Greenridge Academy

Chapter twenty

Lachlan's POV:

  I can't believe I had sex with her. I can't believe I had sex with her and let her touch me. That's never happened before, I let no one touch me without initiating it first. I loved it, feeling her fingers glide through my hair slightly scratching my scalp, causing my spine to straighten and collapse all at the same time. Did I just fuck everything up? She's definitely not the type of girl to do casual... but I don't know if I can be that with her anyway. She fell asleep hours ago, and I've laid here staring at her ever since. She's more approachable when she sleeps, every line on her face easing into nothing. She's completely and utterly comfortable and I don't know how to feel about it. I've taken this time to study her body. The dotting of freckles across her nose, the slight raise of her lips as she smiles from her dreams, the way her eyelashes shift across her rosy cheeks, the way even if I move a centimeter away from her... her body reaches for me in sleep. I take a deep breath, the same deep breaths I've been taking all night wondering what the hell I'm going to do — what I'm going to say when she wakes up. I've never felt so close to someone before, even before we had sex. Yeah, she might have been a brat most of the time and always picked stupid fights for no reason... but no one has ever known me like she is getting to. I've never allowed someone to get this close to me.
  It took me over forty five minutes, but I finally weaseled my way from under her without waking her up. She curled into herself in my absence, before I could do something stupid like jump back into bed with her I turn and walk out of the room. Trying not to think too closely about what I've done, I walk down the eerily quiet stairs and into the kitchen. I'm not alone. My father sits at the bar drinking a glass of amber brown liquid, before I even walk past him I know this won't end well. He has a disgusting grin wiped across his face that shows anything but amusement. I walk past him to grab a bottle of water, the second my fingers curl around the cold plastic he speaks. "That didn't sound like Scar in there." His eyebrows are raised in question. I take a ragged breath before closing the fridge and trying to walk away without acknowledging him. He jumps up from his seat and stands directly in front of me. He's about the same height I am, but stalkier, stronger. A crease forms in his forehead and his breaths begin coming in quicker. "Don't tell me you have a new little slut to play with." There was no way he heard us, we weren't quiet by any means — but his room is on the complete opposite side of the house. He had to have been right outside the door to hear us. My blood boils at the thought of him being so close to her. "Don't talk about her like that." The words are said through my gritted teeth. Before the last word leaves my lips a punch is landed to my ribs. I doubled over without wanting to, the wind knocked right from my lungs. The second my face was low enough a knee came just as fast, crashing into my nose causing blood to gush. I don't hear what he's saying — all I hear is a small gasp. My eyes fling up to where she's standing at the end of the spiral stairs. Fear, shock, anger all cross her face within seconds. I can tell she's about to say something, but my father beats her to it. "Clean up this mess." The words are harsh and firm, no room for anything else to be said before he's walking away and she's running to me.
  She reaches her hands out to me, and without giving my body the command... I flinch. SHe instantly stops, a knowing look crossing her face. "I'm not going to hurt you." Her words are quiet and gentle. Her hands come to me again, slower as if showing me that I don't have anything to be afraid of. I curse under my breath at her seeing me so... weak. No one knows about this, no one has witnessed or that I've ever told. Not even staff members have uttered a word about it in the entirety that it's been happening. It's almost fitting in a sick way, that she was the first one to see this. Will be the only one to see this. Finally the air has been returned to my lungs and I stand straight, gripping both her hands with one of mine. "I'm fine." The words come out colder than I mean for them to, and the look on her face has my air evacuating once again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean –" I don't know what to say... what to apologize for first. I dropped her hands immediately. "Hey are you —" I reach for her, but in turn she flinches back at me. Flinches. I feel myself stepping away from her before I've even come to a decision in my head. "Let me clean you up." Her words are soft, almost a caress against my skin. Instead of doing something else that can scare her I nod my head and head for the stairs without looking back. I walk straight into my bathroom, sitting on the lowered toilet seat staring down at my hands covered in my own blood for seconds, minutes, hours... before she comes in. "Where were you?" I whispered, trying not to see her flinch at me again. She doesn't look at me as she responds, focused on prepping supplies. "I cleaned up the mess." Her words are stiff, and she doesn't let any emotion show on her face or in body language. She's shut me out.
  Hours ago, we were the closest I've ever been to someone. Right in this room — If I hadn't spooked myself and needed a second to breathe none of this would have happened. Well, at least not in front of her. She was down there scrubbing my blood from the floor, while I sat up her wallowing. How worse could this night — probably close to morning now... possibly get? Her hands are hurried, collecting gaze, and disinfectant wipes, bringing them closer to me. She grabs the rag she warmed with water and slowly brings it to me obviously not trying to startle me again. I let her. Without so much as a sharp breath, I let her wipe away the evidence of what my father did to me. What she saw my father do to me. This is a fucking mess. "I'm sorry." I scoff at her. "I don't want your pity." Lines form between her eyebrows, before they ease and she speaks again. "I am sorry that he does this to you. But what I was apologizing for — is for judging you. All those months ago, I said cruel hurtful things to you... and I'm sorry. You're not who I thought you'd be." Her voice is barely above a whisper as she finishes. I don't know what to say... what to do. No one has ever given me a real apology. Nobody has ever been genuine about thoughts they had toward me, or anything of the sort. "You're not who I thought you would be either" I say with a slight smirk. She is now standing above me with both legs standing on either side of me. I pull her down gently, until we're face to face. A hint of a smile hides on her soft lips, and I lean forward until our lips collide once again. Instead of her stealing the breath from  my lungs, it feels as if she's giving me a breath of fresh air for the first time. Kissing her is like coming home after months of travel, kissing her is like waking up on christmas morning as a child, kissing her is everything I've ever wanted to feel.

