Forever

Chapter 26

Rose POV
The fog begins to leave my mind and darkness is replaced by light, seeping in through my eyelids. My tired eyes slowly open and I take in the place around me. My head rests on a soft fluffy pillow and I'm sunken into a comfy couch. A dark oak coffee table is seated in front of the couch, a large fireplace sits across from me, three long exposed windows line the extremely large room and let in the moonlight.

My head starts to pound and I reach up to hold the back of it. Oh my god...everything comes back to me in a flash, images of the club, the drinks, dancing, the man who dragged me in the ally and beat me, who tried to...rape me.

Where am I! Did he knock me out and take me to his home? Is he going to finish the job here and kill me?

My body hurts, not as much as I expected but it still aches. My leg begins to sting and I hiss in pain, the three scratch marks are cleaned and closing up, a scab forming on each, the skin around it looking and feeling raw. I still feel his gross grimy hands all over my body, touching in places that were not meant for him, my eyes begin to water as I think back to one of the worst moment of my life.

I need to know where the hell I am and get out of here. I look around and behind me, turned away, I see a familiar shaped man, Marcus? I remember I did see him, Jade, Amber and everyone else. What happened to the man, why am I here? shouldn't I be home or with Jade? Why would Marcus be here? Am I at his house? A million questions run through my mind as I try to put the pieces of the puzzles together about what happened and what is happening.

My throat hurts and my voice feels horse from all the crying and attempt screams for help. I throw all my pride out the window and squeak out his name "Marcus?"

I'm scared as hell, I feel like this is just another dream and I'll wake up any minute tied down to that mans bed and having unspeakable things done to me.

He turns around and his relived blue eyes stare into my frightened and confused ones. He walks hurriedly over to me and crouches down next to the couch. His large warm hands comes up to my cheeks and he cups them, starring intently into my eyes.

I don't know what to do, this is a very intimate moment and all I want to do is crawl in his arms and cry until I have no tears left. But I have to remind myself that he is probably doing this as a caring teacher and nothing more.

I anxiously await for him to break the silence we sit in, just staring into each other's souls. His thumb slowly makes circles around my throbbing cheek and I try to swallow the lump growing in my throat, knowing if I begin to cry I won't be able to stop. I try to focus on his soft touch and nothing more, just the feeling of the way his fingers glide across my skin and the warmth that spreads through my numb body.

"I thought I would never see you again" he says as if it's the worst thing he could ever imagine, the immense pain evident in his voice

The tears I had tried to hold in come rolling down my cheeks, I try not to completely break down but the wall is wearing thin. I try to speak but no word form, I don't know what to say. Marcus picks up my slack body, bridal style and gets under me so that now I am seated across his lap.

"Is this a dream?" I touch his cheek, praying he won't disappear

"No, no my dear, I'm here" he holds e to him tighter

I don't even care anymore, I don't care if he hates me tomorrow, I don't care if I get expelled, I don't care if he doesn't love me, I need him. I need him right here and now. I know he's the only person in the entire world that could possibly make me feel even the slightest bit better.

I bring one of my hands up to my face trying to cover my embarrassing swollen red eyes and I'm sure my very messy makeup, probably all run down my face. I bring the other up to his black T-shirt and clutch it tightly getting as close to him as I can, trying to collect all the warmth I can from him and not feel so numb.