Page 10 of Penance

I explode.

“This is fucking ridiculous!” I roar, spit flying from my mouth. “Get out of that fucking chair, Lala! What the fuck is going on here anyway? Hmm? You better not be fucking her Kace or so fucking help me I willendyou,” I snarl, throwing my hands in the air.

Kacey narrows his eyes on me, seemingly growing in size with temper. He flies to his feet, stepping up to me in less than a second. His forehead pressing against my own, trying to force me back a step.

“You’ll what?” he hums, a mocking laugh escaping him. “What you gunna do, you fucking arsehole. Fight me?” he laughs again as I shove at his chest.

“Are you fucking him, Lala?” I shout over his shoulder. “You aremine.You’re fucking mine!You can’t fucking do this to me!” I yell. Fisting my hands in my hair as I’m overcome with fury, “you were always supposed to be mine! Don’t you remember? Please,Lala, don’t fucking do this, I can’t lose you, Iwon’t,” I snarl, pacing like a caged lion, the heat of my skin is too intense, I strip my leather jacket off, tossing it away from me.

“Untie me, Charlie,” Lala says so calmly, quietly, blankly, her face pale, eyes glazed.

Using her free hand, she wraps delicate fingers around the shiny black handle of the knife, ripping it free effortlessly on a sharp exhale. Tugging it harshly from the cloth wrappings, much to everyone else’s protests. Blood bubbles from the wound, rushing over her fingers and down the arm of the chair, dripping a heavy, dark puddle onto the carpet.

“Charlie,” she whispers when he hesitates, “now, please,” she requests almost silently.

At her softly spoken command Charlie moves towards her and in a few swift movements the rope pools at her feet. He reaches out a hand to help her to her feet, but she ignores it. Her grey-green gaze laser focused on me, holding my eyes so fiercely I’m afraid to move. Enthralled by her piercing stare as the green slowly overtakes the grey, her pupils dilating.

“I am not yours. Not anymore,” she states without emotion, conviction ringing true in her words, and I die a little more.

“I don’t understand any of this!” I finally manage to choke out. “I didn’t do anything!”

A caustic laugh bubbles from her throat. Her fingers tightening around the handle of the blade. Blood pouring from the open wound in her other hand, but she doesn’t even look at it.

“You didn’tdoanything?” she whispers, disbelief in her tone.

Brushing her sodden hand over her face and through her hair, leaving a thick trail of crimson in its wake. Half of her face covered in it as she drags it over her long silver strands. Her shaky grip tightening on the knife before she throws it away. She laughs louder, shaking her head, her body trembling violently. This amount of blood loss can’t be good for anybody, I don’t know how she’s even still standing. Her hands slide up into her hair and she pulls hard at the roots, blood pouring freely from the jagged wound, soaking her long silken hair. She mumbles incoherently under her breath as her body starts to sway.

“Lala?” I whisper after a moment, turning my head to the side to try and see her beneath her curtain of silver hair.

Charlie stands sentry behind her, his eyes locked on me fiercely.

“THEY RAPED ME, MAX!” she screams, the shattered words exploding out of her quivering body.

Finally lifting her lost eyes to mine. I blanch, the sadness in them, the anger, thehate.I can’t fucking stand it, her words nearly knock me to my knees. I look at Kacey and Huxley but they’re both watching her with the same expression of shock as mine. My stomach bottoms out, my knees waiver and I have to brace a hand against the wall for support.

I’m going to be sick.

I rush past them blindly, straight to the kitchen sink, throwing up the contents of my stomach. I can’t fucking deal with it and it hasn’t even happened to me.

Who touched my precious girl without her fucking permission?

I’llkillthem.

I throw up until I’ve got nothing left to expel. I run the tap, washing my mouth out with water, but nothing will ever cleanse the bitter taste of ash from my tongue. Not from that, not ever, her words are going to be forever branded on my soul, seared there with guilt, just like the look in her haunted eyes at her admission.

“I should leave,” Lala whispers, sounding exhausted.

I don’t turn to face her, I’m too ashamed, if I had been there, no one would have ever had a chance to hurt her because she would have always been right by my side.

“No, Darlin’, please don’t go,” Huxley pleads with her. “I’ll do anything to keep you.”

I hear the distinct sound of someone hitting the worn carpet and I know he’s dropped to his fucking knees.

“You still want me?” she whispers and what’s left of my black, bleeding heart cracks inside my chest.

I don’t turn around. I feel like a fucking intruder in my own house, encroaching on a private moment between lovers.

“What the fuck, of course we fucking do, we fuckingloveyou!” Kacey cries, “of course we want you, my god, Kyla-Rose, Sweetheart, we just want to be with you, that’s all either of us wants.”

---