He removes his arm from my throat and I crumble to the ground, unable to stay standing.
"Back door," he orders, "I'm entertaining tonight."
I nod quickly and listen to his footsteps as he walks away. It's not until I hear the front door slam shut that I attempt to move.
I lift a shaky hand to my head, feeling a sticky liquid drip onto my neck. My vision blurs as tears stream down my face.
I get my legs beneath me, keeping a hand on my ribs. Pain explodes in my head, black stars crossing my vision. I feel myself starting to fade and make my way to the back door.
I struggle to take deep breaths, every inhale creating a burning sensation. My feet drag as my eyes grow heavy. I make my way to my room and trip on something. Ending up sprawled on my floor, I groan gutturally.
Get up. Get up.Get up!
I crawl into bed and let the darkness take over.
Chapter 4 ~
Rory ~
I wake up just as the sun's rising. Ignoring the excruciating pain, I stumble out of bed and grab a set of clothes from the dresser.
I grab a bandage from my first aid box as soon as I get to the car, needing to wrap my ribs before I drive. I’m not even sure if you’re supposed to wrap broken ribs—it’s what I’ve always done though.
I have to stop and blink a few times when my vision blurs. Lifting a hand, I feel a shit load of dried blood and a bump on the back of my head.
I might have a concussion,crosses my mind.
I lower my hand and tightly wrap my ribs. It hurts but my breathing is a lot better.
I drive the few short minutes to the clearing. When I get out to open the gate, I notice a figure standing on the verandah. It’s too dark to see them and my vision is blurry.
Not being able to focus on that too much, I eventually get the gate open and my car through.
I struggle to climb into the back, nearly falling out when I get dizzy. Not bothering with my sleeping bag, I just lay down, my pillow under my head.
It’s not long before I'm out again.
I'm shaken awake. Too tired and weak to fight the hands on my arms, I simply open my drowsy eyes.
"Luc?" I mumble, confused when I see his uniquely bright green irises.
"Rory? Can you hear me?" Luc asks frantically, panic in his eyes.
"Yeah." I rub my eyes. "Why do you sound like that?" My eyes close again, exhaustion preying on my mind.
"Rory, I need you to stay awake. Open your eyes, honey." He sounds calm now.
I wearily open my eyes and see the blurred outline of Luc's body. He's dialling a number on his phone with one hand while the other is gripping my hand.
"Who are you calling?" I yawn.
"An ambulance," he says shortly.
It takes a moment for that to register in my brain.
I fly up and rip the phone from his hand, scrambling to hang up just when someone answers.
At some point, my shirt has ridden up and exposed my bloody bandages. I yank my shirt down but it's too late. Pain travels through me with my fast movements.
