Keeping Time

Almost Told You That I Loved You

                                         x

Emerson sat on her bed holding her shoulder that had begun gushing blood again, trying to ignore the tears streaming down her face.

Emerson wiped her eyes frantically and covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she heard the stomping footsteps going down the stairs.

She hadn't told about her getting shot, she didnt want to give a target to aim for, but it didn't matter because now it was soaking her arm and sleeve of her burrowed oversized hoody.

Emerson gripped her shoulder tighter trying to stop the bleeding like Leon had taught her that afternoon.

Emerson sniffled as she closed her eyes tight to stop the tears, it hurt worse than it did when it happened.

She took a deep breath swallowing before reaching over to grab the wireless phone she had sitting on her nightstand, dialing the numbers frantically as the buttons beeped.

She pressed the phone to her ear and tilted her neck to hold it up against her right shoulder, her right hand moving back to put pressure on her wound.

It was ringing then finally picked up, her breath hitched for a moment.

"You've reached Leon, leave a message." Beep. She sighed in disappointment before speaking with a shaky voice she tried to disguise.

"Hi, its me. I um...I was wondering if you could..." She paused with a shaky breath in and shook her head at herself, Raymond was likely sleeping he needed the rest she knew this, besides she is a grown woman. "Nevermind, I'll be okay just go back to sleep." She ended the call and dropped the phone onto the bed before trying to pry her hoody off to put on new bandages, hers were likely useless judging by all the blood on her shirt.

                                         x

Leon woke to a familiar voice, he must've been sleeping harder than he thought.

"...Nevermind, I'll be okay, just go back to sleep." Click. Leon sat up dizzily bolting from his bed, feet tangling annoyingly in the sheets, he should recognize that voice anywhere.

He knew whatever if was it was important for her to call past midnight, plus she sounded so weak, shaken, though she tried to disguise it.

Leon threw on a pair of his skinny jeans, leaving his boots untied in a hurry throwing on his Time Keeper coat over the gray V-neck he had been sleeping in, stopping for a second to tuck his pistol in the back of his pants and grab his car keys on his way out the door.

He jumped in his cruiser and put the petal to the metal, he didn't even bother calling her to tell her he was on the way, he could be there sooner.

Leon went from sickly worried to full of rage in a second, whoever had been hurting her must have done something really horrible this time, Raymond grit his teeth pushing harder on the gas petal.

This person had hell coming onto his doorstep.

Leon made it to her house in record time spinning the wheel in her driveway to drift into a parallel parking spot, he got out of the car not even bothering to close the door behind him before stomping to the door.

He paused to take a deep breath, he wanted to burst through that door and bring all of hell inside with him.

He calmed himself, he knew that would only make things worse especially if Emerson was so bent on living here.

He paused and looked at the house windows, he noticed a light flickering through the window on the second floor.

Leon stepped back a few paces and stared up, that had to be where Emerson was.