Chapter 14

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Lucas could feel the anxiety eating away at him as his eyes desperately scanned the hall for Angela, yet he couldn't see her anywhere. He'd probably circled the floor twice and still hadn't found her. He walked outside and to his car, lighting a cigarette as he pondered his next move. He wanted to make things right with Angela, and he was going to whether she wanted to hear him out or not.

His head snapped up as he heard what sounded like a struggle coming from the trees just beyond the parking lot. He carefully made his way to where he thought the sound came from when he heard someone shriek. He drastically picked up his pace and rushed into the forest, straining to hear anything else. He moved deeper between the trees and saw where the sound had come from.

Angela lay on her side, her dress shredded and very nearly ripped clean off while her escort was standing over her, either unzipping his pants or zipping them back up, Lucas was too angry to know for sure as he leapt forward and tackled him to the ground, raining punches in his face.

"Stop! I didn't do anything!" He heard her escort lie between blows, making him even angrier.

Angela groaned and staggered to her feet, catching Lucas' hands before he could do more damage. "That's enough," she said hoarsely as she sank back to her knees, crouching low on the ground. Before she could stop herself, her drunken nausea took over and she vomited up most of the contents of her stomach onto the soil. Lucas stood up and held her hair back, sighing.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked her as he knelt down next to her. He reached over and gently drew her chin up, his heart aching as he saw the tears in her eyes. He handed her a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and she absentmindedly wiped her mouth with it. "Come on, let me take you home," he said as he picked her up and carried her toward his car.

Angela gasped for air as a sob escaped her tired lips. "Lucas..." she said through tears.

"I know," he said, kissing her dirt-streaked forehead. "I know." He put her in the passenger seat and got in the driver's seat, starting the car. He looked over at her, noticing that she was already looking at him. "Do you need medical attention?"

"No, I don't think so," she said. "Please, don't say it."

Lucas glanced at her puzzled. "Say what?"

"Don't say 'I told you so', please."

Lucas shrugged. "I wasn't going to, but maybe I should. Why do you keep jumping at the chance to put yourself in danger, Angela, why do you do this?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe I'm just like my mother."

"So he was right, then?"

"Who?"

"Roger, when he said you liked pain. Do you like pain?"

"No, are you crazy? What kind of person actually likes pain? I'm just used to it, is all. I'll get used to a normal life."

"Okay," Lucas said as he parked the car in front of Angela's apartment building and got out of the car, walking around to her side and picking her up in his arms once more.

"You know, I can walk," Angela stubbornly remarked as he carried her up the stairs. "By the way, how do you know where I live?"

"Not in this dress, you can't. I had to make sure you were safe."

Angela sighed. "Of course you did." She took her keys out of her purse and gave it to Lucas as they arrived at her door. He put her down as soon as the door was closed behind them. "Make yourself at home, I guess," Angela said as she stumbled to her room and took off her dress before putting on a thick, long gray robe. When she returned, Lucas was sitting on the sofa, looking around the apartment as though he was committing everything he saw to memory. She shivered at the thought.

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