Beating hearts

Chapter 28

Boots clunk down the hallway and stop as they approach the open bathroom door.

Ara looks up, tears still running down her face. "Zac," she exhales, almost smiling.

He looks at the broken mirror and the dirt scattering  the floor. Then he notices her face and how red and bruised it is, he drops to his knees beside her, examining her more, her hair still in a pony tale was a tangled, ratted mess and hung loosely with leaves embezzled throughout it. 
Her clothes were slightly ripped in some places, her light blue jeans held grass and dirt stains. Her mouth still had dried up blood at one of the sides and her right eye was  swelled up, a mixture of black and purple.

"Oh my god," zac says in shock at the sight of her, he holds his hands out cautious to touch her, afraid of causing her pain.

"I thought..I thought you left." Ara says trying to sniffle back the tears.

His eyes form into a frown, his face speaks with confusion.

"No, no, after you left I was worried, I've been out looking for you, for hours." He slightly grazes his hand down her cheek.

"What happened?" He asks,  warmth in his voice. 
She laughs, her face quickly turns from his touch. He face quenches together as she thinks of what to say. She doesn't know if she should tell him the truth or make something up.

"I uh, I went for a walk in the woods to think things over. And I fell down a steep rocky hill," ." She licks her dry, cracked lips and looks down at the ground when she saw the confused look he gave her.

She puts her hands firmly on the floor and sets her body up better, causing worry to spread on zacs face when she hisses in pain.
Her arms go to her side, Causing her to flinch even more when her hand touched the hurt area.

"What's wrong?"

Ara shakes her head, but he ignores her, lifting up her shirt revealing her raw wound she had received from her body being dragged across the road. The peeled away skin hung from the bloody laceration mixed with pieces of dirt.
Zac's nose flared up and his jaw clenched, flooded with anger.

"How did you get that, from falling down a hill?" He asked trying to swallow his anger down.
Her eyes flutter quickly, she didn't know what to tell him. He would be heartbroken and furious if she told him the truth.

"I," she says still looking at the ground.

"Why are you lying to me, why can't you tell me what really happened?" He says pushing pieces of her tangled hair behind her ear.

"I can't." She says quietly, her voice sounding scared.

His eyes soften as he gets up and turns on the sink, soaking a towel in warm water, he bends back down to gently clean Aras face.

"It's alright." He says, still furious inside, because he knew whatever happen to her wasn't an accident.

She grabs his hand when the cloth touches a swore spot on her bruised face. She smiles at him, hiding the pain she felt.

"I'm okay, zac. Really."

He held his hands out not knowing how to help, as Ara manages to get herself off the ground and stand against the wall for support.