Save Me. (Matthew Espinosa)

Chapter 6 - Dad

Lacey's POV

It's fairly late in the day and Carter had left to go see Cameron at the hospital earlier. None of the other boys have arrived yet so Matt and I decide to watch a movie. However, it's left unnoticed by me as I focus on trying to stay awake. My eyelids feel heavy and I struggle to keep them from closing completely. Matt must see that I'm on the verge of falling asleep because he offers to let me rest my head on him. I agree tiredly and scoot closer to him on the couch, feeling his body heat radiate off of him, making me even more comfortable. I lay my head down just below his shoulder and his arms find their way around me, holding me securely. Before long, I am lulled into sleep by the steady beat of Matthew's heart, curled up in his arms and feeling safer than I ever have.

~*~*~*~*~

"Lacey Lloyd!" The hotel door bursts open and I am pulled from sleep by an infuriated dad. His rage filled eyes flicker from Matt to me, then back to Matt. He makes slow paces over to the couch that Matt and I have both stood from since his entrance as I plead.

"No! Please don't hurt him!" I move in front of Matt, trying to block the violent male with my smaller frame but suddenly I'm knocked to the floor with a swift, harsh slap to the face. For extra measure, a few kicks are thrown my way, Matt trying his best to push my father away. My dad turns his attention towards Matt who holds a stance, doing his best to prepare himself for the inevitable.

"Don't do this Matthew," I cry, looking into his sympathetic brown eyes. He gives me a look of many different emotions. His attention is abruptly averted from me when my dad takes a swing at him, punching Matt in the jaw with extreme force, causing him to fall to the floor. Before my father can make any moves on him in his vulnerable state, Matthew forces his body to stand from the ground immediately. He juts his fist upward, landing a blow to David's stomach. Not enough power is put into it, only making my dad grunt slightly at the contact. The action seemed to only fuel to my father's anger and a solid punch is sent to the middle of Matt's face, an unmissable crack sounding, following the flow of a red liquid gushing from his nose. Matt is unsurprisingly knocked to the ground by the major force put into the blow, again. My dad is quick to climb atop him, one punch after another colliding with Matthew's bloodied face. He's going to kill him!

"Help!" I find myself screaming, but nobody hears. I crawl over to my dad and a now unconscious Matt. Looking beside the bed, I notice a lamp. I scrabble to my feet and unplug it from it's outlet. My dad seems to be in a trance as he continues to pound his fists into Matthew. It almost makes me want to throw up from all of the blood. I swing the lamp as hard as I can aiming directly towards the back of my father's head. The lamp breaks on contact, the sound of glass sounding around the room, pieces flying. I feel relief sweep through my being to see my dad laying on the ground limply beside Matt's broken body. I crouch down by Matt and check for a pulse. When I feel nothing, my heart sinks. I lean my head close to his barely recognizable one and listen for any sort of breathing. He isn't breathing! Is Matthew dead? I feel an unwanted weight in my chest at the thought.

"NO!" I cry. Matt can't die. He's the only good thing I've had in my life for so long. Anger pulses through me and I find myself on top of my dad with tears in my eyes as I hit him with as much force as I can muster, which isn't nearly as much as I had hoped for. My fists connect with his face much like he had done to Matt just moments before. My knuckles become bloody and sore. I climb off of him and collapse, screaming Matthew's name, banging my fists on the floor in desperation-

"Lacey?" I am awoken by Matt's gentle voice, his hands shaking me slightly. It was just a nightmare? I jolt up in the bed that he must have carried me to after I had drifted off and wipe the sweat droplets off my forehead. Deep breaths escape my mouth and the details of my dream come hurtling back. I bring my knees to my chest as my body is racked with sobs. What if that really happened? Could that really happen?

Matthew engulfs my smaller frame into his in a strong embrace, thumb rubbing small circles on my back to try to calm me down. He whispers soothing things in my ear, doing his best to assure me that everything will be fine. "Shhh, it's okay princess. You're alright. Everything's going to be alright."

I look up at his worried expression through wet eyelashes and he plants a small kiss on my forehead. One of his hands cradles the back of my head as I find purchase on his chest, the other still snaked around my back as he holds me to him, rocking us from side to side slightly. My breathing gradually slows down with his comforting actions, my hands clinging to the front of his shirt. Eventually, Matt lies back down, taking me with him, head rested on his chest, the beat of his heart playing in my ear.

"You're safe with me." I hear him whisper and the safety of his words pull me into sleep.