Help Me (sequel to Save Me)

Chapter 130

Trigger warning

Even though it hurts, Remington presses a hand firmly to his cheek, tries not to see the image of his ex floating around him like a ghost. It feels like she's a ghost, like she's haunting him.

Someone tries to help him and he screams, shoves them away, begs then not to hurt him. Why do people keep hurting him?

He's sobbing. That much he is sure, and he can feel blood on his cheek, and winces. He knows people are looking at him, wondering what the hell is happening, and he struggles to his feet.

Everywhere he looks he sees Holly, so he pulls hood up and stares at his feet as he walks quickly, whimpering because of the pain in his face. He tries to work out who that man was, but he has no idea. He's never seen that man before in his life.

Someone bumps into him and he holds in a scream, wrapping his arms around himself and keeping his head down, and stops breathing when he walks right into someone. "Watch it," they snap, and Remington shudders. He feels like he's underwater.

"Remington," he hears behind him, and jumps, not turning around. "Remington, hey."

The boy whips his head around when he recognises Andy's voice, and stares at him, silently begging for help.

"Oh my God, your face," Andy says, shocked at the sight of such a horrible bruise on the younger's cheek.

Remington touches his cheekbone and looks away. "Please don't hurt me," he stutters, "please."

Andy can see him shaking. "You're okay. You're safe with me. Come and sit down, okay?" He steps to the side to let a woman and a dog past, and Remington slowly nods. "I'm going to touch your shoulders, okay?" It's important he asks, and that Remington knows Andy isn't gonna hurt him. The boy nods again, and Andy puts his hands on Remington's shoulder, guiding him towards a bench down the street. "What happened, sweetheart, who hurt you?" The question is asked while Andy sits down next to the boy, and waits for a response.

"I don't know," Remington murmurs, "I don't know." He touches his face again.

"Alright, honey, don't touch it. I need to take you to the police so they can find whoever it was."

"It hurts," he whimpers, teary.

Carefully taking the younger's hand, Andy rubs his knuckles. "I know, baby boy. They'll have an icepack or something at the police station. Try not to touch it." Andy walks with the boy to the new car, opening the door for him and closing it once he's sat down. He drives them to the local police station, glancing at the boy every so often, and holding his hand as they step into the building.

Someone at the desk looks up at them. "How can I help?" She asks, straight away noticing the bruise on Remington's cheek.

"Someone in the street just punched my husband," Andy explains.

"I'm gonna need you to fill in some paperwork for me. Do sit down. I'll get you an ice pack." She hands them a clipboard and a pen, and the two sit in the cushioned chairs. The woman soon returns with a blue ice pack, handing it to Remington, who holds it against his bruised cheek.

Andy fills in as much as he can, though Remington has to do most of it because he's the one who's been attacked, and Andy hands the clipboard back to the lady at the desk, who checks it before coming to sit opposite them to work out what happened.

"I need you to explain as much as you can," she says.

Remington looks down. "I was-I was walking to a café to meet Andy-"

"Andy?"

"Him." Remington points at the man beside him. "And I saw someone over the road who looked at me funny." He sighs. "When I looked again, he was gone. Then he walked into me and said he knew me from the band I'm in. He asked how Andy was, and told me to give him something, and then he punched me."

"What did he look like?"

"He was-um-he was quite big, and he had-like-brown hair."

The officer writes it down. "Was he white or black?"

"White, and he had a beard."

"Okay. Did you recognise him at all?"

"No."

After talking to the police, the two go home, and Andy gets Remington a bag of frozen peas for the bruise. He makes lunch and Remington eats it slowly, sitting quietly in the living room. He tries to work out why that man punched him, and why he said to give something to Andy. "They guys that attacked you; did they know about me?" He asks, looking up at Andy.

The man hums. "Yeah, they mentioned you. Why?"

"Do you think the guy from today was one of those guys?"

"I don't know. It's a stretch."

Remington shakes his head. "It's not, though. He said he wanted me to give you something, and then he punched me. That means he wanted to punch you. What if he was one of the guys who hurt you? What if they're...stalkers?"

"Shit."