Runaway ✔

156 • Cherry

Kip wasn't coming back.

That was the only thing Cherry could think of as she watched the car leave. 

Did it mean that he was dead? Or was Maddox holding him prisoner, so he could force her to do more horrible things? She took her phone out of her pocket and stared at the screen, partially expecting to see his instructions appear. 

But what else could Maddox demand of her? He had Dana. There was no reason to keep Kip alive, unless he wanted to use him to make Dana do things she didn't want. But Cherry... She was of no use now. 

She had given up everything – and she had gotten nothing in return. 

Sobbing, she wiped her eyes. She had betrayed Dana, had brought her back to her tormentor. For nothing. She had been fooled, she had been so naive believing he would set Kip free, while she knew what Maddox had done to Opie, to Chibs, to Gemma. Kip had supported her just like the others. Of course Maddox wanted revenge on everyone who had helped to keep Dana away from him the past months. 

She wrapped her arms around her upper body, bending her head. Vaguely the words Dana had spoken to her, echoed through her head. She hadn't yelled at her, hadn't cursed her. 

"Save Juice. He didn't deserve this."

She was right, Juice didn't deserve this. But what about Kip? Chibs? Nobody had deserved this. Still she turned to the entrance of the abandoned cathedral. Would he rather bleed to death than that he had to live with the fact that he had lost Dana? They had never succeeded in finding Maddox – why would that be different now? 

Biting her lip, she knew very well this wasn't her choice to make. There was only one thing she could still do for her friend and that was making sure that Juice survived this. 

With a bundle of nerves in her stomach she stepped into the forgotten church. Juice had crawled forward, leaving a bloody trail, but he hadn't gone very far. 

"Leave, Cherry," he said with a raw voice as she knelt beside him. "I swear I will strangle you if I ever see your rat face again."

Cherry pressed her lips together, knowing every Son would share this thought from now on. She could never return to Charming. "I have to take you to the hospital," she answered. "Otherwise you will die, Juice. Thereafter – thereafter you can do whatever you want with me."

She tore off a part of her shirt and tied off the artery in his thigh. After curdling the bleeding, she helped him on his feet. Leaning on her shoulder they staggered to the car. As soon as Juice was sitting on the passenger seat, she threw Maddox' phone in his lap. 

"Find a hospital," she instructed him, starting the car and following the tire tracks the limousine had left. Hopefully navigating would help him to stay conscious. 

. . .

Ten minutes later Cherry was driving across the highway. With her fingers she drummed on the steering wheel nervously. With a grim face Juice stared out of the window. Now and then tears slipped out of his eyes, but right now he seemed to feed on his anger. 

"He had Kip," she said on a soft tone when the silence threatened to suffocate her. "I had no choice, Juice. You have to believe that."

She was dying for a little bit of understanding, even though she knew Juice would never give that to her. That he might have done the same thing if it had been to rescue Dana, she didn't dare to suggest.

"I don't wanna hear your pathetic excuses."

She let out a shaky sigh, blinking her tears away. Kip was probably dead – didn't he care about that at all? 

"I understand your anger," she started again, hesitating. "I really do. But I just didn't know what to do. Wouldn't – wouldn't you do anything to get Dana back?"

With a wild movement, Juice turned his head to the side, his eyes spitting fire. "I would never stab my friends in the back."

Cherry aimed her eyes forward again, passing a car. That was easy to say now. But if he really got the chance to save Dana by betraying one of his friends, it remained to be seen what Juice would do. She had been desperate – she was still desperate and when the anger had flown away, Juice would feel the same. 

Without saying another word, Cherry stopped in front of the hospital fifteen minutes later. Juice hoisted himself out of the car, but when she wanted to support him, he pushed her away. 

"I'm fine. Fuck off. If I ever see you again, I will kill you. I swear to you, Cherry." The way his eyes pierced hers, made her shiver. 

Dana's disappearance had already a scary impact on him; let alone what would happen when months passed by. She however did as he told her and ran away. 

After she had turned a corner, she lowered herself on the ground, her back against the wall, and started to cry. What should she do now? She had nowhere to go. She had no money, no phone, no shelter – no friends. Nothing at all. She couldn't think of one place where they would welcome her.