34. Pale Lips

Chapter 34 - Pale Lips 

   He was in utter panic and his chest was rapidly moving, trying to get a strong inhale of air.

    My mouth was wide open from this whole scene. Many questions were floating in my head, what the hell happened to Alex?

     My heart began to pound and my morning breakfast felt like it was rising out of my throat from the fact I couldn't speak. Dammit my disability. 

    "C'mon, I'll t-take you," He quickly grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the house, only giving me a second to close the door behind us.

     It took me a second to get my footing and balance correct while we ran to his car in the piling snow.

     This was weird. Not in a billion years would I imagine Caleb and I both being in the same car, let alone it not being against my own will.

   His car smelled like cigarettes and booze, completely trash looking. 

     He didn't bother putting on his seat belt while racing through the streets of Baltimore. It was the worst time of the day - rush hour (five p.m).

     I found this disturbing. How am I able to trust him to take me somewhere? For all I know he could be lying through his teeth. It wouldn't be surprising if he was, honestly.

      This was the brother of the married woman Alex had an affair with. Jasey Rae, the woman who even carried Alex's child at one point, her brother in the same exact car as me. This was all so wrong.

    "I'm so sorry, Laila," He panted, his eyes were strained and his mouth was swollen.

      Again with not being able to speak, I was left voiceless and incapable of forming a sentence. A nervous pit was growing at an unstoppable speed while we drove passed red lights. 

    It was so, so strange to hear Caleb...apologizing...but for what?

    Caleb's brown hair cascaded over his sweaty face while his bulky arms were in control of the steering wheel. His muscular appearance still scared me for a reason that was unknown to me. I was on the edge of my seat with being highly high-stuck. This was all too overwhelming.

   I tried to watch the road ahead of us to distract me from the fear in my mind but it was pointless. Too many bad scenarios were playing and it only made my situation worse.

     "Alex," Caleb spoke after finally getting his breathing controlled. "he called me to my surprise an hour ago. We met up at a bar, it was awful, Laila."

      I ended up choking on midair in response. What the hell happened? Even though Alex and I's relationship was rocky, I still deeply cared for him.

    "My sister's husband and buddies followed me, somehow knowing I was going to see Alex. They beat the shit out of him."

      I gasped loudly, trying to comprehend of what was just said. Solid tears were forming at the brim of my eyes, I desperately wanted to scream on top of my lungs from the words that just spoke out of his mouth.

    Without a second to spare, we pulled up to a colonial style house. I assumed this was Caleb's and his parents’ home.

   I wasted no time and swiftly got out the car without even bothering closing the door behind me.

   Caleb was right behind my lead while I boldly marched into his home, intruding an unfamiliar territory.

     "No one is home, but he's in the living room." He said behind me while I walked through his house, not exactly sure where I was going. 

    I stopped in my tracks from the sight of Alex. He was lying on the couch, looking, well, dead.

     Another gasp fell from my mouth and my hands covered my face at the sight of him. Dried blood was all over his shirt, ugly bruises were beginning to form over his skin.

    I dropped to my knees near the couch, holding his hand gently. 

   "He's been non-stop coming out of consciousness and I-I don't know what to do." Caleb solemnly said.

Take him to the hospital, idiot!

     Glaring at him with my death stare, he finally explained further. "If I take him to the hospital, they'll know it's the guy who was in the bar fight. My sis' husband is already in custody, man."

I smacked my forehead. This was beyond worse than ever expected.

    Having to think fast was mandatory, especially from the sudden groan that had slipped out of Alex's pale lips, a warning to hurry up. The living room was nicely polished. An expensive side stand was next to the couch with a note pad and pen lying on top conveniently.

     Quickly, I jotted down a few essential needs that would be useful on the pad. Caleb hurried on his feet to get the items for Alex.

      Now, I was alone with him. All the aches and pains of my breaking heart from this whole week of being away from him were coming harder to manage. It physically hurt to see him like this.

   There was a small cut on his colorless lips along with another cut on his forehead. His brown hair was tousled with a few specks of red blood in the roots. A drop was trickling down his face, gliding down his cheek, and then down his firm jaw.

     My heart ached the longer I looked. My hand gently cupped his cheek, swiping my thumb against his cold skin continuously.

   "Okay, I think I have all what we need." Caleb walked back in, his hands filled with supplies. 

    He placed down all the items while I grabbed the warm damp washcloth.  When I placed it onto one of his fresh cuts, his body winced. It pained me to see his body in this state. Drool had started to moisten his lips while a groan slipped through.

