Broken Protector

Chapter 37: Don't have to go

"What the fuck happened?!" Ryder explodes as I came barging through the door and into his arms. "M-marcus- he-" I sobbed, unable to speak. I feel him inhale abruptly, a sigh of approaching anger.

"Tell me what happened, baby," he says softly, guiding me over to the couch and sitting me down. I stare up at him with watery eyes, "Marcus, he was at the gardens," I hiccupped. Ryder's golden eyes were storming and there was a bruise on his jaw.

"What did he do?" He whispers, cradling my face in his hands. I tilt my head up to reveal my neck. Ryder's eyes flashed as he sees my neck and he growls, "He choked you?" I nodded and loop my arms around his neck.

Footsteps near the living room and we both stiffen as Carlisle enters. He pauses when he sees me, "Keeva, I'm glad you've ca-" I glared at him, "Fuck off," I hissed, tears still dripping from my eyes.

Ryder stands, blocking my sight of Carlisle, "I'll go get a icepack, princess. Go upstairs or stay here, whatever you want," he growls, sending a deadly glare at Carlisle. Carlisle sighs, "Keeva, you must kno-"

"She said fuck off," Ryder spats harshly. I try to stand up but end up stumbling into Ryder who catches me. "Damnit!" He curses, "You can hardly walk!" Feeling his comforting embrace around me, I relax and drop my head onto his chest.

"Ryder," I mumble sleepily. Ryder sighs, lifting me into his arms, "Carlisle, bring me a icepack. I'll be upstairs," he says quietly. He didn't wait for Carlisle to respond as he carries me to his room. Ryder lays me down on the bed, hovering over me.

His hand suddenly presses against my stomach and I cried out in pain. Ryder froze, his golden eyes slowly trailing up my body to my face. I whimpered, my eyes shutting, as he gently lifts my shirt off my stomach.

"Calm down," he whispers before his fingers lightly brush over my bruised stomach, examining it. "Carlisle," he calls out when someone knocks softly at the door. Carlisle's head peeks in, "Yeah?"

Ryder looks over at him, "We need to take Keeva to the hospital. I think she has a cracked rib," he says. Carlisle nods, "Get her ready, I'll go get my car," he orders. After he leaves, Ryder helps me change into a new shirt just before I black out.

*****

I wake up to the beeping of a machine. My head was pounding and i could feel a tight pressure on my hand. Opening my eyes, i see Ryder slumped over in a plastic chair, holding on to my hand.

"Ryder," I mumbled, pulling my hand from his grasp to stroke his hair. He stirs, his head lifting. "Hm," he moans sleepily. Ryder blinks, his eyes clouded from sleep. "Keeva, princess?" He mumbles. "Is that you?"

I smile slightly, "Yeah, it's me." He sighs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "You worried the shit out of me!" He growls. I glance around the room. "Hospital?" Ryder nods. Golden eyes search my face as I yawned widely.

"Kee-" Ryder gets cut off by the hospital door opening. I let out a gasp at who came barging in. "Mom!" I exclaim happily. She engulfs me into a bug hug, "I was so worried!" She breathes. Ryder was stiff beside me which makes me pause, deflating a bit.

"Ryder?" I questioned softly. He gives me a tight lipped smile, "I'll be outside," he murmurs, "Give you a little alone time with your Mom." I watch as he stands up, completely ignoring my mom. "You don't have to go," I whisper.

Ryder leans down and kisses my forehead, lingering. "You need this," he whispers back before pulling away. When he turns to leave, I call out to him again, "Hey," he looks over his shoulder, "I love you."

Emotion flashes in his eyes and he strolls back over to my bed and captures my lips in a short, sweet kiss. "I love you too. Forevermore," he whispers huskily, laying something in my hand. Than he walks out without a backwards glance.

I clench my fingers over the chain Ryder gave me. Mom frowns, "What is that?" She asks. I held up his necklace in my hands. I didn't know why until last week but whenever he left me for a long period amount of time and in a upset state, he gave it to me. He said it was his way of telling me he'll always be back.

Ella gave him the necklace when he was about 13. It was a simple penchant with black gems making the shape of a R for Ryder and it hung from a golden brown chain. Same shade as his eyes. Ryder always wears this necklace and tucks it into his shirt so no one saw it.

'I love you. Forevermore.' was engraved on the back. Ryder told me that his mom always told him that.

"Keeva?" Mom's voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I shook my head. "It's Ryder's necklace. He gives it to me if he has to leave me in a vulnerable state-as he puts it-to assure me he'll be back," I explained, clasping it around my neck.

Noticing her frown, I stare at her. "What?" Mom sighs, "You guys seem to be moving a bit fast," she says slowly. I scowled, "Did Carlisle get to you?"

"That's not the point," Mom snaps sternly, "Do you know what this boy has done?" My hands ball into fists at her accusing tone. "And do you know what he's done for me? Or what he's gone through?!" I hissed, "We all have stories, isn't that what you always say?!"

"Well look at what you've become since you met that boy!" She rushes out, flaying a hand at me, making me flinch but she didn't notice. "You never raised your voice at me! Or at anyone! You've been skipping class as well!"

With her hands waving everywhere in the air, and her angry tone, I cringed back, fighting against the flashbacks. "R-ryder!" I screamed. I see Mom jump and scowl as Ryder comes rushing in.

"Shit, baby," he curses quietly, getting into my bed and tucking me on his arms. I shook in his arms, "Ryder," I whimper, "Make them stop." Ryder rocks me back and forth, "It's okay. He's not going to hurt you anymore. He's in jail. Gone. Forever," he says.

I start thrashing in his arms when I feel other hands pulling me away from him. "No! No! Ryder!" I screamed, my vision going hazy. "Let her go!" He bellows, trying to hold onto me without hurting me.

"Let her go, son," a doctor ordered. Ryder just cusses him out, fighting against the doctors trying to restrain him. "Leave Keeva alone!" He yells. "Ryder!" I cried out. I held tight to his hand before it gets ripped from my grasp. "Princess, it's gonna be okay," he whispers to me before everything goes black.