𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 ✔️

Chapter Forty-Two

I think I realised what was really going on when several punches came at Dylan. I watched in shock as Dylan threw himself into the boys, using all the power he could.

But they were too strong and too fast.

When he got slammed back into the wall, I started to scream.

"Stop it!" I yelled, jumping into action. The group that had once huddled around me to watch carelessly and heartlessly as I was bullied was quickly dispersing, not wanting to get caught. But if the boys didn't stop fighting soon, we would be.

"Stop!" I shouted again, watching Charlie hail a punch at Dylan. "Please!" But when I tried to stop him, he simply discarded me, shoving me over. I tripped and landed on the floor, where I hit my head. It was then that Dylan lost all control as if he hadn't already.

I jumped up quickly, though, pressing a palm to his chest to stop him.

Suddenly, Alessia had taken over. Perhaps her fear was too strong, and I was getting lost under piles and piles of punches. The fight had reminded her of the physical abuse she endures at home from her dad, and she was shaking violently.

Dylan stopped, glancing down at her with a worried expression on his face.

Charlie and Jake suddenly backed away. "Come try us again when you have more fight in you."

Dylan and Alessia stood in silence for a while, both with laboured breath, and both looking at each other.

"You're bleeding." She told Dylan, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a packet of tissues. She hesitantly began to dab at his wounds, soaking up the blood.

"How's your head?" Dylan asked, taking the tissue from her hand.

She felt dizzy, so she knew that it wasn't good. She reached up, placing her palm to the back of her head. "Sore." She simply responded.

When he was kind of cleaned up, Dylan guided her out of the room, "Come on," he said, "let's go—I'll drop you home so that you can ice your head."

In the back of Alessia's mind, she could remember that Dylan was supposed to be giving Olivia a lift back to her house. But then, she didn't really care all that much.

When Dylan and Alessia walked out of the school's exit, though, Olivia was nowhere in sight.

I remembered this day. I had waited for Dylan for twenty minutes, but I didn't want to call or text him too much. I was upset after the test, knowing for definite that I had failed. I was feeling panicked and simply couldn't wait any longer before the tears began to spill. I suppressed the sobs until I got home, which I had to walk for half an hour to, but I really needed Dylan at that moment.

But then, so did Alessia. I just didn't know that then.

The journey to Alessia's was silent, and Dylan would take his hand off the wheel every now and again to press the tissue to his nose, where blood was spilling out.

When Dylan had pulled up outside her house, he said, "You should ice your head as soon as possible and lie down—but don't sleep, not until you're certain you don't have a concussion. If you have any problems, let me know." He said, eyes filled with concern as he watched Alessia.