Between The Lines

Chapter 94: Knight In Shining Armour

Third Person:

Rebecca pushed open the front door and stepped into the house, the sound of her parents arguing hitting her like a wall of noise. It was worse today—louder, more aggressive. Their voices overlapped, each trying to out-shout the other, and she winced as she heard something shatter in the kitchen.

Without wasting a second, she shut the door and made a beeline for the stairs, moving as quietly as possible. She didn't want them to notice her, didn't want to get caught in the crossfire of their rage. As she ascended the steps, she heard her mother's voice rise above the din, her tone laced with venom.

"Maybe if you paid more attention to Rebecca instead of your own damn problems, she wouldn't be so messed up!"

Rebecca's breath caught in her throat, and she hurried up the remaining steps, her heart pounding. She reached her room and gently closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment to catch her breath. The sounds of their argument were still audible, muffled but persistent, a constant reminder of the chaos she couldn't escape.

She sighed deeply, sliding down the door until she was sitting on the floor. The weight of the day pressed down on her, and she just wanted to disappear, even for a little while. School had been a welcome distraction, but now that she was home, everything came crashing back. She could still hear their voices, the anger, the accusations, and she wanted nothing more than to block it all out.

With a frustrated groan, she pushed herself up and threw her school bag onto the floor. She started undressing, kicking off her shoes with more force than necessary and pulling off her tie, letting it fall to the ground. She yanked off her socks, nearly stumbling over in the process, and then reached up to unbutton her shirt, her fingers trembling slightly as she undid each button.

As she shrugged off her shirt, she felt the sting of tears welling up in her eyes. One slipped down her cheek before she could stop it, and she angrily wiped it away, cursing herself for being so weak. She was about to reach for the waistband of her skirt when she heard a noise—a soft thud, followed by the creak of a floorboard.

Rebecca spun around, her heart leaping into her throat. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound died in her throat when she saw who it was. Standing by the window, looking slightly disheveled and out of place in her chaotic room, was Lane.

"Lane?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What—what are you doing here?"

He had climbed in through the window, the one she usually left unlocked in case she needed an escape. His face was a mix of concern and determination, and for a moment, she forgot about the argument raging downstairs, forgot about everything except the fact that he was here, in her room.

Rebecca's hands flew up to cover her chest, suddenly aware that she was standing there in nothing but her skirt and bra. She scrambled to grab something to cover herself, grabbing her discarded shirt and clutching it to her chest, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Lane said quickly, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just... I heard what was going on, and I couldn't just—" He cut himself off, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for the right words. "I couldn't just leave you alone."

She swallowed hard, trying to process the fact that he was here, that he had actually climbed through her window like some kind of modern-day knight in shining armor. The absurdity of it all would have made her laugh if she wasn't so overwhelmed.

"I—It's fine," she stammered, still clutching the shirt to her chest. "Just... you shouldn't be here. What if they find out?"

"They won't," he said firmly, stepping closer. "I won't let them."