Olivia's POV:
  I had sex with Lachlan, consensual mind blowing sex. Then a few hours later... I witnessed his father beating him. My entire body that was so loose feeling hours ago, is so tense I can feel the strain of every muscle in my body each time I move. I was already worried about how it was going to be when we woke up. How we were supposed to react. Did this change anything between us? Change nothing? Lachlan doesn't do girlfriends... I knew that. Yet, I still gave him the one thing I had left. My will, my choice. Something he knew I didn't take lightly. That whole scenario was ripped from my grasp when I woke up and he wasn't here. I thought I had my answer, we were nothing — just like before. But then... I heard a voice — a mad man's voice. I chose to follow it, knowing that I could be walking into something I shouldn't have been. I did it anyway... I'm glad I did. The look on Mr. Richard's face when he saw me caused every bone in my body to shiver. He is a man of power, and he knows that... which gives him even more. I know the only reason he stopped when he did is because he saw me. I also know that this isn't the first time it's happened. Lachlan would have had a completely different reaction — response if it was the first time. Everything clicked in my head then. Why he didn't let people touch him. That was his choice, something he could control. When there was something as big as this that he couldn't control... or thinks he can't control. Cleaning his blood from the floor I was trembling. Not only because I was afraid Mr. Richard would come back and do the same to me... but for Lachlan. How long had he lived like this? In fear? Alone? Hopeless? I understand now why we had always felt close to each other. We were both keeping these secrets, both keeping someone else's secret. Someone had hurt us, and we couldn't tell anyone. We were alone... lost... we were made to keep silent.
  Our secrets were out now, nowhere we could hide. A smiled a little at the thought, sliding my nails over his scalp slowly... gently. After I cleaned him up, he kissed me. The passion put into it I knew what he was trying to say. I'm sorry, you shouldn't have seen that. Don't leave me, please don't leave me. His thoughts were so fierce they echoed into my own. I could hear them as if he was saying them from his lips, but no words were needed. I pulled him back into bed, where we still sit in the same position. His head is laying in my lap, my fingers slowly playing with his soft strands of hair. I think he fell asleep, but I don't want to move and disrupt him. I don't think he slept at all tonight.
 

***
  Lachlan has been asleep for a few hours, I left him in his room and snuck into Libbi's. I told her everything, not leaving out a single detail. Well, I left out a few... like descriptions of sex with her brother... and what I saw their dad do to Lachlan. That isn't my secret to tell, and even though he didn't ask me not to tell anyone... I know he wouldn't want me to. "I'm sorry I didn't tell him Liv." She blew out an overexaggerated breath and leaned her head back on her headboard. "I tried to, I swear I did. But the moment I tried  — the words wouldn't come out. They were there... just stuck in my throat. I couldn't ruin who he thought Miles was. They've been friends forever Liv, and technically he didn't." Her words end abruptly. I know what she was going to say. Because I've been giving James the exact excuse in my head. Lachlan was right, I just didn't want to ruin the picture of him in my head. I keep giving them excuses. I blew out a breath, but only nodded in response. "I get it Libbi, I mean really. I get it more than you know. But that doesn't make what he did right. He could do it to someone else... could have already done it with someone else." I let my words wander off realizing what I just accused her of doing. I opened my mouth to apologize, but she shook her head aggressively. "No. Do not apologize to me Liv, you're right." I sit on her bed too stunned to speak. "I'll go to the cops, tell them everything. I can't tell Lachlan. You'll have to  — or if you can't do that... then he'll find out another way." I give her a knowing look. One that says she knows how hurt her brother — her twin will be if he hears it from anyone but her. "Just give me some time okay? I'll let you know when I'm going to the police. Might as well give his mother one last Christmas with her son, before she changes in her eyes forever."
  The nod of my head is the only response I can give her. I know... I know how Lachlan will react when he hears it. Especially if it's from anyone that isn't her. "I'm going to call an uber to take me home. Will you tell Lachlan I had to get home and babysit for a few hours before I go into work?" I stand looking down at myself. Libbi gave me a pair of leggings and a crewneck sweater to wear so I was more comfortable and I've never been more grateful for the comfort of them. "Whatever. Give me a second to pee and I'll take you, of course I'll tell him." I nod my head waiting patiently for her to get ready walking directly behind her through the entire house. Hoping that if we do come across her father he hopefully won't say anything if I'm with her. "Where are your parents?" I ask curiously hoping it didn't come off as suspicious. "Oh, they're hardly ever here. They're leaving after christmas for a warm getaway. Something they do every year." She rolls her eyes pushing it off like she doesn't care, but I see the twinge between her eyes... knowing that she really does.