용서 해줘
***
Jackson lies in the ground now, knocked out and bloody from my fists. Good riddance, that bastard.
I make my way to Colby who is still curled up on the bed, hugging her knees to her heaving chest. I kneel down beside her, reaching my hand out to comfort her but she hisses at me.
"Don't touch me," She says and my heart falls. I swallow.
"Cole, it's me," I tell her. "It's Mac. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."
Colby hides herself behind her knees. "How do I know that? You're all the same. You're all sick." She whispers.
My heart seems to stop beating. Does she really think I'm just like them? Is what I did not enough?
"I'm not like them, Colby," I try. "I'm not," I put my hand on her shoulder gently but she flinches. I bite my lip. "I'm going to take you to Caitlyn's house and we're going to get you cleaned up all right? Does that sound okay?" Colby's body shakes, but she nods her head. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Okay," I say gently. "Can I carry you?" She nods, removing her trembling arms from around her knees. My heart breaks at the sight of her face. Wet and red from crying and her eyes wide an petrified. I seethe. I ought to have killed him.
I carefully slip one arm under her legs, making sure her dress is over my arm so I don't touch her bare skin. I wrap the other arm around her back and pick her up with ease. Something about how easily I carry her makes me even more angry at Jackson for doing this to her. I bite down on my tongue to keep from saying anything and I feel Cole's arms wrap around my neck as she buries her face in my chest.
"I'm sorry," I whisper softly into her ear.
I unlock the door, stepping over Jackson's motionless body and coming out to face Bryson, Connor, and Logan. To my relief, they don't say anything when they see me walk out, their friend clearly unconscious and bloody on Bryson's floor. They part for me, letting me pass through them without saying a word. I want to spit at them, punch them until their heads crack open, watch them burn in the pit of Hell. But instead I glare at them evenly, descending the stairs with Colby in my arms as anger rampages through every nerve inside of me.
"Don't pass out on me okay?" I whisper once we have emerged from the sick, sick house. I start making my way towards my truck, mumbling in Colby's ear in desperate attempts to keep her awake. "We have to make it to Caitlyn's okay? Try to stay awake for me, we're almost to the car," At this point, I don't know if I'm reassuring Colby or myself, but I keep talking.
We've finally arrived at the truck and I unlock it, opening the passenger side door and laying her down on the seat. I lean it back a little bit, all the while talking to her, hoping we can please make it until we get to Caitlyn's. I pull down the seat belt, reaching over Cole's frail body to buckle it and careful not to lay a finger on her.
"Stay awake Cole okay?" I tell her as I try to hide the trembling of my hands. "Don't fall asleep, we'll be there soon."
I slam the door shut and cross to the driver's side, jumping in and jamming my keys into the ignition as fast as I can. I peel out of my parking spot, taking a sharp U-turn to head south for the freeway, my hand resting over Colby's as I drive.
