Stardust // Reggie Mantle (3)

Chapter Fourty-Eight

Caia was still huddled behind the tree, breathing heavily, when she saw the headlights approaching. Fearing it was her father, or maybe some other serial killer freak living in Riverdale, Caia folded into herself even more. He breath hitched in her throat as the car screeched to a halt on the street right next to her tree. The door opened and frantic footsteps could be heard running toward her.

"Caia?" At the sound of Reggie's voice, Caia relaxed. She scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the approaching figure.

"Reggie," she breathed, collapsing into his arms and wrapping her own tightly around his back.

Reggie squeezed Caia close to him. He lowered his face into her hair, overcome with relief that she wasn't dead after all. However, he broke the hug to push Caia back and examine her state. His eyes immediately flitted to the wound in her right shoulder. "Oh my god," he exclaimed, leaning close to get a better look at the stab. "What happened?"

"My dad. Apparently, my hunch was correct. He's not dead, at all." Caia motioned to her face. "He also felt the need to rough up my face a little. He got away. I don't know where he went."

Reggie's eyes were wide. "Was he the voice I heard before you ended the call?" He questioned.

Caia nodded. "Yeah. He smashed my phone right after that. Like, into a thousand pieces." Caia shrugged. "No more texting for me."

Reggie shook his head in disgust. "Man," he muttered. He glanced back up at Caia's face. "Are you okay?"

Caia shrugged. "Well, I could be better. My shoulder hurts a little." She paused. "We might wanna clean that out," she suggested.

"Oh shit, yeah. My bad. Let's go."

*

Reggie drove Caia back to the Jones's. Most of Caia's clothes were there, as she was still camped out in the guest bedroom. It turned out that had been a smart move, as if Caia was still living at her home, she probably would have been in even more danger of her father finding and attacking her.

Caia had her hand pressed tightly against her shoulder wound, trying to stem the blood loss. It was mostly working. Once Reggie pulled his car into the driveway, he immediately jumped out of his door to sprint around to Caia's and open it for her. He helped her out of her seat and guided Caia to the door.

Reggie pushed open the door and he and Caia stumbled into the entryway. FP, who was standing at the kitchen counter, immediately looked up, both startled and alarmed. He was still clad in his sheriff's uniform, obviously just having gotten off his shift. As soon as FP observed the way Caia was leaning heavily on Reggie, and the blood covering her dress, his mind immediately went to the worst.

"Jesus," he exclaimed worriedly, running around the counter and jogging towards the two teens. "What happened? Did you get shot?"

Caia shook her head as FP approached. "My dad's not dead," she informed. FP moved Caia's hand away to examine the wound in her shoulder.

He raised his eyes as glanced at the bloody cut. "Well, that's apparent," he replied. "Let's get that cleaned up and stitched."

FP lead Caia and Reggie to the downstairs bathroom, where Caia sat on the edge of the bathtub. There, FP expertly cleaned out the wound and stitched it closed, while Reggie watched from the corner, grimacing the whole time, but still attempting to be helpful by clutching Caia's free hand.

As FP finished, he began to speak. "There. Good as new." He cut the excess stitch thread and set the scissors back on the corner. "You might not want to use that arm for a few days," he suggested.