   The blood from his cut was cleaned up shortly. I applied a bandage for him and started to clean the other wound.

    Caleb watched precisely behind me. His breathing trickled down my neck annoyingly. It was a complete wonder why he was doing this, being actually somewhat decent, especially with making sure Alex was okay.

   My hand delicately put more pressure onto his skin, picking up the red substance.

    Alex twitched throughout his whole body, another muffled groan sounded in the deeps of his throat.

    It was reliving to know that he was at least alive and actually breathing. By the looks of it, Alex got a few hard hits and without a doubt it must have been painful. He’s only eighteen and the other guys must have been at least twenty-five considering it was Jasey’s husband and buddies.

     My heart stopped beating when Alex’s eyes started to flutter, trying so hard to open against the odds. It was probably a false alarm but it was all still nerve-wracking that he and I were in the same room.

   His face was slowly returning to color instead of looking like a ghost. He looked a bit better after cleaning his face up, but the bruises were starting to show greatly with disorientation. It distressed my heart so much to see him in such a brutal state.

     I grabbed the fluffy pillow that Caleb had brought me and carefully with care lifted Alex’s head and placed the pillow underneath.

    He groaned more loudly, hopefully somewhat a good sign.

    “It may be hours until he fully wakes up. He got knocked up pretty hard.” Caleb spoke, sitting down on the leather love seat next to me.

   I rolled my eyes. This wouldn’t have happened if Caleb refused to meet up Alex.

     I deeply sighed from my thoughts. I can’t really blame Caleb anyway. It’s not like he knew his brother in law and friends were planning to fight Alex. What did Alex want from Caleb anyway? That was the real question out of this whole awful situation.

     My knees started to ache from keeping my balance on them. I didn’t want to leave Alex’s side but Caleb was right, he most likely will be out of it for a while.

     Nervously, I got up and sat at the end of the couch Alex was laying on. It was the most unbearable awkward silence between the three of us. I had only now just realized that Caleb doesn’t know I’m mute…or maybe he does. It’s so hard to tell.

    “You don’t talk much do you,” He said with his eyes narrowing at me.

   I rolled my eyes rudely. No kidding.

    “I’m really, um, sorry about all this.” He apologized for the third time. “He called me to talk with me in person and wanted to start things new or something like that.”

     It was difficult to believe his words. Caleb’s whole life goal had been to ruin Alex’s life after what happen with this so called Jasey Rae woman.

     It was even harder to believe that this was my brother’s boyfriend. I actually did have some type of relation with Caleb and that frighten me the most. Not to mention I saw him and my own brother getting it on in the bedroom, which in fact still makes me cringe.

     The effort of not getting up and just leave was a rather tough inner battle. If it wasn’t for Alex here, like the way he was, I would be long gone and out of Satan’s reach. Well I wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for Alex.

       I hadn’t notice that my legs were shaking so terribly from the nervousness that was piling up inside me at a rapid pace. Caleb was a stranger who I knew as an awful boy, how did I get here?

    He could kill me on the spot for all I know at this point. Right here, on this expensive looking rug, in this highly sophisticated living room.

      Caleb’s parents must be rich, which isn’t really surprising. He seemed like a brat since the first day I encountered him, which seems like years ago somehow.

     So much has happened since my first Sunday breakfast date with Alex, where has the time gone?

    “Do you want water or something to drink?” Caleb asked quietly while getting up.

   I hastily shook my head no and then he left towards what I assumed to be the kitchen.

       I was left alone again and nearly laughed from what I realized what I was wearing. An overly large sweater, which was Alex’s, red plaid pajama bottoms, and my mix matched socks, leave it up to me to forget my shoes.

     My eyes landed on the red brick fireplace that had multiple picture frames on the top of it. I got up and walked towards the pictures of Caleb’s family.

         I hadn’t realized what I was doing until a photograph of her caught my attention. My hand carelessly grabbed the frame. While examining the recent picture of Jasey, I couldn’t help but notice so many things about her.

     For starters, she looked precisely like me.

    All of her features, her eyes, skin completion, her long hair, and sweet smile, but ten times better looking than me.

     My heart thumped rapidly against my chest from the unexpected visual of how Jasey appeared to look like.

    Panicking, the frame fell out of my hands, crashing to the floor with glass breaking.

     Only to make things worse, a voice that didn’t belong to Caleb chimed in.

  “Laila?”

____________

a.n

Oh snap...didn't tend to leave y'all with another cliffhanger but oh well ;)

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Chapter dedication: Fanfic (wattpad account) You guys rock at what you do B)

- Kc oct. 24 2014