Lies That Bind (on hold temporarily)

Chapter Ten

S A R A

"You deaf or something? What the fuck is your problem, dickhead?" The stranger repeats.

"You!" James shouts, shoving the stranger's chest.

The man scoffs, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Oh, I get it. She's your slut, huh?"

James's face fills with pure rage as he charges at the man, tackling him to the ground.

"James!" I shout, worried that he'll get hurt trying to play the hero.

He grips the collar of his shirt, lifting his head off the ground. "Say another word about her and you're dead."

"I hope you think of me the next time you're fucking her whore pussy."

James drops him back to the floor, landing punches left and right on his face. The man's head rolling on the floor with each hit, blood dripping from his nose and mouth, the gash on his lip starting to swell.

James stands up, satisfied with the work he's done on the man's face and spits down at him, "Fucking scumbag."

I stand there in shock, clinging to the torn fabric of my dress, trying my best to hold it up, but failing as my hands clap over my mouth at the sight of James.

His white button down shirt is covered in specks of blood and his knuckles are bloodied.

"Sara!" he shouts, rushing over and pulling me into his chest. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner. Are you okay?"

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out, just a sob as I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer.

"It's okay, you're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you," he says as his hands rub circles on my back to soothe me.

"T-thank you," I choke out through my tears.

He pulls back, cupping my cheeks, "We need to go get security and call the cops."

"Please just take me home," I beg.

"Sara, if we don't report this guy he might do this, or worse, to someone else."

I sniffle and meet his eyes before nodding softly, "Okay."

He presses his lips to my forehead, his lips lingering there for a second before taking my hand.

We walk up to the burly man stationed outside the bar and he looks us over quickly. Me in a torn dress with half my tit hanging out and my makeup undoubtedly running down my face, and James covered in blood, his usually perfect hair looking a bit disheveled.

"What the hell happened to you two?"

His hands. I can still feel his hands.

And his tongue...

Oh god.

My stomach turns at the thought and I pull away from James, quickly taking a few unsteady steps away before bending over and emptying the contents of my stomach onto the sidewalk.

"She was assaulted inside, the guy forced himself on her and tried to get her to go home with him. He's on the floor, his face covered in blood. You can't miss him," James tells the guard who then pulls the walkie from his belt and relays it to someone inside.

"Are you two okay to stick around until the cops get here to give them a statement?"

I turn back to James and the security guard, my eyes welling with tears as I wipe my chin with the back of my hand and clutch at my stomach with the other.