Break Away

Chapter 6

I woke up to a loud banging and yelling, Kennedy's yelling to be exact. I was out of bed in a second yanking on a pair of jeans over my underwear and opening my bedroom door. He was pounding his fists against Ken's locked door while she screamed for him to go away.

"Hey!"

My father turned to frown at me, "What!?"

"Leave her alone you bastard." I knew it would anger him enough that he'd follow me instead of trying to get into her room.

I booked it downstairs and ducked into the kitchen standing behind the table hoping he wouldn't follow me. My hope was in vain.

"You little bitch." I flinched at his slurred words.

"You're drunk, go to bed."

"I'm not drunk!" I fumbled along the counter his hand finding a small knife. Oh god.

"Stop. You're not thinking straight." I panicked stepping back.

He lunged for me then, the knife skidding across my arm as he slumped to the floor. I screamed more out of shock than pain as the crimson blood seeped down my arm. A few drops hit the kitchen floor before I ran for my room, finding an old shirt I wrapped it tightly around the cut. I grabbed a bra yanking it on and pulling my stained tank-top back up over it.

"Ken!" I yelled knocking on her door. "It's safe but don't unlock the door. Go back to sleep alright?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I lied.

I heard her bed squeak and then quickly took off down the steps and out the front door, I left my father slumped on the kitchen floor. Maybe he'll feel bad when he wakes up sober and sees the blood. My arm is stinging but it doesn't feel too bad, my shirt is stained red though.

I wandered around the dark streets for a while simply not wanting to go home and face what will be waiting for me there. I walked to the neighborhood bordering the port, the air feels fresher here, almost cleaner and easier to breathe. Or maybe I'm just lightheaded from all this craziness.

"Alex?"

I jumped at the sound of my name and spun around wide-eyed to see Noah staring at me form a doorway.

"What're you doing out here?" He asked.

"I- I don't know."

He frowned, "What's that on your arm?"

I looked down at the shirt wrapped around my hurt arm and shrugged. He moved closer and gently lifted his hand to look at the shirt.

"You're bleeding. Come on."

He wrapped an arm around my waist and led me along the street towards a grey double story house that looked old but somehow well taken care of.

"Na-uh, not going in there with you. You could be a murderer or something."

He chuckled while unlocking the door and leading me into a small hallway, "Come on, we can use the upstairs bathroom."

I let him help me up to the bathroom and made me sit on the edge on the edge of the claw footed bathtub. I watched Noah carefully unwind the soaked material on my arm, his eyes widened at the long cut. I must admit it looks worse than it really is, I'm sure it's not too deep but it's a little gory.

"Jeez." He muttered.

"It's not as bad as it looks, just bloody."

He frowned and guided my arm under tap letting cool water wash away most of the blood, it stung a bit when Noah dabbed the cut with a face cloth and it really hurt when he poured peroxide over it.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Quit it!" I snatched my arm away which actually hurt more because I hit it against the tap.

"Relax it's not that bad you big baby."

"Yes it is! It's torture."

"Believe me you don't know anything about torture."

What? "Huh?"

"Forget it, I'm gonna bandage you up."

When Noah was done wrapping a long white bandage around my lower arm I stood up to leave but all that did was make me dizzy. "Woah, light headed."

"You wanna come sit down?"

I nodded.

The room Noah led me into made me almost smile at its masculine aura, mismatched bedding and dark curtains drawn over the windows. He had an expensive looking computer sitting on his desk next to a thick notebook and a small pile of money. Noah quickly stuffed the money in a draw and smiled sheepishly.

"My, uh, wallet broke."

"Sure." I sat down on the bed and closed my eyes willing the dizziness away.

"Still dizzy?"

"Obviously."

"I'll be right back... uh, don't go anywhere."

I groaned in response.

Well since he's gone I might as well relax... hence the reason I'm curling up on his bed in the fetus position. My arm is burning now and I just want to sleep, eat chocolate or caramel.

"You okay?"

"My arm hurts." I mumbled not looking up.

"Here." He helped me up and handed me a glass of orange juice, "To help with your dizziness. I'll grab you a pain killer."

"Thank you."

The pain killers Noah gave me were some serious pills, yay me. They actually looked like the prescription stuff they give you in hospital after an operation boy did they work quickly though.

I don't remember anything other than curling up around Noah's pillow enjoying the blissful haze taking me over.