Page 89 of It Never Was

It all happens so fast and I must have landed on Parker harder than intended because I feel my side ache. I hear cursing and an arm wraps around my waist. Squinting my eyes open to see Suzie's purple face is in Parker's hold. His hand is around her neck, her feet scraping against the floor, fingers scratching at the hands clasping on her, trying to get in the air. I peer at Parker and see him already looking at me through wide eyes, alarm and terror at the forefront of those stormy eyes. I go to reach for his arm but I can't with the tape still on them.

"Parker she can't breathe..." The words come out strained as I squirm, but he squeezes his hold on me, and I yelp from a throb that pulses through me.

"But she fucking stabbed you!"

The break in his voice as he stumbled to say the words out loud caused my gut to throb further. His eyes strain to blink as we gaze at each other. The tears stream down his face, and his words slowly register to me. The feeling of warm, thick liquid feels sticky on my skin as I lower my eyes to my torso. I can't see clearly with how dark it is in the room but with the knife jutting out of my stomach. There is no questioning, it's blood. I catch a breathe asking him to take it out.

I start to panic, squirming more and more.

"Stop, no. Rye, we can't take it out." He catches a sob as he orders me to leave the knife alone, "Leave it in or you'll bleed out." He inhaled sharply then scoops me into his arms. The sound of Suzie's body hitting the floor with a smack fills the room. She is gasping for air, her hands on her throat. The ache runs deeper through me now with each step towards the door that Parker makes. The knife causes sharp burning pulses. A shudder erupts through my body as reality starts to set in.

"I'm gonna get help!" He rushes the words out his gaze flicking from the knife to my eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?" The voice spits out as ripples of wet chokes echo behind the words.

Before I know it the warmth of Parker's arms is gone, and my body meets the floor abruptly. My breath is labored and hot, my vision becomes hazy with the agonizing throbs that roll through me. Blinking rapidly, I make out Devon climbing onto Parker pulling at his shirt to keep him down.

The floor vibrates against my skull as Suzie makes her way to me whisper under her breathe, "Fucking men." Not giving me the time of day. Her eyes fixated on Parker and Devon's brawl. She kneels, gripping the handle of the knife that is still embedded in my torso, "Give me this!" She hisses.

Pulling it from my gut before I can protest, the searing pain rips through me. My throat burns from the roar of blinding pain that tears through me. I fight the heavy lids as I stare into the room, my head still resting on the cold floor. Darkness begins caving in on me and I can't fight it any longer. The pain dulls with every blink. I allow the numbing to take over.

55

Parker

I can't get Devon's hold on my shirt loose and the only thing at the forefront of my mind is that I need to get Ryen to safety, she needs help. I could already feel her weakening in my arms as I tried to get her out the door to safety, before this fucker tripped me and she went slamming to the floor. I'm trying to grip his sweaty palm from the fabric of my shirt when he swings at me. The motion is feeble as it hits me in the chest and I could chuckle at him for thinking he can win this fight but I don't have time for him.

A harrowing scream sounds off behind me, it cuts through my ears causing my gut to collapse in on itself. Nausea sets in as I forget about the douchebag in front of me and I swing around to look at Ryen. My eyes land on her on the floor, the puddle at her torso growing by the second. My attention is immediately drawn away from where Ryen lays when I see a shine above me. I duck just in time for Suzie's fatal blow to miss me, and just by a hair. The blade rings past my ear as it misses me as its target.

Suzie stumbles backwards, I look at her confused at her sudden withdrawal. I thought she would swing again. I look at her face and see it crumble as she falls to her knees and wails. Her eyes never leave Devon behind me.

As the moon begins to peel through the windows, my attention is snapped back to Devon. The sound of the raging storm that was just outside, is replaced with the sound of spluttering, wet chokes now emanating from him.

Suzie may have missed me, but she claimed Devon as her victim instead.

I can see the handle where it entered and just the tip of the knife protruding through the other side. Devon's eyes are wide as he strives to reach his weak arms to his throat. The steady stream of hot liquid runs down his neck and before I can fully comprehend what just happened, he slumps to the ground with a hollow thump.

Suzie's screams, "Nooooooo!" Repeatedly.

Rushing to Devon's side on all fours she starts to flail her fist at his limp body, "You are so stupid!" Her hand won't stop slapping him, his body slightly rocking with each hit. When he doesn't respond she stands and begins to kick as she curses him through wet sobs, "Why didn't you duck! You fucking idiot!"

I hear the sirens before I see the red and blue lights flash through Ryen's window and I take a breath. Preparing myself for what I need to do next. Leaping up I restrain Suzie, locking both arms behind her back. She fights against me but shortly succumbs to her sobs, her defeat.

Keeping my eyes on Ryen, I drag Suzie with me making my way towards her. I watch her ribs and see a delicate rise of her chest.

She's breathing, she's breathing.

A shaky breath levels my lips and I hear the door kicked in downstairs. I screamed for help, and they rush into the room. I raised my hands releasing Suzie but screamed for them to help Ryen, to save her.

"Save her, I can't lose her. I just got her. Please!" I plead more strained this time. I plead harder than I have ever begged for anything in my life, “Please, I love her. Save. Her." The words flood out and I don't stop until I see her hauled into the ambulance. Till I know she is in the hands of someone capable of saving her.

I haven't even told her I love her.

The beeping in this room helps me to not fall asleep fully, but the rush of feet entering the room is what makes me sit up straight. My eyes burn as I blink them for comfort but only to be met with sandpaper stinging.

"What happened!" Paul's booming voice takes over the room.

"Devon attacked her, sir." I stand up now rubbing my hands down my face.

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