Dandelion Lover

"Luc, I need you here!" Vivian told me over the phone just as I was about to finally get some sleep.

"What happened?" My stomach clenched at the thought that something might have happened to Kate. The last time Vivian called me was when they both got drunk and couldn't get home.

"Just come! I'll tell you more when you get here." She replied and ended the call without waiting for my reply.

"What's wrong now?" I muttered through my teeth and grabbed a random shirt from my closet. I pulled it on while rushing out the door. I didn't have a good feeling and the words Vivian said not long ago rang in my ears. I speed my way to the destination and luckily the streets weren't that busy at that hour.

"What happened?" I asked Vivian as soon as I saw her standing on a couch at the hotel lounge. My feet froze when I noticed behind her a small quivering mass with tears lining her cheeks with a hazy expression on her face. I almost couldn't recognize her. The black dress she was wearing was covering way too little and it was outrageously short.

"What happened?" I asked and my voice was now louder, I could feel rage taking over me and for some reason, I knew he was the cause.

"That bitch Ann happened," Vivian replied looking me in the eyes while patting Kate slowly on the back.

"Get up!" I barked and Kate twitched slightly as I grabbed her arm as I lifted her up easily. "I told you not to do anything!" I yelled at Vivian in spite of myself, my own self-control was rapidly going down the drain when faced with the outcome of whatever had happened before I got here.

"I know!" Vivian yelled back obviously pained. "Jonny is in trouble, I have to go, please take care of Kate." She explained and after handing me her bag she took off.

I was trying to be calm and think logically, but I was not sure what I should do. I felt the need to break some hands and legs but from what I've seen until now I couldn't leave Kate alone. She seemed intoxicated just now.

"Come with me." I managed to say without shouting this time and pulled Kate over to my car while she stumbled around on her high heels. She could barely walk or talk properly and all I could think about was just how much did she have to drink to become like this. I opened the door for her and after she got in, placed the seatbelt to secure her. I slipped over into the driver's seat, I knew I had to calm myself before starting to drive. Watching her unmovable figure keeping her thin hand over her cheek while her eyes were heavy with unshed tears, was not helping me.

"Do you want to go home to sleep it off?" I asked watching carefully for any reactions she might have. I wasn't sure what had happened and I needed to know, but I wasn't such a brute that I would harass her into telling me when she was still crying. She shook her head and I could see her wince from the pain. My hands felt like ice and the blood left them when I gripped the steering wheel ready to snap it in two. I really wished I had something else in my hands, such as a white neck that was itching for someone to snap it clean off.

"Okay." I knew where I wanted to go and for the first time, I wanted to share that place, to let it soothe the pain she was going through just as it had always calmed me when I was in need. With a quick turn I pressed the pedal and soon we were moving through the streets at a constant speed, going as far away from the hotel as possible. After a quick stop at the pharmacy, I got back into the driver's seat and placed a cold compress into Kate's hands.

"Use that." I simply replied to her stare and continued towards my very own safe haven.

It was already quite late by the time we got to the little clearing I knew so well, and as soon as I stepped outside I could feel all the rage leaving me but the swollen red eyes of Kate soon reminded me of why I was here. I opened the door to her and helped her up. Her hand only left her cheek when she placed the compress on but from between her fingers I could see her skin was still red.

"Let me help you with that." I calmly helped her from the seat and lead her to a larger stone I often used as a chair, lifting her so she could be comfortable on it. When I dropped by the pharmacy before I got an ointment and some disinfecting solutions in case they were needed along with the compress. I reached out to her hand and pulled it down while placing myself directly in front of her. I took my time to look over her reddened skin and I was relieved to see she only had a light scratch.

I hated myself for letting her deal with all this on her own and regretted taking time off from work. If only I would have known, I could have been there for her when she needed me. I always felt that she will become a precious person in my life but I didn't realize that she had already become the most important one in my heart. When I saw her wearing that skimpy dress, all disheveled and hurt, I thought I would go crazy. Various scenarios passed through my mind and with each one my heart felt like breaking.

I placed my hands cupping her face gently so I wouldn't hurt her and lifted her gaze towards me. She had such a big influence on me and she didn't even know it. Her eyes were still wet and puffy from all the crying she did along the way but it seemed the fresh air helped her wake up a bit.

"Are you alright?" I asked looking for the truth in her eyes.

"No, not really..." She answered with a raspy voice and I was disgusted at the fact that my body responded to her s.e.x.u.a.lly while she was in such a weakened state. I swallowed hard, trying to push down all my inappropriately wicked thoughts. I must try and find out what happened.

"Does it hurt?" Another question that was obvious just by looking at her, but I just needed confirmation of that fact.

"It did, but it's better now." She replied and again her voice made me feel like a teenager who couldn't control himself. But I had to, I didn't want to scare and hurt her, she has been through enough.

"Can you tell me what happened exactly?" I knew I had to find out, whether Rob will live or not the next day, it all depended on her answer. She looked around us and avoiding my gaze she nodded meekly.