Learn To Love Again

Chapter 19

"What are you doing?" I asked, fear evident in my voice.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Anna. I just want to talk."

"What do you want from me?" I demanded.

He laughed devilishly, sending chills down my spine. "I want a lot of things from you, Anna."

I contemplated running for it, but wondered whether he had a gun. I didn't want to take the chance so I figured the best thing to do was to keep him talking until I could figure out a way to escape.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked.

"Us." He rose from the bed and took a few steps towards me. Reflexively, I took a few steps back. He paused. "I thought I told you to stop moving," he said with a frown. "I'd really hate to carve some scars into that pretty face." He took another step forward and I tried hard not to move.

"That's more like it," he said with a smile. "Now you're going to do everything I tell you to, okay?"

I nodded, eying the knife he still held in his hands.

"Okay." He took another few steps towards me. "Remove your shirt," he said bluntly.

I gasped, my eyes wide with terror. "What?" It came out more like a whisper.

"You heard me. "Unless you'd like me to do it for you."

"What is wrong with you? I'm not talking my shirt off!"

"Okay, so you want me to do it for you." He continued towards me, holding up the knife.

"Okay! Okay! I'll do it," I said.

He stopped walking as I started to undo the first button. In the split second that his eyes left me to yank his shirt out of his pants, I found myself running toward the door. I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me as I sped down the hallway and started down the stairs.

Less than halfway down, however, I missed a step and felt my body falling to the ground. I flailed my arms in an attempt to balance myself but fell anyways. A bolt of pain shot through my head as it hit one of the steps, then I was rolling down the rest of the staircase. I tried to hold on to something but my efforts were in vain. I didn't stop until I was at the bottom of the last step.

I tried to ignore the pain soaring through me as I started to get up. That was when I saw Malcolm standing above me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

I didn't care what he had to say. I struggled to my feet and, despite the excruciating pain, started to run away from him.

Before I could get very far, he grasped my arms from behind and slammed my body into the wall. Before I could move, he pinned both my hands behind me with one hand, and held the knife so close to my neck with the other, I could feel the chill radiating off of it. I used all the strength I still had to knee him in the testicles. He grunted in pain and I managed to escape his grasp.

I started to run again, toward the front door. I was halfway across the living room when he grabbed one of my hands and sent me sailing across the room. I landed painfully into the coffee table, then fell to the ground along with my flower vase,  which shattered with a loud crash, sending splinters all over the floor. He was down there with me before I could get up, and, as the knife inched towards my throat, I grabbed a piece of the broken vase and aimed it at his abdomen. I heard him let out another, louder grunt as it cut through his shirt and pierced his flesh.

I grabbed the knife from his hand, struggled to my feet, and closed the distance between me and the door.

My hand was on the doorknob when he unexpectedly grabbed the knife from my hand and pinned my back against the wall by the door. By the time I saw the knife coming toward my stomach, there was nothing I could do. It was already too late.

It all happened so fast. The knife was mere inches away from me when the door flew open. I couldn't even be surprised when detective Sterling stepped in, and, without hesitating for a second, grabbed hold of Malcolm's hand. He snatched the knife and tossed it behind him, then pulled Malcolm away from me. Clutching him by the front of his shirt, he began to send a round of firm punches into his temple.

When detective Sterling let go of him, Malcolm fell to the ground, unconscious.

Detective Sterling turned to me with a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

I could barely manage to answer. "Yes, I think so."

He stepped closer, eyeing me carefully. "You look hurt," he said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Maybe it was the concern in his voice or in his eyes that made me want to hug him. Or maybe it was the fact that he just saved my life... again. Whatever it was, I found myself throwing my aching arms around his shoulders and pulling myself close to him. He pressed his hands against the small of my back as he pulled me even closer.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I stood in the warm comfort of his arms for what felt like a second but must've been a long time.

"Your head's bleeding," he said. "I should get you to a hospital.

I stepped out of his embrace and placed two fingers on my head. When I removed them, they were stained crimson.

"Right," I said.

I started limping towards the door and was relieved when detective Sterling lifted me into his arms and carried me out the door and to his car. He opened the door and lowered me onto the passenger seat, then buckled my seatbelt and shut the door. When he was in the driver's seat, he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

"Wait, what about Malcolm?" I asked once we were on the road.

"The police will be there any second now. I'm sure he won't be getting up any time soon."

I nodded. "Thanks again for saving my life."

"No problem."

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A/N:

I really hope you enjoyed this chap. Let me know if you like where the story's going.

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★It's Carmen. Love y'all!★