HERO

CHAPTER FIVE: What Happened?

        I wake up in a hospital bed with a bandage on my head and an IV in my arm. I roll over to see my mom with her makeup smeared down her face and tear stains on her shirt.

        "Mom?" I say in a raspy voice. Her head snaps up and tears fall down her face.

        "Oh my God, baby girl!" she wraps me in a hug and I yipe in pain. "Oh, sorry honey. What happened?! I remember you going to Austin's and then you never came back..." She wipes her nose with a Kleenex and looks me in the eyes for an answer.

        "I...uh...don't remember. I think i got jumped." I say, completely lying to my moms face. I hear a small rustle of blankets and Austin's head pops up.

        "Oh thank God!" he exclaims as he grabs my hand. "I thought it lost you Kenzie..." He squeezes my hand.

        "I'm alright guys. How long was I out for?" I ask, thinking it was only for the night.

        "Two days..." croaks Austin. I look down at what he's wearing. A sweatshirt with nothing on underneath and the same khaki pants he had on at dinner. Except, there were red specks all over them now.

        Is that my blood? Has he been here the whole time?

        "Mom, could you give me a minute with Austin? Please?" I ask, begging her. She slowly gets up and walks out and sits with Austin's mom.

        "Austin, have you even gone home?" I ask, hoping he'll say yes.

        "No...I've been here with you..." He says, sitting next to me on the bed.

        "Thank you...I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you..." I say, beginning to cry.

        "Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry. You're safe now, and that's all that matters to me," he says, wiping tears from my eyes. "But, Kenzie, what happened?" he asks, lying down next to me.

        Should I tell him about Andrew? Would he be in danger? So many questions without answers!

        "I got mugged," I lie, turning away. He grabs my chin and turns my head back.

        "Don't lie to me. What happened?" he asks in a calm, but stern voice.

        "I...I was taken..."

        "By who?" he questions.

        "His name is Andrew...my last boyfriend." Just saying his nam gives me the chills.

        "Last name," he says, demanding information out of me.

        "J-Jacobson," I stutter. I lower my head and tears start to well up in my eyes.

        "Kenzie, you're gonna be safe from now on, alright?" he says with his forehead now pressed against mine.

        "Okay," I say softly, agreeing. He wipes the tears from my eyes once more before pulling me close. I roll to my side and nestle my head into the crook of his neck. He plays with my hair and hums softly into my ear until I drift off in his arms.

        My mother peaks her head in. "Austin, thank you," she says, as she walks over and hugs him. "Is she sleeping again?" my mom whispers to Austin.

        "Yeah, she's out cold."

        "Do you want anything to eat? Also, your mom brought you a change of clothes," she says as she covers up Austin.

        "Thanks Mrs. Quick, but do you mind if I lay here a little bit longer?" he asks.

        "Please, call me Teresa, and of course honey." My mom leaves for a brief moment only to come back with Austin's clothes.

        "Your mom and I are gonna grab something from McDonalds. Do you want anything?"

        "Just a cheeseburger." Austin's eyes become increasingly heavy. He changes into the sweatpants his mom left him and crawls back into bed to fall asleep next to me for another night.

        "You get to go home tomorrow. Sleep well and sweet dreams," he whispers into my ear before pulling the covers up and draping his arm across my body. His body relaxes and he drifts off.