The Seven Devils (YA "New Adult" Romance) (12 page)

Neil looked crazed. He abruptly stopped attacking Derrick and seemed to be looking around the forest floor for something. Through the moonlight I could see his body was hard; primed and ready to fight. This was not over.

I ran.

It wasn’t even a conscious decision. I was just up and running within seconds. I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing, but I knew I didn’t want to be there.

Neil. All that blood. I wasn’t even able to rejoice in the fact that he stopped Derrick from raping me, all I could think was run run run run run.

My heart raced and I still couldn’t catch my breath. I knew I should slow down but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to have to think about what was happening. I ran and ran until suddenly I couldn’t breathe anymore. I grabbed at my throat, wincing at its tenderness, and tried to force myself to breathe. I heard a rustling noise through the trees to my right and collapsed to the forest floor.

Chapter 14

I awoke screaming.

I leapt to my feet and realized I had been in Neil’s lap. He was sitting on the ground beneath a tree. He looked as though he had been crying.

I stared at him, unable to move or speak. Images were flashing like lightning through my mind. Derrick’s eyes. That smirk. The tree. His blood. Neil stood slowly and reached out a hand towards me. “Ellen?” he said gently.

Several tremors rocked my body and I swayed on my feet. Neil grabbed me and we sank to the ground together, me in his arms.

“Ellen Ellen Ellen,” he said hugging me close. It felt as though something inside me cracked and I burst into tears. Neil held me and rocked me slowly. I buried my face into his chest and pushed into him as if I were trying to hide inside his body. His warmth was a comfort to me and after some time I began to calm down.

As my breathing slowed, I realized I was okay. Everything was right again. I was with Neil, and when I was with Neil, nothing could touch me.

I suddenly sat back as a thought hit me. I stared at Neil for a long moment.

“This is just like in the bathroom that day. How did you know I was in trouble? How did you find me? I don’t even know where I am right now… how could you find me?”

Neil nodded, leaned back a bit, and pulled his shirt off. I hadn’t realized that I was trying to cover myself with what was left of my own ripped top until Neil pulled his over my head.

I couldn’t stop staring at him. He made Derrick look like a skinny kid. With the moonlight beaming down on his naked chest, he looked almost like a god. “Ellen,” he said, and I realized with surprise that he was blushing. “You’re staring.”

It was my turn to blush. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I just didn’t realize just how strong you are.” I reached out and touched his chest tentatively. “Why do you always hide this and wear loose long-sleeved shirts?” I asked.

He kissed my forehead. “I don’t like people to see me and what I’ve become,” he said cryptically. “I need to tell you the truth. About everything.” He paused for a moment. “Would you believe me if I said I that I will not let you out of my sight from now on; that I won’t let anything like this happen again?”

I nodded and leaned in against his warm chest.

He stroked my arm. “I know I’ve done little to earn your trust lately, but could you give me one week? Next weekend, will you go away with me somewhere where I can tell you everything without worrying about people hearing or interrupting?”

“Go away with you?” My heart raced. “Where?”

“My parents own a cabin on Lake St. Marys, about twenty miles from here. We could stay there as long as you wanted. I’ll tell you everything.”

My heart skipped a beat, picturing staying overnight somewhere with Neil. “I want to, but my mom would never let me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that,” he said, and kissed me softly.

Tears flowed from my eyes. “El, what is it?” he asked, brushing the tears from my cheeks.

“I just missed you so much. I’m so sorry for everything. I felt like part of me had died when you left,” I said.

He nodded. “I felt that way too. I promise I’ll explain next weekend all about why I did what I did. I hope you’ll understand.”

In an instant Neil was standing and he began to carry me through the woods. “Do you know where we are?” I asked.

“Yes, I know the way. We’re actually not far at all from your house. You ran pretty much the right way when you left.”

“Oh God,” I said, touching my aching neck tentatively. “Derrick. Is he still laying out here somewhere? Is he going to be okay?”

Neil didn’t answer right away. “He’ll live.” He held me tighter and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

“You were hitting him,” I said, “and then stopped. You seemed like you were looking for something. What were you doing?” I asked.

Neil didn’t answer. He edged open the back door to my house and carried me all the way up to my room. He sat me on the bed and then kneeled beside it, resting his head against my knees.

I ran my fingers through his thick dark hair and was about to ask what was wrong when he spoke.

“I was looking for a rock.”

“A rock?” I asked. “What for?”

His eyes met mine. “To bash in his brains.”

I sat back. He was serious.

“Ellen, do you have any idea how hard it is not to go back out there right now and break every bone in his body? For what he did to you, there is nothing I could do to him that he didn’t deserve.”

A great shiver passed through my body. “Please don’t leave me,” I whispered.

Neil kissed my hands. “Never.”

He slid his fingers softly down from my knees to my ankles then unlaced my shoes. He removed both shoes and socks then began massaging my feet. I closed my eyes and felt any remaining tension in me melt away.

“I need to know one thing,” he said a moment later. “And I need to know the truth.”

My eyes opened. He was still on his knees before me. His hands rested on my ankles and his naked, heavily muscled shoulders hunched forward slightly. His eyes were cast down.

“When you ran, Derrick was no longer a threat,” he said. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, his forehead warm against my bare knees. “I need to know if you’re afraid of me.”

I pictured him in the forest, with his rage and his fists. Something stirred deep within me.

