Like I'm Gonna Fall In Love With You . . .

Chapter 44

It was now morning, and the last thing I could remember was being in Nate’s warm, strong protective arms. I didn’t want to remember anything before that, but sadly I did, it was all perfectly crystal clear.

I saw blackness all around me and suddenly started to panic. Oh wait, my eyes are closed, I guess that would make sense. I slowly opened my eyes, my eyelids felt heavy, like I was lifting a thousand pound weight with my eyeballs. Yah, pain.

Everything was blurry at first, but then, it all came into focus. I was…at home?

No. I didn’t have this furniture in my house. Wait, I recognize it. Nate?

Ohmygod, Nate! Is he okay?

I began frantically looking around for him. I sat up and that’s when I felt it. The weight and warmth on my hand and body. I looked down and sighed in relief.

Nate was holding my hand and his other arm was around my waist, while his head was on my lap. He was sleeping.

I smiled and then became aware of the small cuts his cheek and eyebrow and lip, and then red and purple spots on my wrists. My smile faded into a frown. I felt a single tear leak out and a sudden stinging. I hissed quietly, not wanting to wake Nate up, as my hand flew to my cheek (not the one holding Nate’s hand of course, that one was staying there as long as possible).

I felt a small cut on my cheekbone, not too deep I suppose. Then my hand flew to my eyebrow where my previous cut was. I could immediately tell that the cut was deeper, and longer. Stupid Kale, stupid Tim, stupid Noah, stupid Kelly, and most of all, stupid me.

If I hadn’t been so self pity-ish, none of this would have happened! God, I can be so dumb sometimes! It’s all my fault that Nate was hurt, and that I was almost raped, and that Nate was almost killed.

I pushed the thoughts from my head and was determined not to sulk about it. I knew that forgetting about this was going to take work, and time but, at least…at least he didn’t get all the way, and at least, he didn’t kill Nate.

I found myself stroking his soft face, and running my fingers through his hair softly, just enough not to wake him.

“Sam?”

I jumped slightly at the voice, and looked to my right. Standing there was Gerard, Nate’s father, holding a cup of water. I smiled slightly, and then looked down at my hand which Nate was holding and then the one that was in his hair.

I removed my hand from his hair and took the cup gratefully. I sighed contently as the cool water ran down my scratchy throat. “Thank you very much,” I thanked after I downed the glass.

He took it back and then stared at me worriedly. “How are you feeling?” he asked quietly. I smiled and then looked back down at Nate who was still sleeping. I didn’t want to wake him up.

“I'm doing fine…..well better than before, now that I had water,” I said back quietly trying to lighten the mood. “Um, what-what happened?” I raised my eyes back up to look at Gerard and his expression was grave.

“Well, I got the call when I was just about to go to bed. It was the police, and they were calling to let me know that they were bringing you and Nathaniel here for questioning. I asked them why here, and they said that Nathaniel demanded that they go to his house.

“So, when they got here, I saw that you were unconscious in Nathaniel’s arms and he brought you over to the couch. He explained to me, as well as the officers what had happened with you and that scumbag Kale. They told us that Kale was being charged with abuse, rape, attempted murder, and having a concealed weapon. He is doing 15 to 20 years since he’s not a minor.”