The Alley ((Bxb, Short Story))

Chapter 4

Alexis POV

The pain was everywhere. Its what made me wake up, and its what made me be afraid to wake up. When I did open my eyes, it was only to little slits and I could barely see from them. My glasses were still in an ally somewhere, shards of glass and a twisted plastic frame. My stomach felt sick and cold at that memory, at that knowledge.

I bit back the sobs that wanted to bubble up into my mouth. I was done crying. I was nearly blind without my glasses, but I could still see the man who rescued me. He was napping in the chair, his head lolled to the side.

All I could see was a blurred impression of muscular arms that stretched the sleeves of his shirt, and naturally dark-tanned skin, and handsome, spare features. Not sleek, but large and blocky, large nose, high cheekbones, strong chin and high forehead. I tried to speak, but what came out wasn't even close to a word. It was the sound a tired crow would make.

It still woke him up. Even without my glasses and with my puffy eyelids I could see his dark eyes open in his tanned face. I could even see a smile that I knew was gentle and dazzling. A smile that made my swollen lips twitch into a smile of my own.

"Hey Alexis, its really nice to see that you're awake. How do you feel?"

I felt hurt and ashamed and bewildered and tired and so angry at myself for trusting that bastard that I wanted to throw something. I was scared and exhausted and humiliated. I felt like glass, ready to shatter. But that voice, that gentle, husky familiar voice.

"Better." I whispered, squinting into his blurry face. "I feel a lot better."

"My name is Dante Ceiro, call me Dan. Do you want me to get you something to drink? There's a vending machine in the hall and the nurse said that it was okay." He looked a little awkward, and while I couldn't be sure with my blurry vision, I had the distinct impression that he was blushing.

"Yes please." I whispered foggily. "Thank you."

He smiled, and did my heart beat a little faster at that smile? I think it did. "Water? Juice? Soda?"

"Juice please." I rasped.

He got up and practically ran to the vending machine. As he left, a nurse with frizzy red hair and pink scrubs walked in. She smiled at me while she glanced at my charts.

"Sweet guy, he never really left, and I think he slept here. My name is Marie and I'll just take care of you for now. The Doc says that you will be able to leave today, and he will come by in a bit with some information about your insurance and so on. On a scale of one to ten how bad is the pain?"

I shrugged and winced a little. "Um... I think about... seven."

She shook some small white pills into her hand as Dante came back with a bottle of apple juice. Marie looked up at him and smiled.

"That's perfect Dan. Alexis, take your pills with some juice."

I took a few sips of the sweet juice to clear my throat and then I swallowed three small white pills.

"There you go." Marie said cheerfully. "Now I'm gonna leave, if you need anything you can press your call-button."

Dante sat down in his chair with a sigh and I sipped at the straw in the wide mouth of the juice bottle.

"I want to thank you." I whispered hoarsely. "f-for everything."

I couldn't help it, I started to cry. I tried to turn my face away from this wonderful man who had saved me, I didn't want to cry in front of him. I felt so dirty.

"Alexis!" He cried, leaning forward a little. "Jesus Alexis, what's wrong? You were fine just a second ago..." He looked so confused.

"Please go away." I whispered. That sounded so terrible but I couldn't help it. "Please. I d-duh-don't want you t-t-to see muh-me like th-this."

I couldn't help flinching when he touched my hand with his big warm paw.

"I've seen you worse, and I don't want you to be ashamed." The shyness was gone, he sounded furious and his voice was trembling. "That fucker who hurt you, it's his fault, not yours."

I'd always hated crying. I hated how it made me look and feel, I hated how helpless crying always made me. I couldn't stop the sobs from where they boiled up my throat, deep sobs that hurt my chest and my heart and made all of my bruises throb. My mouth worked into an ugly sneer as I moaned with pain.

Dante, he was afraid to get in too close, to touch me, to frighten me. But he held my hand, engulfed it in two of his large calloused palms. Stroking my hand, cradling it. That one touch was more intimate and loving then any of the embraces or kisses by my one boyfriend.

His voice was so gentle and soothing. My eyes were sore and gritty from crying so much. "I'm so s-sorry." I whispered.

His hands tightened briefly on my wrist, and the bruise there ached. I had a brief and foggy memory of that monster twisting my wrist behind my back hard enough to make my shoulder creak in it's socket, holding me against the wall. I moaned low in my throat.

"Please don't say that Alexis." His voice was thick and foggy and his mouth was working. "You said that last night. You said it over and over."

Marie came in. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

She saw my messy reddened face and I could dimly see the harsh frightened lines of her face smoothing out. "Sorry Alexis, but the police are here and they need to ask you some questions. Dan, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, Alexis probably wants some pri--"

"N-No! P-Please don't g-g-go Dante! Please?"

I was scared. They were going to ask questions. I felt foggy and lost from the drug kicking in (thankfully the pain was getting better) and Dante was the closest thing I had to a friend right now.

Dante enfolded both of my shaking hands in the big comforting nest of his. He looked up at Marie. "Am I allowed to stay if he wants me to?"

I closed my sore and gritty eyes. I waited for her to refuse, but she didn't. She just went to the door and let the officers in.