Need Him (BxB)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

-•PRESLEY•-

I didn't get out of the car. I was dragged out of the car. That's what I tried to explain to Nathan but I was too chocked up by sobs to form coherent sentences.

That was three hours ago when Nathan propelled us at full speed back to the Creeds facility. Now, I sat curled up in my bed, rubbing my bruised wrist. I felt absolutely humiliated that Nathan had to see me so broken back at that alley. I was nothing but a turbulent wreck.

I didn't want to go down to the infirmary to explain to everyone why I was sobbing my lungs out. If I was being honest, I don't even know why I cried so hard. Maybe it was a mixture of fear back at the alley with the combination of the overwhelming feeling that I had disappointed Nathan.

Or maybe it was the fact that there were two unconscious men at my feet in the middle of a dark alley.

The look that Nathan had in his eyes when he saw me was pure rage. The look of rage didn't leave his eyes until my two attackers were sprawled limply on the cold floor, and even then I could see that all the muscles in his body contracted with anger.

I didn't know what led me to tackle him in a hug. Thinking about it, I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

I was shivering under my blankets and ached to go downstairs to fetch a mug of hot chocolate. I sighed, knowing that I was too much in a shaken state to converse with people without sobbing.

The two men who attacked me back at the alley went on and on about how they were going to be rich once they took me. Just thinking about it, I buried my head in the blankets as warm tears trailed down my cheeks. I didn't even want to imagine what would have happened if Nathan wasn't there.

I was deeply ashamed of myself at how utterly weak I was. I wrapped my arms around my stomach at the thought of what the gang might think when they heard about my situation.

They might not like me anymore. They might trade me for another healer, one who was stronger and didn't cry about everything.

A knock at my door caused me to startle and peak my head from out of the covers. My hands trembled as I thought of who could be at the door. I tentatively placed aside the blanket and tip toed to the door. I cracked it open and I was met with the dark green of Nathan's eyes.

Seeing him, I had the urge to cry again and bury my head into his chest. I shook that thought out of my head and focused on his sharp features.

"Do you...want to come in?," I asked weakly, avoiding his gaze.

He pushed the door open gently and waltzed into my room, sitting on the chair of the little desk. I closed the door and sat on my bed, wrapping myself in the blanket again.

His stoney expression scanned my wrist where it had turned an ugly purplish color. He moved his lips slightly, almost as if he was counting to himself. His fists clenched then flexed relaxingly.

"Didn't I tell you to go to the infirmary so Ally could help you with that?," he asked, jaw clenched.

I nodded and wrapped the blanket tighter around me, forcing my lip not quiver.

The intensity of his gaze slackened slightly, then he pursed his lips and averted his gaze.

"And why didn't you? Hmm?" he asked, his voice softening ever so slightly.

I shrugged lamely and kept my eyes trained on the pattern of the soft blanket. I resisted the urge to squirm under the heat of his gaze that I knew was focused on me.

I heard him huff out a breath. "Get up. You're going to the infirmary. That looks nasty," he said, zeroing in on the colorful bruise and standing up to his full height.

I snapped my head up and shook my head frantically. My awful attempts to conceal my sobs gave way and all of a sudden I was crying again. I clutched the blanket to my chest and let the tears fall freely, burring my head into my knees.

Nathan was at my side in the matter of split seconds. "Hey," he said gently, reaching out a hand to graze my hair lightly. "Look at me," he said.

I shook my head stubbornly and I felt my whole body wrack with quiet sobs.

I felt Nathan's warm fingers gently remove my arms that were wrapped around my knees. He lifted my chin with a single finger and I was forced to look into his eyes that flamed with something dangerous.

"What is it?," he asked softly.

My lip trembled but I forced myself to speak. "I'm...sad," I whimpered pathetically.

Nathan released my chin and arched a perfectly shaped brow. "Explain," he said simply.

"I don't want the gang to see me like this," I hiccuped. "They probably don't want me to be their healer anymore. They probably think I'm weak," I trailed off softly.

"Kid, what are you talking about?" Nathan almost looked amused.

I shoved him with all my might which didn't seem to cause much affect to Nathan's steady form. "Don't laugh at me," I wailed. "They probably already heard about how those two guys hurt me," I said, lip wobbling. "They won't like me anymore."

Nathan had erased all traces of being even slightly amused. He averted his gaze to the wall above me.

"I didn't tell them," he rasped. "Not even the boss"

I wiped my tears hastily and looked at him with wide eyes. "Really?" I asked quietly.

He turned back to me and nodded simply. "That's why I wanted you to go to the infirmary and whip up one of those magical remedies. If no one knows, the better," he said, tone back to businesslike.

"It doesn't work like that, Nathan," I said smiling slightly. "The bruise will still be there if I make a remedy, the injury will just hurt less," I explained.

He went from my bed to the chair and folded his arms. He studied my face for a moment then cleared his throat. "That guy, the one from your school," he began. "I don't trust him."

"Why not?" I asked quietly.

"It doesn't matter why I don't trust him, all that matters is that I don't," he said, frustration clearly growing.

I was about to respond when there was a knock at the door. I snapped my head worriedly to the door and unconsciously shrunk further into my blanket.

"You expecting someone?" he asked, standing up and shooting me a glance.

I shook my head.

When Nathan opened the door, I was instantly relieved. Haley stood in the doorway with a tray of food, looking confused as to why her brother was in my room.

"Nate? What are doing here?" she asked skeptically.

"I was just leaving," he said flatly before leaving without a spare glance towards me.

I ignored the pang of hurt that found it's way to my chest.

"I heard you caught a bug," Haley said with concern, laying down the tray of food on the bed.

I discreetly hid the bruise under the blankets. "Yeah," I said, huffing out a breath. "I think I'll be better by tomorrow."

"Here," she said, gesturing to a bowl of soup. "I brought you some. Trust me, you'll like it."

I beamed at her and drank the soup with delight. Haley looked pleased. The rest of the night, Haley talked my ear off about a girl named Kenna who she was not very fond of. It felt good to just sit there on my bed, listening to Haley.

After a while, I found myself thinking about Nathan and with him in mind, I dozed off halfway through Haley's rampage.