Tormented

Chapter 13

I push Benedict out of my way as I rush down the stairs. By the time I made it to the front of the house there was a crowd of people all watching and muttering in hush tones as my mother called my name, screaming into the night as she stood there in her nightie and slippers.

'Mum?' I forced out, holding the tears back as I rushed to her.

It had been so long since she'd last been like this that I thought it was over. It didn't occur to me this would happen again.

'Charity!' She slurs as she sways towards me. 'You didn't come home. I got scared something had happened to you.'

I rush to her, closing the gap as I wrap my arms around her. She starts crying in my arms as I try to pull her away from the on lookers.

'No, don't drag me away. I had to come and find you. Why didn't you come home when I told you to?' She whimpers as she digs her heels in, stopping us from moving away.

'Please mum, let's go home. We can talk about this there.' I tell her as my eyes gloss over all the people watching.

All the people I'll have to see at school on Monday.

'No.' She shouts. 'This party was obviously more important than me. I want to know why I had to come and find you.'

'Mum, please.' I plead, feeling myself well up.

I was humiliated. I couldn't stop looking at all the faces as they watched me fight with my mum on the front lawn.

'I just don't want to lose you baby.' She cries.

'You won't mum. Let me take you home.'

This time when I lead her away she lets me. I have to throw her arm over my shoulder as I struggle to walk us both down the path. Her head lolls to the side as tiredness takes over her body.

'Mum. You have to help me. I can't carry you.' I tell her, but I can feel her weight dropping onto me with each passing second.

It's not until we're out of sight of the house when I heard someone running up behind us. I'd hoped it was Sarah coming to help, but when I heard the persons voice I knew it wasn't

'Let me help.' Benedict's voice comes from behind me, making me jump at the authoritative way he spoke.

'Please. Just go away.' I tell him as I struggle to support my mother's weight.

'Just...' he starts to say as he moves forward, pulling my mother into his arms.

He pulls her completely into his arms, picking her up form the ground as he looks at me, waiting for me to say something.

'Thank you.' I breathe out in almost a whisper, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

We walk in silence towards my house, neither one of us saying anything. I don't know what he must think of me and my family and I'd rather not know so I stay quiet. When we get back the front door is left wide open. My mother had been in such a state when she came to find me she hadn't even closed the door behind her.

'Show me which room is your mother's.' Benedict tells me, speaking for the first time since he came to my rescue.

I don't say anything as I climb the stairs leading the way. I push her bedroom door open and stand in the doorway watching as he places her in the bed, pulling the bed sheet over her. I walk into the hallway as he leaves the room closing the door behind himself when everything becomes too much and I break down, crying.

'It's okay.' He tells me.

But how can it be? After what she just did in front of everyone? What she just did to me?

'No it's not.' I cry.

'Come here.' He pulls me into his arms where he holds me.

'Why are you here?' I ask between sobs against his chest.

'You needed my help?'

I don't question it anymore. I was to tired to think about why he does anything that he does. He was confusing and I just wanted to stop thinking.

'I hate her.' I mumbled into his chest.

'No you don't.' He tells me.

I didn't hate her. Of course I didn't hate her. I just had so much anger built up inside me that it slipped out. 

Benedict pulls away from me, holding me at arms length as he looks me in the eye, but I can't have him see me like this. I don't want him to see me weak after what just happened so I look at the floor, missing his embrace.

'Look at me?' He asks as he tried to get my attention.

'No.' I tell him as my bottom lip wobbles, threatening more tears.

'Please Char, look at me.'

It was the first time I'd ever heard him say my name without using some sort of derogative connotation. My eyes flick up to meet his, finding his friendliness... disconcerting. His hand moves to cup my cheek as he uses his thumb to wipe a tear from my face. My breathing hitched at the contact, not sure what as happening. My eyes flick between his as I try to imagine what was going through his head, but all I could focus on was the way he was touching me. It felt intimate. Especially after he'd helped me with my mum. He was the last person I expected to help me, but here he was having just tucked my mum in bed, saving me from utter embarrassment. 

It was silent as we stood in the hallway, just looking at each other as if both of us were waiting for the other person to make the first move. When the tension got too much I leaned forward into his touch. I placed a hand on his chest as I closed the distance between us. My eyes flickered down to his lips and just as I brushed my lips against his he pushed me back against the wall behind me, trapping me between the cold surface and his body. For a second I thought he was going to pull away from me and leave, but then his lips crash down on mine, making forget everything else that had happened tonight. His hand moves from my face as they travel down my body, holding my waist, pulling me harder against his body. I could feel the tips of his fingers digging into my skin through the thin fabric of the dress I wore as he crush me into the wall. He was dominating as he took what he wanted and I let him, needing to feel him, to feel something other than the anger inside me.

'Bedroom.' I mumbled against his lips.

He pulled away long enough to look for the door before he crashed his lips back down to mine.
Without looking again he reached for the handle, pulling the door open as we moved into my bedroom, still pressed against each other.

I back towards the bed and as it tapped the back of my legs I lowered myself onto it, followed by Benedict who climbed on top of me, pushing my thighs apart with his knees.

'Do you have a condom?' I asked him.

Words I instantly regret speaking as he froze, looking down at me, pressed to the bed underneath him.

'I... I can't... I've got to go.' He says as he stands from the bed and walks out of the room, leaving me utterly confused and completely disappointed.