Letting in Light ✔️ [Completed] [Book two]

Chapter 17

A scratching sound draws me out of my sleep, but not enough to fully wake me. I feel like the sound was heard in a dream which I can't quite recall.

I lie still in the darkness, and hear nothing else. The pull of unconsciousness is too much to resist, and I feel myself slipping back to sleep.

Then I hear the sound again. This time I recognise that the noise is like something being dragged along the polished wooden flooring.

Someone is in my bedroom.

I lunge across my bed in the darkness, and reach quickly for the knife on my bedside table. But, I realise too late that I'm not at home. My hand crashes into the corner of the bed's wooden post. I know immediately that I'm badly hurt by the awful shooting pain that reverberates through my hand up into my arm.

There is no time to worry about that now.

Only a millisecond has passed, but my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness. I see a silhouette sitting in the chair in the room. The noise must have been the chair being moved. I turn to switch on the lamp next to the bed as the figure shoots up out of the chair.

I spin back round, with my fists ready to defend myself.

That's when I hear him.

"Lizzie? What the fuck?" Daniel shouts as he switches on the main light in the corner of the room. He wears a panicked expression on his handsome face.

"Oh, Daniel." I drop my fists, and let out a sob as I feel the adrenaline drain from me. The relief I feel that he is here pulses through my veins.

I'm frozen in place, but thankfully he walks over to me with wide eyes and wraps his arms around me. I allow myself to be engulfed by his embrace, and cling to him like my life depended on it.

He remains silent, patiently waiting for me to speak first.

"I tried calling you. I had no idea you were coming back over. You scared me." I try to regain my composure as I speak with my head still pressed against his chest.

"I saw your text once I had landed back in Ireland, so I thought it'd be a nice surprise...." He steps back and runs his hand down his face. "What the hell is going on? Why are you so jumpy?"

He guides me over to the bed, and we sit down next to each other. It is only once I begin to relax that I feel the throbbing in my hand. I look down at it and see there is a deep cut that runs from the back of my middle finger down to my wrist. The bruising and swelling are already starting to develop, making my fingers look like fat sausages. Just great, I think to myself.

Daniel notices my hand at the same time as I do. I hear him gasp loudly. He reaches out to inspect it, but doesn't touch me when I wince, and grit my teeth with the pain.

"Shit, Lizzie. Let me get a towel. It looks bad. That is going to need stitches." He strides to the bathroom, and returns with a white towel.

"You can't use that." I pull my hand back away from him, but the blood drips onto my bare legs. I wipe at it, but it only smears the deep, thick red liquid further across my thighs.

"Why on earth not?" He looks totally perplexed.

"It's white. They will never get the blood out. It'll ruin the towel." I say flatly. As soon as it is out of my mouth, I know how ridiculous I sound considering the unfortunate position I have found myself in. 

"I don't give a fuck. Pass me your hand." I allow him to study my hand before he wraps it tightly.

"Thank you." I sigh, knowing from how it feels that I'm going to need stitches. "I better go to hospital. At least I know when I need stitches." I say playfully, and nudge him with my elbow.