It's Not Perfect

Chapter 25

My head was literally pounding when I was finally able to crack my eyes open. A bright light nearly burned my eyes from my skull, rendering me momentarily blind. A think ache pulsed on the side of my head and I could feel something warm dripping down my neck. My mouth was extremely dry and I felt my head rolling limply on my shoulders as if my body couldn't hold it up on it's own. I tried lifting my hand to my head but found that I couldn't move it. I moaned as I tried to open my eyes again, but the light blinded me just as before.

"Emma? Emma! Can you hear me?" I heard a distant voice calling to me but they sounded like they were shouting through a tunnel. Their voice echoing in my ears. I turned my head towards the voice, wondering if maybe I really was in a tunnel.

But then everything came flying back to me and hit me like a brick wall.

Duke had attacked us at the ball. He had taken Ryder and Chase, then he knocked out all of my friends, and he...he punch me. Dammit! Was this going to be my life, forever getting abused by a man whom had no intention of ever leaving me alone?

This time when I opened my eyes, I refused to close them even when I felt them watering. Eventually the pure light dimmed as my eyes adjusted to the brightness and I was able to actually see my surroundings. Though I half wished I had remained unconscious.

I was tied to a chair, my wrists bound to the arms of the chairs by thick ropes that were cutting deep into my skin. When I tried moving my legs I found that they too were fastened to the legs of the chair by ropes also, the rough restraints rubbing against my skin and leaving it raw. I felt the warm substance dripping down my neck again and when I turned to look at it, I saw that most of my left shoulder covered in blood. My blood.

Panic swelled in my chest at seeing it the crimson liquid running down my arm and dripping off of my finger tips. I struggled against the ropes even harder, feeling them dig deeply into my wrists and ankles. But I didn't really care. If Duke had me tied up, he was going to kill me without even giving me a chance to fight back. Though he knew as well as I did that I couldn't fight back, not against him and all of Jose's men.

"Emma!" The voice shouted again.

This time when I looked up I was able to see who was talking to me. Relief washed through me when I saw Ryder only a few yards away from me. But he wasn't tied to a chair like I was. He was standing, each of his arms chained to a poll on either side of him, resulting in his arms being pulled outwards. His dark hair was tousled and his icy eyes seemed even colder than usual. His suit jacket was long gone and his white undershirt was shredded and stained with blood. Part of it hung open, giving me a glimpse of dark bruises underneath his shirt.

Seriously, how many times was Ryder going to get beaten up because of me?

"Are you okay?" Ryder asked, breathlessly. I saw blood dripping down the side of his face from a deep cut over his brow. He pulled at his chains but had as much luck as I had.

I nodded, "I'm okay."

Ryder nodded too, looking around the room, "I think they're okay too."

It was then that I noticed Ryder and I weren't alone. Our friends lay on the floor, unmoving. Maria, Julie, and Brooklyn were slumped together, Maria's blonde hair caked with blood and dirt. Aaron and Cody were also slouched against each other, both of them looking like they had gone two rounds with a brick. Chase was tied separately from the rest of the group just as Ryder and I were. Each of them were tied by ropes like I was, their ankles and wrists bound tightly. They wouldn't be able to run even if they got the chance.

"Hey!" I called out loudly, my voice echoing throughout the rather large room all of us were tied up in.

Suddenly, each of them startled away. They looked around in confusions as I had, their reactions to the bright light matching my own. But when they saw me...then Ryder, I saw all hope drain from their faces. A common through spun through each of our minds, we were going to die.