The Unexpected Trilogy: Burdened

Resistance is Futile

Ch. 4

Haili's POV

"Bella!" I scream. "What are you doing?!"

Her eyes drift from Michael's to mine. She has a look of anguish and fear in them. I know what she is thinking, but I'm too furious with her to comprehend it. She jerks her head around and looks at Toby. Her anguish isn't over with quite yet.

His eyes- Toby's eyes- have more fear in them than in Bella's. His facial features harden and he throws a punch. At Bella. Michael stands in front her and takes the hit spot on to the jaw. He reels and falls to the floor, unconscious. I look up, and my hearing goes fuzzy. Bella is yelling at Toby, and he's screaming in her face. I can just barely make out the words "cheater" and "skank". Then the fireworks really go off. I crimple to the floor, and Bella is in hysterics, yelling "asshole", "faggot" and other inaudible words. I'm shaking Michael, trying to see him through teary eyes. He already has a black eye forming, along with a bruise going down his left cheek.

"Jesus," I murmur. "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." I'm looking around. Bella's on the floor, a large puddle of blood around her head. Shit.

"Haili," whispers Michael. He lifts up his head and it goes right back down again at lightning speed. "Help Bella..." He falls unconscious again. I whisk over to Bella's side, and she's murmuring inaudible words.

"What, Bella?" I ask her. "Speak up. Come on!!"

"I'm sorry," she says louder. "I didn't mean..." It all comes rushing back to me. The kiss, the whole reason why Bella's bleeding out, and why Michael's unconscious. My face hardens, then softens. She whimpers. "Don't let him hurt me again." she whispers.

"Never." I promise. "Never in my life will I ever let him so much as lay a hand on you.

Then Toby bursts in with a gun, and I feel absolutely powerless.