Monsters Within

Chapter 6

I open my eyes to see I am in the park. It is dark out, lit only by the moon and the stars. And, there is Cole, cleaning scratches on my arms and face.

"Hey you're awake," he says smiling.
"You told me not to take you to the hospital or home, and I didn't want to upset you so I brought you here. I ran to my house to get stuff to clean you up.   But I was only gone for a minute, promise. My mom is a nurse so she has a fully stocked first aid kit at all times. How about that spot where he punched you now?" he asks.

"Thanks" I reply with a small smile. "And sure." He then gently starts to clean my cheek, I flinch, and he pulls his arm away, closing his eyes and looking away. "What?" I ask. "Is it that bad?"

"No. I just hate that I am hurting you."

"Eddy did this, not you Cole, you're trying to help, and besides, no pain, no gain, right?" I say looking him right in the eyes. He smiles in response and continues.

"Are you sure that you can't go home? You're parents should know what happened. And why didn't you want to go there in the first place? If you don't mind my asking." He says, clearly worried.

I grab his hand and move it from my face. "I can't really explain without showing you first." I turn around and take off my shirt, leaving the bra alone. The cuts on my back scream in protest as the shirt brushes up against them.

Cole's POV

I can't stand to see this, the gashes on her back are of both old and new cuts. Some are scars. She turns her head and looks me in the eyes,

"This is why I can't go home, my dad will do worse than this, and say I deserve what happened. Which is probably true." I can see a bit of water collect in her eyes.

"It's not, this is so wrong. There is no way in hell you deserved this." I say with complete certainty. I reach out and gently glide my fingers over her back. The feeling sends shivers up my spine. She flinches and I quickly take my hand away.

She puts her shirt back on and turns around. I look into her eyes and kiss her, a long lingering kiss, I want her to know how much I love her.

"I will never let anyone hurt you again, even if that means I get hurt instead." I say. And I mean it.

Kay's POV

"You can't protect me at my house when you aren't there." I say

"You aren't going to your house today. You're staying at mine, he won't touch you today." He says, his voice steady. I can still see the concern in his eyes though.

"That will just make it worse when I get back." I say.

"My dad's on a business trip, so my mom will say okay. She just needs to know why. And don't worry we can trust her. I'll ask her to call you're parents with some excuse, and you'll come to school with me. You're in most of my classes anyway, I will make sure you're safe, just like I said."

I smile, "okay." I reply. He smiles and helps me up careful to not stress out any of my wounds.

*************************************

There he is talking to his mom as I sit on a chair in the kitchen. She gives me a worried look and nods her head. Then Cole comes walking over.

"She agreed to tell no one and to everything else I mentioned, you get the guest room, right across from mine." He says. Then suddenly he stops and stares at me. "You're beautiful. I just don't say it enough." He looks me in the eyes and I almost believe him.

"I'm not. I'm covered in scrapes, and even without that I'm just average."

"No, you're beautiful." He says like it's a fact, and as I look into his eyes, I realize he actually believes it.

I am escorted to the guest room and told where everything is, and that I can use anything I want, by Cole. The second my head hits that pillow I am asleep.

Cole's POV

I wake up to screaming. KAY! It's coming from her room.

I run in to see her screaming in her sleep, I walk over and start to shake her shoulder lightly so as not to hurt her further. She wakes up immediately looking terrified.

"He... he was going to hit me... With..." She swallows, "with the belt again... and I..." she trails off.

"It's ok, I'm here, you're at my house, you're safe." She starts to breath deeply and calms down. I climb onto the bed and when she sits up I hold her in my arms close to me, hoping it will keep her safe.

Kay's POV

I lay in his arms, sitting up. The warmth is calming and I soon drift back to a deep, more restful, sleep.