I stood and pulled him to his feet. I laced my fingers inside his and then raised his hands slowly. When I placed them around my neck his eyes shot open.

“You would never do this to me,” I said, brushing the bruised, sore skin with his fingers. It wasn’t a question, but he shook his head anyways. I closed my eyes and left his fingers there around my throat.

“I ran because I was afraid of what you were doing, not because I was afraid of you.” I opened my eyes and Neil’s hands moved slowly down to my shoulders. “I trust you, Neil. Completely.”

A shiver coursed through Neil’s body. “But what if I told you that what people say about me is true. I’m a bad person, Ellen.” His dark brown eyes looked deep into my own. “Evil.”

“Not to me,” I said, and wrapped my arms around him.

His hands tangled themselves in my hair as he held my head against his chest.

“If you don’t mind,” Neil said quietly, “I think it would be best if I stayed here with you tonight. I wouldn’t expect Derrick to try anything, but you never know what anger and a bruised ego can do to a person.”

“I want you to stay,” I said, reaching up and stroking his jaw line.

He tilted my chin softly and kissed me. “I can tell you’re exhausted,” he said. “Why don’t you go change and get ready for bed, and I’ll keep out of your way.”

I nodded and he walked across the room, checking out my dry-erase board and posters to give me privacy. I ran to the bathroom, washed up, and brushed my hair and teeth. I came back to the room and put on a new pair of underwear (were mine just lying out in the woods somewhere?) and a pair of pajama pants. I took off Neil’s shirt, but when I went to take off my own I let out a gasp.

“Ellen? What is it?” Neil said anxiously.

“My back, I think it might be a little cut up,” I said, gingerly easing the shirt over my head.

“Can I turn around?” he asked.

I turned around so he would only see my backside and held my shirt to my chest. I was still wearing my bra, but I felt so naked. “Yes,” I answered.

Neil came over to me and touched my back cautiously. He tried to control his voice, but I could hear his anger rising as he said, “The tree he held you against tore into your skin.” He paused for a moment and I could hear him breathing deeply. “You have several long scrapes. I’m going to have to clean this. There’s dirt, bark, and who knows what else. Can you go lie on your stomach on the bed? I can find what I need.”

He left the room and I climbed onto the bed. My pillow felt so soft against my face that I had to really fight to stay awake. Neil came back a few minutes later with some towels, a bowl of warm soapy water, a wash cloth, and some antibiotic cream. He brushed my hair off of my back and placed a thick rolled up towel on either side of me.

When he unhooked my bra I couldn’t help but tense up a bit. He leaned down and kissed the back of my neck and whispered, “It’s alright Ellen. Try to get some sleep. I’ll take care of you.”

The sensation of the washcloth on my back felt incredibly warm and relaxing. “Where were you?” I asked him. “I went to your house and your dad said something about Carnegie Melon.”

“Yes,” Neil replied. “I was in the national science competition there. I go every year.”

“Have you ever won?”

Neil was quiet for a moment as he applied cream to my back. “Sometimes,” he said quietly.

My wolf was there, waiting for me when I drifted to sleep. I lay down beside him and he snuggled up closer to me. “Sleep now,” his voice sounded in my mind. “I will watch over you.”

***

“Ellen,” Neil said, stroking my cheek. “Ellen, are you awake?”

I opened my eyes and grinned. It felt so good to wake up to him.

Neil smiled and kissed me. “It’s about 5am. I’m going to run home. I’ll be back in a few hours, okay? Tell your mom I’ll be coming over to help you study.”

“Oh God,” I said, remembering all of my tests.

“I know,” Neil said chuckling. “Your planner was lying out on your desk and I noticed all of the sad faces you drew by the names of each of your tests next week and I assumed you could use a little help. I’ll be here around ten o’clock, okay?”

I nodded and said, “Is my back okay?”

Neil sat on the edge of my bed and ran his fingers through my hair. “It will be fine. The cuts weren’t deep. Just wear something loose-fitting today so it doesn’t get irritated. And your neck is visibly bruised. Do you have a turtleneck or something high to cover it?”

I was quiet for a moment. “Yes. But shouldn’t we tell someone what he did? Shouldn’t we go to the police?”

Neil smiled sadly. “We can try if that’s what you want to do, but I promise you Derrick has already constructed an alibi for last night and the cops would only spend their time trying to pin this on me. One of Derrick’s uncles is even the chief of police. We don’t stand a chance.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. “I just can’t believe he can do that to me and then I still have to see him in school Monday.”

Neil kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear, “Let me worry about him.”

I nodded. “I love you Neil.”

As soon as I said it, my eyes widened, as did Neil’s. I was still drowsy and I just said what I felt without thinking about it first.

It was hard to read Neil’s expression. After a moment he said, “I love you too, Ellen, but I hope that you will wait to say that again until you have heard all I have to say next weekend. I just want you to know the truth about everything before you decide.”

“Okay,” I agreed. He kissed me gently and was out the door. I listened carefully, but I never heard a sound as he left the house.

***

Neil was a miracle worker. After only a few hours I felt much more confident about my upcoming tests. He seemed to know exactly how to explain things so that they not only made sense, but also stuck with me.

With my tests off my mind, I realized I had other things to worry about. “Neil,” I whispered across the kitchen table. (Neil thought it would be best if we did homework out in the open though I tried to persuade him we could do it just as well in my bedroom.)