Taken by My Forever | ✓

Chapter #8

The aggressive tug spun me around, my front colliding with a hard body. I looked up, my eyes rounding with fear, as I watched the hungry eyes of a problem I should have solved...

He leaned over, his hot breath fanning my ear, "Nice sweater... I'd love to see what you're trying to hide beneath it." David said lowly as he looked down at me like I was a deer in headlights.

I gulped.

"Heather!" I heard someone call my name.

Who's calling m— I was pulled out of my thought when he continued,

"You better keep your mouth shut," David stood tall again, "Have a nice day..." He said, looking me up and down as he licked his lips.

I watched his retreating figure, and blinked... once, twice, and then spun back to the bus. Hoisting myself up the step, I came in and a majority of the seats had been occupied, all but the one next to my brother.

I huffed, and slumped into the seat next to him, "Why are you wearing a sweater?" He asked frowning at me as if I was crazy.

"Shut up." I said and took out my earphones, plugging them in my phone, as I tugged at the uncomfortable warmth around my neck once more. I sighed...

I'll wear a scarf until it's gone... I thought to myself. But it's going to be so hot... my sister is going to be asking me about my odd choice of clothes for such weather... Fuck me... I winced at the idea of the coming days.

The bus started moving, and when I looked around, my eyes were drawn to movement on the outside on the parking lot that slowly emptied as buses left.

My stomach dropped... Ethan.

He was running around, looking at the buses, his head whipping around, until it landed on the bus I was seated in. The look of fear that painted in his face was smothered with brewing anger, as the circles under his eyes seemed to have tinted into a darker shade of tired greys.

He sees me... I gulped.

The bus revved to a start and started moving. I watched as he looked at me, his gaze making the back of my neck feel warm and the hairs raise. I sat back in my seat, slouching into it and quietly let the bus take me home as I thought about what my plan to keep this thing on my neck a secret.

***

The moment I got home, I made a bee-line for it, and I closed the bathroom door, sighing as I rested my head against it. My body was sticky with sweat, my feet suffocating in my closed shoes, and my hands looked tired. I silently walked to the sink, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My face pasty with sickness and against my pale complexion, the bags under my eyes almost began looking green, I looked at the sweater wrapped limply around my neck...

My face crumbled, as my chin shook. I leaned over the sink, taking in deep breaths as my stomach twisted as if I had to vomit, my iron grip on the ceramic had my knuckles turning almost just as white as the sink. I looked back at the mirror, my movements slow and cautious, as if I would scare something.

Carefully unwrapping the sweater, and passing it over and off my head, my eyes pricked with tears as I looked at the dark, monstrous love bite festering on my skin, expressing deep shades of purple, blue and now a spider web of reds from my veins...

The first tear fell.

Then the next.

Then it just didn't stop.

Sitting on the closed toilet lid, I unlaced my laces, biting down on my lower lip to prevent any of my cries ripping out of my throat as my body shook violently with sobs.