Red

Chapter Eight

Sorry for the late update! Xx

'What the fuck happened?' Tanner exclaimed, while practically running through the door and over to me.

As soon as we were in arms distance of one another, he pulled me up and onto my feet holding me at arms distance from him. He inspected every inch of me. His hands gripped under my chin and moved my head around, held out my arms and inspected them then looked own at my torso and legs.

'He didn't hurt you did he?' he asked, anger evident in his eyes and voice.

'No.' I said quietly while looking down. As Tanner inspected me and made sure I was okay, Lenny and Jacob quietly left the room to resume work. Tanner sighed in relief and pulled me into his chest and embraced me in a tight, protective hug.

'Who the fuck even was he? How do you know him?' He demanded.

'His ah, his Michael, and I met him when I went to Apollo Bay.' I said quietly looking down at the ground.

'I want you staying away from him.' Tanner demanded. 'No seeing, speaking or even thinking of him. If you see him or he approaches you, you need to call me straight away. I don't need anyone giving my non-blood-related little sister a hard time, and I will be more than happy to kick his ass if he ever tries to hassle you again.' I chuckled at this.

'You don't need to kick anyone's ass, I'm perfectly fine, and capable of doing the ass kicking myself.' I reassured him and gave him a small smile.

'Perfectly fine my ass.' He scoffed. 'Your hands are shaking and you're not yelling. You're seriously quiet and it's kind of freaky.' He observed.

I took a small step away from him and sighed. 'Well, I'm off to work again before the asshole interrupted me.' I said. 'Oh, and Michael incident too.' I smirked joking with him. He scoffed, clearly not in the mood for joking but that just made me smile even more.

'Maybe we should go home,' Tanner warily suggested.

'Honestly I'm fine, you guys are over reacting. Yes, I was a bit shaken up but I'm fine now.' I said with a smile. In all honesty, I wasn't fine.

What does he mean that if I don't stick to his rule, then he won't follow the rules I set for him? Does this mean that he actually will force me to be with him? I sure as hell hope not.

Tanner's scoffing bought me out of my thoughts. 'Bullshit. If a girl says she's fine, it secretly means you're not okay.' He said it as if it were obvious.

'No it doesn't. Fine means I'm okay,' I trailed off unsure of what he was talking about.

'No, it doesn't.' he said. 'Your fine. So you're not okay. This dickheads really stuffed you up.' He said starting to panic.

'What are you talking about?'

'You're not okay.'

'Yes I am.'

'You said your fine, I'm talking you home right now.'

'What?'

'I'm taking you home?'

'Why?'

'Because your fine.'

'Fine means good though!' I stated to him.

'No it doesn't.'

I groaned loudly. 'Fine is another word for good. I am good, I am great and I am ready to work.' I told him.

'I'm taking you home.'

'I don't understand girls.' I sighed.

'You're a girl.' Tanner stated like I was crazy.