*not edited*

Nataliya- 6 Years ago

I stay silent as we pull up to the falling apart brick house, that I stopped calling home a while ago. Alex is silent, his hands clenched around the leather of the steering wheel, not making any move to open the door. 

My eyes scan over him, his jaw is locked tight, pulsing, the dark brown pools of his eyes swirl with mixed emotions that I can't place. I knew he was mad. And I knew that he wanted to know what happened. But it wasn't like I was going to tell him. Not now anyway. Maybe in the far distant future.

Slowly, my hand reached across to the side the open the door, pushing it so I had enough space to walk out. I shifted, ready to stick my leg out and use the car as support. Wincing as I twisted, the bruises on my ribs hitting the side of the car. 

"What are you doing."

I jolted at the sudden sound of his deep voice. My eyes widening, marginally.

One of his brows were raised as his deep pools of warm earth brown stared at me. "You are not going to get out by yourself in that state."

I glared, I was fine. I could live. He didn't need to fuss. "I'm perfectly fine. I've had worse." My words came out sharp and snapped.

He simply let a deep sigh, before getting out of the car and making his way towards the opposite side. 

"Up you go." The door had been opened and one of Alex's arms were wrapped on my lower back and one at my shoulder blades. Silk over steel.

I could feel my muscles relaxing into his arms as he moved through the house. Deftly navigating through the plain white walls and hardwood steps, before reaching my room.

He laid me down on the white sheets of my bed before moving towards the door.

"Where are you going?" My voice came out hoarse and cracked, not what I was expecting. 

"To get gauze, a brace, depends on what you have." He turned, earth like orbs catching my night skies.

"Oh." It would be pointless to argue with him, Alex was pure dominant, he wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I tried to convince him. 

He closed the door lightly behind him, and I was left to ponder. Alex still didn't know where the bruises and ankle came from. Thank god for that, but he'd find out. If Alex wanted something, he find out. And when he did, I would be officially screwed. 

"I thought you'd have more."

I jerked up right, sending a painful jolt down my ankle. "What?"

Alex stood in the doorway carrying in his hands, my failure of a first-aid kit. I'd made it some time ago in freshman year, but never did have the time to restock it. 

"I thought you'd have more, what's the word... Medical appliances, from the little I know these bruises and ankles come often, don't they." His words were clipped, and from his tone he didn't sound too happy. 

But I was stubborn.

"Restocking is painstaking."

"So the lack of stocks."

I glared at him.

Sighing, he made his way to the side of my bed and placed the kit on the bedside table. Sitting down next to me his hands made their way to my left leg, getting my foot out of my boot, then his hands made their way to my right boot. Only then did I realize what he was doing.

"No! Alex, stop."

His hands freeze just above my right boot. 

"Liya, I'm going to take your shoe off."

I shook my head, whimpering.

His jaw clenched.

I could barely move my foot as it was, and my boot was tall, it would require a lot of twisting. Twisting that I was not ready for.

Ignoring my protests he pulled the zipper of my boot down, and lifted my foot. His facial expression appeared hard and unforgiving as he stared at my battered up ankle but his hands worked at a stark contrast and were ever so gentle and as he pulled the shoe off, careful not to cause me any pain. Raising my ankle on a pillow, he wraps the thick gauze around it, tightening with each pull. 

He was taking care of me.

The realization struck like a light bulb atop my head.

He was taking care of me. Not out of a sense of duty, but because he actually cared, he cares about me. A lot. The feeling sent a sense of warmth in my stomach, like soft, fluffy, warm blanket was draped around me. Protecting me from the dark shadows that decorate the hallways.

"Your going to need a brace."

Alex's voice jolted me from my thoughts, my eyes widening as I stared at him.  "Huh?"

His lips tilted up, "A brace, love. You can't walk around with this catastrophe."

"Did you just call my ankle a catastrophe."

"Maybe I did."

"I don't doubt it."

"Well, whoever caused this catastrophe has a lot to answer for. Might I now who it is?"

Immediately I tense up. "Alex... I can't." 

His eyes harden, "Why Liya, it's clear that this wasn't an accident, and what, or should I say who caused it, is someone at school."

He was spot on. Which was a very, very, very bad thing. "Alex." I choke out, "Please, I can't, it'll just make it worse."

"We'll see about that." His words came out hard and clipped. 

"Alex-"

"Don't. Whether you like it or not, I'll find out who did it."

I sighed, once Alex wanted to do something, there was no stopping him, he was just as stubborn as me. 

An unexpected sound of ringing shot through the house.

I jolted up, wincing at the movement.

"That was the doorbell."

"I realized."

"I'll get it." Slowly, I pushed my feet of the bed, careful to move so I didn't hurt myself.

Alex rested a hand a hand on my thigh, pushing me down. "Stay here, I'd rather not have you prowling around the house like that."

"Who ever is at the door will be expecting me or my dad, not you. It's best if I go." It was just the door... Why were we arguing over who would answer the door, it's not like it was a privilege. 

Resting one foot on the floor, I balanced precariously, one hand on Alex's towering frame. 

"Here." 

A pair of crutches were pushed under my arms, steadying me. 

"Where did you get these?"

"Remember when your dad bruised his ankle and decided that he needed crutches? These are the ones that he used."

"Oh." 

The doorbell rung once more.

"Coming!" I called, using the crutches to get down the stairs, Alex right beside me.

"Alex.... I think you should go." I said, stopping in the middle of the stairs, "Someone's at the door and well thank you... I guess, for... helping me, but..."

"Shhh," He placed a finger on my lips, "I understand." He bent down and kissed my cheek, climbing the stairs, ready to make his escape through the window.

I felt, the cold sink into the bones once Alex was gone, I missed his warmth. Fuck, what was wrong with me.

I lifted myself all the way to the door.

Grabbing the handle of the door I yanked it open. 

I sucked in a choked breath, fear trickling through my heart.

Standing in front of me were six men, one of them I recognized well. Too well.

"Dad?"