Never Again.

Chapter Nineteen

"Just leave, please," I mumbled from behind Kane, but I knew he couldn't hear me.

"Leave." That one word rumbled through Kane's chest as his whole body tensed. He sounded so strong and calm, with authority underlying the very word.

"Nah, see, I left last time, I think it's your turn. Want to leave? Walk back up to that bitch's little restaurant? Be my guest." I knew we would have to walk past Charlie in order to get there.

He did this to me once when I was trying to get to my room one day, he had thrown me and I had tried crawling toward my room, and he had stood in front of the door, asking me if that's where I was going. But I hadn't answered, just curled up in a ball as he kicked me.

Kane's voice brought me out of my memory, "No. We were heading the other way, you can leave now." Again, his voice gave me a calm feeling, it made me feel safe.

"It's your turn to leave!" Charlie's yell made me jump back, but Kane just steadied me and pushed me partially behind him again.

"No. We aren't going anywhere. You are however. Climb in your truck, and leave."

"No!" Charlie sounded like a little kid trying to fight a losing battle. His voice was weaker than Kane's and he yelled which made it even weaker. Kane's was calm but strong as he spoke. It made him fierce. 'I never want to be on the receiving end of that.'

"Go. Now."

"This isn't over!" He yelled, but he climbed into his truck and sped down the road.

I collapsed. Again. Everything went black.

I woke up in a booth, and grimaced when everything ached. I was throbbing all over and put my head down on the table.

"Are you okay Dani?" His voice had so much worry in it, as if he thought I was going to break. 'If only it was real!'

I hadn't realized Kat and Lily were here too. I looked up to see six eyes on me, Kane was across from me, staring right at me, Kat was beside him and Lily beside me. Her hand was resting on my back and as she rubbed slow circles, the bruise on my spine exploded with pain. I must have made a face because they all asked what was wrong, except Kane, he spoke, "Lily, she has a bruise down her spine."

"Oh! I'm so sorry Dani, I thought it was just your hip! I'm sorry!" She jerked back, moving further from me. "I'll grab you an ibuprofen for the swelling."

"Swelling?"

"Yeah, you fell and twisted your wrist," Kane said, his face was really sad, and I felt bad knowing I had caused it. I looked down. I had treated him like crap and he had still stood up to Charlie with the same anger as before. I knew that he wouldn't have let anything happen to me when he spoke with that commanding voice.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just under an hour," said Kat.

"What happened?"

Kat looked to Kane, and he told me. "After Charlie drove off, I turned to you but you fell. You just dropped to the ground. I had you on my lap for a couple minutes trying to calm you down as you started waking up mumbling and thrashing around. After you stopped, I carried you back to the diner, you were still asleep, so I told Lily what happened, she called the cops. They're going to pick him up and come over tomorrow. I told them to give us the night."

"You carried me all the way back?" I was shocked, we had walked over a mile.

"Yeah." He looked down, " I didn't know what else to do. Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm just shocked."

"You're pretty light, it wasn't hard."

"Good thing I don't eat." I meant it as a joked, but neither of them laughed.