Breathless

It's Lust, My Dear

I looked over to the door as Brian walked in, looking nothing short of dismal. I was groggy and sore, and my mind was whirling as I sat upright to get a better look at him. He looked even scragglier than before and it looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, which I figured he hasn't. There was the remnants of a bruise covering his nose and under his eyes, and a healing cut that zig-zagged across his nose. I frowned at the memory of blood that coated his face, blinking away the image.

"Didn't you ever learn to knock?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and weakly grinning. I could see the shock in his wide eyes, disbelief making his face go pale.

"Y-you're....you're okay?" He asked, appearing next to me faster than I thought he could ever move.

I laughed again, "About okay as I can be right now," I told him, gesturing to most of the right side of my face, which was now cleaned and stitched up. "The doctor says I can go home soon," I added gleefully, watching tears form around the edges of his eyes, slipping down his cheeks and onto the sheet below.

"What are you crying for, I was only sleeping," I teased, happy to finally be able to tease him again. He gave a weak laugh, holding onto my hand tightly, as if I was going to slip away again.

"You were out for almost a month," He said, his voice wavering as more tears found their way onto his cheeks.

"Well," I breathed, looking down at our hands, "I'm awake now."

**

Another week went by before I was finally able to go home, and with the help of Brian, I arrived safely just past noon. I looked up at my house for a moment, feeling awkward and clueless. I knew it was my house, but I barely recognized it as my own. It seemed like it was that of a stranger, with their own family and story. I pushed aside these thoughts and allowed Brian to lead me inside, demanding I sit on the couch and relax.

I heard a loud thudding noise, like an elephant running around the upstairs of my house. "Addie, Addie, is that you?" I heard Alex call, and soon saw her bolting downstairs and halting before me. Her hands were raised in the air in glee, her eyes wide and a grin spreading across her face. I forced myself up and threw my arms around her, a cast that encased my right forearm bumping against her back.

"Hey there, doll face," I greeted, wiggling out of the embrace to take a seat back on the couch. She sat down next to me and looked me up and down, relief relaxing the muscles in her body.

She wriggled in excitement, reaching for my left hand to grab. "I'm so glad you're okay, it was so quiet here without you," She rambled, carrying on about school and rumors, just like she did before the accident, and just like before it, I sat and listened with an interest only I could muster.

We sat and talked like this for hours, Brian sitting on the edge of the couch, his arms draped loosely around me from behind. I heard a knock on the door, and not even a minute later, Joe, Sal, and Murr made their way in, shutting the door behind them.

"Yeah, come in," I said smartly, narrowing my eyes and sticking my tongue out at them. I was about to say something when I was tackled by the guys, and though gently, it sent a wave of pain through my body. I groaned, chuckling as I wrapped my arms around them as best I could.

"We're so glad you're okay," Murr told me, pulling away to look at me, the other two quickly doing the same. I felt a little self-conscious, turning to hide the right half of my face, which was still covered with stitched up cuts.

"Thanks," I told them, looking around at all three of them. Their eyes were bright and filled with compassion, compassion for me. I felt loved and cared for, something I had never felt before. I looked at Sal, who had his arms crossed over his chest. He hadn't said anything yet, and in fact, I don't even think he was looking at me. His eyes seemed to rest on Brian, narrowed and dark, something flickering just beneath the surface, like a silent predator waiting to strike. Joe must have noticed it, too, because he nudged Sal with his elbow, narrowing his eyes as if speaking on some subvocal level, a hushed warning. Murr continued to chatter on, apparently not even noticing the silent drama that was occurring next to him.

"So, how are you holding up?" Sal asked, finally speaking up.

I stumbled, flustered at his sudden, very intent, attention. His eyes were trained on me, never leaving mine. "I'm okay, but I'm still in a lot of pain," I managed, biting at my lip, my telltale sign of anxiety. Alex picked up on this, and rested a hand on my shoulder. I turned and tensed my jaw, flicking my eyes over to Sal so quickly that if Alex and I hadn't been communicating like this for years, she wouldn't have picked it up. She nodded, turning to the guys and standing up.

"Sorry guys, party's over. Like the lady said, she's still in a lot of pain now. She needs her rest," Alex announced, starting to hustle the guys out the door. Brian stepped around her and slipped over to me, kneeling down and kissing my mostly undamaged left cheek.

"I'll check up on you tomorrow, okay babe?" He assured me, watching me closely as I nodded. He kissed me once more and stood up, turning and walking through the front door, waving once more as he left.

Alex came back to the couch and sat down, turning to face me with a confused look. "What was that about?" She asked, crossing her legs, preparing for drama.

"I don't know," I admitted, shuddering as I remembered how Sal had looked at me. There was such hunger in his eyes, and even though he was no longer here, he still terrified me.

"What if he wants you? Y'know, like wants, wants you?" Alex asked, her eyes growing bright at the thought of an all famous love triangle. I waved her off, knowing the thought was ridiculous, yet quite possible.

"He was probably just trying to scare me," I bluffed, knowing full well that that was not a joke.

The lust, the desire, it was real, and I was afraid Sal would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. To get me.