The Cure

Chapter 10: Battered and Bruised

Lily's P.O.V

I woke up on Saturday morning, my head hurting. I hated knowing what Nathan did, I hated being beaten up, I loved and hated kissing Nathan and I wanted to know what Steph was talking about all at once. I have all of this information in my mind, with no-one to tell it to as I sit in bed, thinking of how I can rid myself of the secrets. An idea pops into my head. 
I take the laptop from under my bed, sitting it on my lap and getting google up, typing in everything I know about Nathan into it. Intense speed, murders, fears of blood, mysterious, attractive, 
I write and just before I hit enter, I hear the front door slam shut. Who is coming in here this early? I ask myself and when I creep out of bed, looking through a small gap in the door, I see Steph, holding Kelly as she sobs into her shirt.
I run outisde to them, my legs cold from the sudden change in temperature. When I reach them, I see Kelly, a blue and purple bruise covering her eye and cheek, a large cut on her lip and more bruises trailing down her arms and neck. 
"What happened?" I ask but Kelly shakes, looking to Steph for an answer.
"James," she answers quietly, ashamed.
"He did this to you?" I ask and she nods, covering her face. Gently, I hold her shoulder and face her in my direction," It's okay," I whisper as I hug her, genuinely. I wrap my warm arounds her cold, frail body, tears falling from both of our eyes.
"I'll kill him the dickhead," Steph says, grabbing a jacket from the rack and putting it on. 
"No! Please...no, he made me swear not to tell anyone, you can't," she cries and I shake my head at Steph.
"But that bastard hits you Kelly!"
"I know but he loves me, I know he does and I love him," she says and Steph rolls her eyes.
"If he loves you why does he hurt you?" I ask, earning a glare from Kelly.
"You don't understand, he doesn't mean to do it, he just gets angry, he's always really sorry afterwards," she defend making me angry.
"You should never let him you that son of a bitch doesn't deserve you sticking up for him, stop defending him!" Kelly breaks down once again but as she cries, Steph becomes softer and so she hugs her, telling her she won't say anything and that it will be okay. How could James do this to her? Kelly has been obsessed with him ever since I have known her, why would he want to hurt her the way he has?

After three hours, the three of us sit on the sofa, our eyes all red and puffy from the tears, our boxes of tissues empty by our sides. We have been sitting, talking about what has happened for so long, listening to everything he did to her.
"It started a couple of months ago, we were at his house and I cooked him a meal for when he got home. I was just serving it when he walked through the front door and slammed it, so I knew he was angry. He stormed in and sat down, ordering me to serve dinner. I told him not to shout at me, so he warned me that he could do what he wanted. I was a bit scared but he promised that he loved me and that he was only saying that because he had a bad day at work. I understood and we ate dinner, it was normal afterwards. Then, a couple of days later, I was late to his house, since there was traffic but he got angry and slapped me across the face. I got upset but he started crying more than me, telling me how much he was sorry and how much he loved me. The next night, he got drunk and started to shout and hit me, pushing me around. I went to bed and in the morning, he told me he didnt remember what he did, so I didn't tell him. It got worse after, he would hit me when I spoke another man, he threw me out of the car when I argued with him, he would slap me when I said something wrong, he would beat me if I did something he didn't like and then leave me until the morning. After every time, he tells me he loves me and I believe him, he just has a bad temper and I need to help him," she finished and me and Steph could only tell her to be careful, to leave if he was about to hurt her, knowing that she wouldn't listen to anything else we said.
"I need another tissue," Steph sniffs, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I'll go out and get some, I need some air," I say and stand up, slipping a pair of shoes and a jacket on before leaving, no phone or bags. 
I walk from the building to the little supermarket across the road, buying a pack of six boxes of tissues, the cashier giving me a strange look but I just smile, she has no idea. When I leave though, I see James, in an alleyway between a chinese and a fish and chips shop, looking suspicious. I then realise I have to walk past him to get home, and so I begin my walk, not looking at that vile, repulsive creature that is meant to be a man. I keep my head held high, ignoring him, knowing that if he says something, I will kill him. I reach him and he steps out in front of me, his body blocking my path.
"Well, hello there Lily," he says but I just take a deep breath.
"Excuse me," I say politely, not wanting to rip his head off in front of so many people.
"Actually, no, I want a word with you." I look up at him and when I see the smirk on his face, I feel sick. This is probably how he was with Kelly.
"I don't so let me past," I say strongly, letting him know that I am not afraid of him. 
"You'll do as I say, so come with me," he growls, grabbing the top of my arm and pulling me into the alley, shoving me in front of him.
"You can't do that," I protest but he just shrugs,"I already did." I try to leave but he just pushes me back, my body sprawled on the floor, my neck scratched by the rocks and glass. I clutch the plastic bag, not knowing if it will be a good weapon. 
"What do you want?"
"I want you to stay away from Nathan, I don't care if you like him, I don't care if he likes you, stay away. He has more important things to be worring about other than a stupid, silly little girl," he patronizes, leaning over me. Nathan likes me? Is it bad that that was the only part of that I actually listened to?
"I don't know what you're talking about, now let me go," I say but he pushes my shoulders down, smirking once again.
"I'm not finished yet." The anger inside me explodes and I glare at him.
"I'm not scared of you," I taunt and see how much my one small comment bothers him.
"Why not?"
"Because you're nothing but a pathetic, ignorant, arrogant bully, and that doesn't scare me, it makes me angry," I add and see his eyes creases as his glare forms, lips trembling. Raising my body from the ground, my back is pushed forcefully against a brick wall, hitting my head and causing pain to shoot through me. The bag is still clutched in my hand. 
"You know nothing," he says, spitting into my face. 
"I know you're a bastard, that's certain," I reply, pursing my lips in aggravation. Suddenly and strangely, my body is released and his figure retreats to the beginning on the alley, where he dissappears, his mood shifting from angry to furious. How dare he? He thinks he is so terrifying, just beause he hits Kelly and she says nothing, but not me, definitley not me. I won't stand for it, not again. 
I return home, looking over my shoulder constantly, still wary of him being around. I hate him, after what he did to Kelly and the threatening me, who does he think he is? What was he on about 'stay away from Nathan'? He is the one that always comes to me! He is the one that kissed me! I may have kissed him back but he started it. What are the more important things he has to focus on and what do they have to with James?

Thank you so much for reading, let me know what you think would make this story better, what you think of the characters and anything else you want to say, it would mean a lot to me, xxx