Page 16 of Save Me

On instinct, I begin to walk toward them with my fists clenched and at the ready, but she sees me and the look in her eyes instantly halts me. She’s terrified. Suit ignores her fear, almost looks like he’s enjoying it as he leans down to whisper something inside of her ear. Like a useless, limp dick, I stand there, helplessly watching as her eyes sadly close, all the while listening to whatever the hell it is that he’s saying to her. By the time he finishes, she is deathly pale, and a few stray tears are now trickling over her cheeks. Only then does he release his tight grip upon her arm. However, he keeps a possessive hand around her wrist, the gesture telling her that he belongs to him.

“Strike one, Beth,” he says, now loud enough for all to hear, “you are not to come to one of these events again. Understand?” She nods slowly as a few more tears escape her. “Good girl, now get in the car. Leo will take you straight home; we wouldn’t want your father to worry.”

Even though she gave her father a wicked lashing of words earlier on, she nods her head, just as he leans down to kiss her on the cheek. He then finally let’s go of her completely and gestures her toward the awaiting car. She walks slowly over to where he orders her, rubbing her wrist as she does so. She very briefly glances at me, mere seconds if that, but it’s enough to see the sadness and pain swimming around in her big, blue eyes. I try to smile, desperately wanting to sweep her up in my arms and tell her some words of reassurance, but something tells me it would only make the situation worse. Reluctantly, I turn away, thus keeping my identity hidden from the asshole in the expensive suit.

As the car rolls away, he watches it leave, then smirks over at Bodhi who is eyeing all of this from the beach. The smug asshole then gets into the car behind us and leaves, making the atmosphere infinitely lighter than it just was. Almost like robots, we all simultaneously look over to Bodhi who only now puts his hand up to acknowledge us. Mere moments later, he begins to walk over in our direction to where we meet him halfway. I notice his balled-up fists and painfully clenched jaw, something I’ve never, ever, seen on him.

“Who the hell was that?” Mikey asks, effectively beating us all to it. “An overprotective brother or something?”

“That is one evil son of a bitch,” he practically spits the words out through gritted teeth. Annie comes jogging up behind him with concern etched all over her usually grinning, carefree face.

“What is his business with Beth?” I ask, getting straight to the point.

“He’s-” Bodhi begins.

“Bodhi!” Annie whisper-shouts, telling him off like a small, defiant child. “You can’t, you know that!”

He growls with frustration and begins running his hands through his hair, all the while pacing around to try and calm his anger. Eventually, he lets out a few cleansing breaths, no doubt learned through one of Annie’s hippy meditation sessions which she forces him to do. He then closes his eyes as if finally at peace.

“She’s right, man,” he says after he breathes out slowly. “I will fuck it up even more if I tell anyone. I need to go and get smashed. Care to join me?”

He stomps off before anyone can answer, almost like he’s physically brushing the last ten minutes out of his hair. With little to no choice, we end up falling into line behind him, with me feeling just as frustrated as he was only moments ago. Bodhi might usually be more laid back than a sloth, but he’s also stubborn and loyal to a fault.

“I’m gonna find out,” I mutter to Mikey and Rein determinedly, kicking up sand as I march across to where the promise of beer lies.

“Hmmm,” Rein murmurs, looking deeply pensive, probably considering how insane that is. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, dude. Looks like it could be some heavy shit.”

“Watch me!”

Beth

“Beth…Beth, you ok, Rose? What did that creepy dude say to you while I was ordered into the car? Who is he? Why are you messed up in all of this?” Kai rambles on anxiously as I stare out of the window, lost in my own thoughts, the ones that have been there all summer. The ones without answers.

“You’ve been such a patient girl,” Oliver Lawrence had whispered into my ear, “not long now and you will be all mine. Your body, your mind, your heart, your virtue, all mine!” He had then moaned a little whilst breathing me in. “I can’t wait to touch you as you’ve never been touched before. In fact, I think I’m going to claim you every day for the rest of our lives!” I had felt faint as he had clung to my wrist possessively, and with fear threatening to make me vomit all over him.

“I’m fine, Kai,” I answer him with a soft smile, though I know it’s not exactly an award-winning performance. However it’s all I have in me right now. “Kai, you have to promise me not to mention any of this to anyone else, especially not at school. Please, can I trust you to keep quiet?” I beg him because I can’t break any of my conditions without paying a heavy price.

“But, Beth, who is he? What the hell is he to you?” He grips my hand tightly, obviously scared for me all the while Leo looks at us through the rear-view mirror.

“I can’t tell you, Kai, please don’t make this harder!” I whisper, sounding more than a little desperate. I then look over to Leo, who is obviously listening intently to our conversation. “Know that I’m fine and can handle it.”

Tears threaten to spill so Kai wraps his arms around me, which only makes them finally fall in whispered sobs.

“Sure, babe,” he whispers, “I got you.”

“Oh, God! And try not to be too nice to me or I’ll break!” I laugh through my tears, which only causes him to squeeze tighter.

“I can’t promise that I’m afraid; you’re my crowd now, remember?”

Once home, I walk into my bedroom which only has the luminosity of the moon shining through the window. Everyone is asleep, but when I look more closely, I can see a shadow of a man sitting on the window ledge. Many would scream seeing this at gone midnight, however, I know who he is, so I need not make any attempt to turn on the light. In fact, right now, I don’t want to look into his eyes; to see the pity that lurks within them. I don’t want to feel the disappointment I feel toward him after years of thinking he was what every man should aspire to be. Instead, I flop onto the edge of the bed, keeping my back to him and sighing heavily, refusing to let him see me cry.

“Are you happy now?” I finally ask in a defeated tone, seeing as he’s obviously too cowardly to say anything to me. “Happy with everything you’ve done?”

“You know I’m not, Beth,” he replies guiltily, like he has sounded every day since that awful day back in June. “I had no choice, he showed up here shortly after I left you at the beach. He told your mother he was a business associate and desperately needed to speak to me. She led him straight to you…innocently, of course.”

“Why did you do this, Mal? Why couldn’t you have just had one ounce of willpower and not gone there that night?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he sniffs, and now I’m faced with him crying at me. It makes me feel so angry, I can easily see myself pushing him from that window ledge. He has no right to cry after what he’s done, after what he’s caused.

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