The File

The File ~ Chap. 20

Cole

She sat back up on the bed and looked at me, worried. "What?"

"What happened to your back?"

Her shirt had risen up as she leaned off the bed to grab whatever from her bag, and I saw a huge black and blue bruise. What scared me was that it continued under the shirt from what I hadn't seen.

"My back? Oh, is there a bruise?"

"Yes. And a huge one from what I noticed. What happened?"

"When I was fighting with the guys, one of them flipped me onto my back after I had tried to kick him."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. And now that you say something, I can feel it on my back." She shifted uncomfortably. "Can you see how bad it is?" She turned so her legs were hanging off the bed and her back was to me.

"Excuse me?"

"Lift up my shirt and see how bad the bruise is."

Gulping, I sat up and rolled onto my knees behind her. I grabbed the hem of her shirt and rolled it up her back. My eyes widened in horror as I saw how much it was spread across her back. The bruise itself wasn't too dark like they usually are, but it really was huge.

"Jesus, Tate. What did that guy do to you?"

She shivered for some strange reason.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just...a little chill. Is it that bad?"

I traced the bruise around her back with the tip of my index finger, traveling over her bra too, just so she would know.

"It's that big?" she said, her voice raising an octave.

"Yes, I'm not making it up."

"Oh god."

"It's not too dark though, if it makes it any better." Not in my book.

"A little, I guess."

I rolled her shirt back down and placed my hands flat on her back. "Does that hurt?"

"Not really-no."

"What about this?" I pressed harder.

She jumped off the bed and whimpered. She looked at me like...well, like a wounded dog.

I just looked back at her with pity. Then I clenched my fists angrily. "I'm gonna kill those guys."

"What?"

"This is just insane! They're chasing a teenager. It doesn't make sense. I mean, I know why they're chasing you, but the fact that they would go after someone so young. And now they've hurt you...god, it's just so uncivilized." I shook my head in disgust and continued to clench and unclench my hands.

"When was this ever civilized?"

"Never-exactly."

"What do you think would happen if they actually got me?"

I stared her dead in the eyes. "Why are you even asking that?"

"I'm just curious."

I thought about that question for a bit. "Well, they would obviously try to get you to give them whatever it is you have your head. And if that didn't work, they would probably-" I stopped.

"Kill me," she finished. "It's okay. You can say it."

"They would probably kill you," I confirmed.