago, but life hadn’t been too kind to him with age.

He circled around me, taking in every part of my body.  I felt violated.  He leaned in close and inhaled my scent.  “Hmmm, still smelling good, Princess.  You look stunning as always.  As you can see, I haven’t been able to spruce myself up that much since leaving the godforsaken hole you put me in all those years ago.” 

He circled around me that little bit more as I stood rigid to the spot.  I was clutching to my work files like it was the only thing keeping me safe from the terrifying memories having him being so close has resurfaced.

“What do you want, Jaden?”  He laughed a little hysterically, but before I knew it, his face was levelling mine and he had the most horrifying look in his eyes.

“I want all those years back that you took from me, bitch.  Do you have any idea the shit I’ve been through in that hell hole?  All because you wouldn’t play ball that night.  Stupid fucking slut.”  He spat the last three words out with such venom I could practically taste it on my tongue.

I was determined to not let him see how frightened I was.  “You hurt me—and worst still—you hurt my best friends.  I hated you for it.  I still hate you for it.  How can you come here, blaming me for what happened when you and your little shitbags put me and my friends in hospital?”

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and I screamed.  I dropped my files and the contents spilt all over the floor. 

“You were a fucking little prick tease then and I bet you still are now.  You’re a fucking whore of the worst kind and you ruined my life.  Now it’s time I ruined yours.”

In that moment I felt my life flash before my eyes.  I knew what he came here to do long before he produced the knife.

“Is it still there, my little princess?  Did we cut you up enough to leave a nice shiny little scar?  Does it twinkle in the light when you’re naked?  Does it remind you of that memorable day?”

“Fuck you.”  He was behind me now with the knife digging in my back, and an arm wrapped around my neck.  I could feel the added bit of pressure—bit by bit—the knife was edging closer to my skin.

“I wish I could stay and chat a little bit more about old times, Angelina, but I have more important things to be doing with my time then standing around talking to a has-been.  I’ve gone eleven years without the feel of a woman.  Do you have any idea what that does to a guy?”  His hand slipped up towards my breast and I tried desperately to fight him off, but he’s grip was too strong, and the knife was too close to my back.

His sick laughter entered my ear and the sound brought another unwelcome memory back to haunt my head.  I snapped—pulling my leg up as high as I could—I crashed the heel of my shoe into his foot as hard as I could.  He let go and I ran, screaming. 

Soon, he came crashing into me with such force, it nearly toppled me over.  He spun me around and punched me in the face, blood dripping all over the pavement.  He came at me again, this time punching me in the stomach and kicking me in the back.  The wind was taken out of me so much that I didn’t see it coming—the knife.

He came at me like a man possessed.  I could see the madness in his eyes as he charged at me.  I could hear people’s screams, but I knew it was too late.  I knew this was the day that Angelina Bradshaw would die—never being able to tell the one man she let in her heart, just how much she loved him.

Everything happened so quickly, it was hard to digest it all at first.  Jaden was there one minute and the next he was on the floor of the pavement being pummelled over and over again by a raging Seth.  Screams could be heard again, but I didn’t know if the sounds were coming from me or the now onlookers who came to have a peak at what was happening.

Soon, realisation of just how enormous this situation is kicks in.  I knew that Seth was after his blood, and if I didn’t stop him now, he was going to kill him.

“Seth!” I shouted.  At first it seemed he didn’t hear me, and just kept going.  “Seth, please,” I begged—and finally he looked up.  When he saw me and the state I was in, he pushed an unconscious Jaden to the floor and came rushing over.

“Angelina, you’re bleeding badly.”  I stared at him in shock.  I still couldn’t believe what had just transpired here.  Lots of eyes were now staring at us as the sound of sirens were now filling our ears from a distance. 

Seth handed me a tissue and held me in his arms.  Immediately, I felt safe again.

The police and ambulance soon arrived and they come rushing forth to help Jaden.  “Don’t fucking help that monster, help Angelina, she’s bleeding!  He did this to her!”  His anger radiated all over the street forcing everyone to look our way.

“Calm down, sir,” a policeman shot back.  “We need to know what happened here.  Miss, can we get someone to have a look at you?  It looks like you may have a broken nose.”

I nodded my head, shaking somewhat as the shock started kicking in.  I could see a couple of officers talking to the people standing by.  I wondered how much of it they really saw.  All of it seemed a blur.  The only thing—or person I was focused on the whole time, was Jaden.

I looked over to him one last time, but started shaking uncontrollably.  Seth had to tighten his grip round my arms so that I wouldn’t lose control.  He led the way for me towards the second ambulance, which had now turned up, but my state of mind had me in a sudden panic.

“He hasn’t hurt you, has he?”  I searched him all over for any signs that he might be cut or injured in any way.  I was almost hysterical with it.

“Angelina, calm down.  I’m fine.  It’s you that needs to be looked at.”

I managed to relax a little as we neared the ambulance, but then I heard his voice.

“Bitch!  I’m gonna fucking get you for this, and your fucking arsehole boyfriend.  Has she let you fuck her yet?”  His voice was full of anger, but then he suddenly started laughing hysterically.

I stiffened in Seth’s arms and could feel his release as he tried to charge towards Jaden.  I managed to grab his arm and scream his name before it was too late.  Seth’s eyes were venomous as he looked over at him.

Jaden’s laughter radiated around the street and I could hear him shouting at the poor paramedics that were trying to treat him.

“I can’t believe they’re fussing over that arsehole.  Is this what you call justice?”  Seth’s face searched the policeman’s for answers, but the officer just motioned us forward, not willing to give any sign of humanity away.

I was ushered quite quickly into the ambulance after Jaden’s outburst.  I was glad about that.  I didn’t want to ever see that man again.  I knew I would though.  I had already gone through this once.  I didn’t want to have to do it again.

The paramedic smiled at me and went to work inspecting my nose.  It was still bleeding and a little sore, but they soon had me patched up. 

“It looks like you’ve escaped a broken nose, but still best we take you to the hospital to get checked out by a doctor.”  The ambulance lady smiled sympathetically towards me as I thanked her.  I could tell the policeman was eager to get some answers, but I didn’t want to go into details with him right now.  My head was pounding and pain was suddenly radiating all over. Feeling hot now, I pulled my coat off, but heard Seth gasp.

“Jesus, you’re back is bleeding.  Her back is bleeding!” he shouted in panic.  He was almost frantic with worry.  It would have been so adorable if it wasn’t for the huge mess I was in.

They inspected my back and sure enough I had been cut.  I didn’t even feel the knife at the time it happened.  I could feel it all too much now that I was aware of it.

“Luckily it’s not too deep.  I think it will need a couple of stitches though.”  The lady smiled at Seth and he seemed to relax a little after that.  He wrapped his big strong arms around me as the ambulance left.  I slunk into the curve of his body feeling safer than I had in days.  I knew we needed to talk, and I knew I owed him some answers—but for now—I was happy just being in his arms.  Feeling him close.