Captivated by a Highlander

Chapter 5 - Turning

The entire month was a mix of fighting, crying, bruises, and just pure agony. I was living on an occasional meal, most of the time being told I can't eat when I disobeyed. My mother, mostly, seemed to be upsetting me most.

She never took the time like she had before to spend time with me, her own daughter, her own flesh and blood. Melissa was bound to Alan's side, barely even looking at me when we passed in the hallways, or at the dinner table (when I attended the meal). Alan always had Melissa on his hip and was not willing to let her associate with anyone.

I, most of all, was the most depressed and anxious I had ever been. Worse than after my father died. I never knew when Alan's sudden attacks would come, so I started to live in constant apprehension. If they were two days or seven days apart, I wouldn't know. But there was always a period of twenty-four hours that he didn't hurt me, a day of being in the safe zone. But after that, everything was a matter of wild cards and a ticking time bomb of Alan's temper. Completely unpredictable.

Now as I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, silence surrounding me. After the first attack from Alan, actually, from the second, after which my mother flipped out on him and had the bravery to bitch slap her husband, Alan had started to land his attacks in places that were easily hidden: my arms, back, stomach, legs.

I remained still, my headphones pulled over my ears. Linkin Park, my go-to depression band, was blaring in my ears, Chester currently screaming as he sang the chorus of Lies, Greed, Misery. I closed my eyes, my head nodding every now and then with the bass of the drums and my foot bobbing back and forth slightly as I kept the tempo in my head.

Funny, how I could play such a percussion song on the violin.

As I laid there, I slowly rose one arm and rested it on my forehead as the song switched to In My Remains. I heard a knock on the door when the music quieted for a good ten seconds, prompting me to sit up with a sigh and pull my headphones around my neck. I listened again, but heard the signal that the one person I had actually learned to appreciate had come to my room. I stood slowly, taking pressure off my right leg (Alan had decided that a metal poking rod from the fireplace deserved to smash on my leg, right above the knee).

I walked over to the door and repeated the knock in reply, then stepped back so that I could avoid the door as it swung open. Pepper walked in first, the nimble gray cat trotting across the room and jumping onto her claimed spot on the windowsill. The tabby was followed by Logan, who immediately closed the door behind himself and pulled me into a hug. I loved being within his warm arms and melted against him, surrounded by his embrace, but I couldn't stop the wince that came with being pressed against him, his body pressing against my many bruises. Logan noticed, and released his grip slightly and looked down at me, his emerald eyes apologetic. It made my heart melt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly. And then Logan pressed his lips softly, carefully, on my own. His lips were soft and warm, and immediately pushed all of my troubles away. I sank against him, my arms wrapping around his neck, and I pulled myself up closer to him. I drank in every touch, savoring the gentle and soft kisses while they were within my reach.

Logan and I had shared our first kiss two weeks ago, after a rather brutal attack from Alan that rendered me useless when he tossed me against my own bedroom wall, my arm hitting the bookshelf and bruising it badly enough that it hurt to move. I couldn't play the violin until December.

Although I had been in pain that day, nothing made me happier than to finally receive my first kiss.

Logan pulled back slowly, gently picking me up, bridal-style, and carried me to my bed. He set me down, helping my rest back on the mound of pillows, then he sat on the bed beside me and pulled me against his side, letting me rest my head. I didn't speak, not wanting to ruin the blissful silence.