See No Evil (Anthony Lockwood)

chapter 8

Violet woke up the following morning with horrible pain in her body and she winced as she sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes until she noticed a weight on her legs. She looked up to see Lockwood lying on his back over the bottom half of her legs, sleeping soundly.

Violet felt a pang of guilt go through her. He had stayed here all night after her break down yesterday. She honestly only remembered bits and pieces of what had happened. The bath tub, grabbing onto Lockwood, him pulling her out and holding her and then taking her upstairs. She faintly remembers what they talked about. Her yelling at him and him reassuring her. It was just a whole mess.

Violet leaned forward to see red scratches on Lockwood's forearm and she tentatively reached out to touch his arm. She flinched back when Lockwood let out a deep breath and moved his arm up to rest over his forehead.

Lockwood slowly opened up his eyes and saw Violet sitting up, "Hey."

Violet gave him an awkward smile, "Hey...um...sorry for last night. I'll try not to let it happen again."

Lockwood sat up quickly and turned to her, "Don't apologize. Definitely not for something like that. And, if you ever want to, I don't know, talk about it or anything. Anything at all. I'm here."

Violet pulled her legs up to her chest, "Maybe some other time. I just...i'm not ready yet. I'm..."

"Afraid?" Lockwood offered in a soft tone.

Violet bit the inside of her cheek, "Does that make me weak?"

Lockwood reached forward to put a hand on her cheek, leaning forward until their foreheads were almost touching, "No. You're the strongest person I've ever known, Violet. Nothing will ever change that."

Violet stared into his eyes, searching them for any lies. But all she could see was care. Care and something stronger. Something she was afraid to decipher. If she moved any closer, their lips would be touching. And God did she want them to.

Lockwood's eyes flickered down from her lips back to her eyes before he moved closer.

"Oh shit," Lucy cursed from the doorway, having accidentally walked in on a crucial moment that she had been waiting for almost ever since she met them.

Violet and Lockwood pulled far away from each other, both of them staring at Lucy with wide eyes.

"Um...it's not what it looks like?" Violet said, though it came out more like a question.

Lucy slowly nodded, "I'm sure it's not."

Lockwood looked almost annoyed, "What is it, Lucy?"

"George has set up some things in the kitchen with the ring. Thought you guys would want to join us before he got started. Unless...you want to stay here? That's fine too," Lucy put her hands up.

Violet slid out of bed, running a hand through her hair, "We're coming."

"Are you sure?" Lucy pushed, a grin twitching at her lips.

Violet glared at her, "Don't make me throw a pillow at you, Lucy Carlyle."

"Please, you wou-oof!" Lucy stumbled back a step when a pillow hit her in the face.

Violet got up and walked over, grabbing the pillow and tossing it back on the bed before she moved past Lucy to walk down the stairs. Her legs protested with each movement and she could see the bruises splotched over them along with on her arms. She was sure her back wasn't much better. And her wrist felt horrendous.

Lucy had her mouth open in shock, "She just threw a pillow at me."

Lockwood let out a laugh, "About time she got you too. Come on, Lucy, let's see what we've got."