This Rose Bleeds

Chapter ~Twenty-Six~

.:~* NATHAN *~:.

I stared back helplessly.

All of a sudden he whipped on Mr. Steven in shock. "What the hell is Nathan doing here?"

"He's just a client. Go back Mattson–"

"What are you doing to Nathan?" He yelled.

Mr. Steven glared stonily at him and walked back to me. I winced as he grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Its h ard to believe this wimp is the kid you like. Take my word, he's no fun." Mattson stared at me in confusion and shock. I had just as much idea as he did as to what was going on. But one thing was clear: Mr. Steven trailing his hand absently on my trembling skin.

"stop.." I whispered. His grip tightened as if to tell me to shut up.

Mattson stormed over and shoved him back. He scooped me up as if I weighed nothing. I stared at him and he still looked really confused.

He shook his head. "I'm taking him home."

Mr. Stevens smiled but I could see he was annoyed. "Whatever, do what you like. I wasn't going to hurt him."

Liar.

That was the biggest lie I've ever heard.

Mattson spun on his heels and stalked out of the room with me still in his arms.

"I can walk–"

He didn't respond nor let me down.

He avoided the rooms with people and we went out the back door. He rounded the house and opened the door to an expensive looking car and set me in it. He got in himself and started it up.

"I'm supposed to be working..." I whispered.

He didn't say anything and pulled out of the driveway. Finally I sighed and muttered, "I'm confused."

"So am I." He said in a strained voice. "What were you doing with my uncle?"

I stared at his reflection in the dashboard. "U-uncle?" I whispered. "M-Mr. Steven is your uncle?"

"Yeah." He glared at the road. "What's that to you? How are you connected? What was he doing? He called you his client, what did you do?"

I clenched my teeth and spoke, "I didn't do anything. I never did anything." I shut my eyes and dropped my head in my hands. "I didn't do anything...so why?" I shook my head.

"You're not making any sense..."

I hit my head against the window, making Mattson take a quick glance from the road to me and back. "Why was he there..." I whispered to myself.

"Because it was my birthday...? And it's kind of his house."

I shook my head. The headache called life was pounding against my brain. "Mr. Steven...is your uncle. You're...Mr. Stevens nephew...but..."

"He was touching you."

The silence split my eardrums. Hearing that made my face lose color and made me want to throw up as I thought about what he had seen.

I looked out the window. "I'm sorry." My voice cracked, "I'm a...I'm paying back my fathers debt. I can't...I don't want to say it. I don't want to say anything more." I put a hand over my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut.

Stop being pathetic. You owe Mattson thanks for saving you.

"Does Ryder know."

It was supposed to be a question but the way he said it made my skin crawl, and made a painful memory from a day ago come back.

"He knew about the past. He doesn't know about now."

"What– Nate, this seems serious. My uncle," He sneered, "attacked you. This is Ryder's job, shouldn't he be killing him right now? HOLY SHIT. How long has my uncle–"

"Mattson! Shut up!" I clamped my hands over my ears. "I'm doing my best, I swear I'm doing my best. I will pay him back and he wont own me anymore. Ryder...he was going to do something to Ryder, so I lied and got him away from me but ...but..."

I breathed deeply, Mattson murmured, "It's okay, you don't have to tell me–" But I cut him off and forced myself to realize what's happened till now.

"I don't know how he found out about Ryder. I finally made friends. I finally, for a day, had fun." I smiled in horrible sadness. "It hurts. He hates me. I'm scared. He could have helped me. But...but Mr. Steven never goes away! He always, always, always gets what he wants from me. How did he find out about Ryder..." I drifted off, whispering to myself.

There was silence.

"I told him."

I turned my eyes up at the boy next to me. His knuckles paled as he gripped the wheel and he stared in realization out the window.

"I didn't know he knew you. But...I talked to him about you. About how annoying it was that you only looked at Ryder. And how you guys were obviously together. I didn't know...Nathan I'm so sorry. I didn't know anything. I knew Uncle Steve did pretty suspicious things with a lot of people and money. But I didn't know, I swear, I never meant for him to go after you–"

"He would have anyway." I stared out the window again.

So that's how.

"Nathan I'm sorr–"

"It's okay." I said. "You didn't know. It's okay."

"I'll make it up to you. I'll make him leave you alone and you can get Ryder back–"

"No, please don't. He wont stop. You can't do anything." I pointed down a street where my lonely house was.

"Yes I can, or...I can talk to Ryder? Maybe–"

"Don't tell anyone. The police can't get anything on him. Ryder wont believe you. I'll pay him back this month, and he wont be able to do anything." But I rubbed my wrist, wondering if that was true.

He pulled to a stop in front of my house.

"Thank you." I said. "If he...did something tonight I...When he's drunk...he doesn't think."

"I know." He said back.

I opened the car door. I felt so unfinished leaving the car, like I left with half a story– which I kind of did. "Don't tell anyone." I said again and he sighed.

"Is there anything I can do? At all? I messed a bunch of things up; there must be something. I want to help you."

I looked back at my house and shook my head and smiled. "I'm fine."

He shook his head. It didn't matter if he believed me. I entered the house and shut the door and watched his car disappear down the street through the window.

With my back against the wall I slipped to a sitting position on the floor, with my hand over my mouth. Oh god...

It almost happened again.