The Lonely Girl (5 page)

“What the hell was she talking about? Goodbye and have a great trip. Are you going somewhere again without telling me
, Becky?” I can smell the whiskey on him, and I’m a few feet back. This is not good. I take a step back on instinct trying to put more distance between us. I can’t wait till there is an ocean between us. “Becca, I’m talking to you so you’d better answer me right the hell now.”

“Dillon, I’m going to Lakehead. You knew that’s what I’d planned.” He interrupts me.

“That was before us. You don’t get to leave me and that wasn’t what she was talking about when she said a trip, I’m not that drunk Becky,” he’s growling at me. I hate Becky, only he calls me it. I cringe again.

“Dillon, I’m
sorry but I was accepted into an art program in Europe. I leave Monday morning. I didn’t want to tell you when you had exams and I didn’t have time to tell you after because I had exams. I wanted to tell you in person and this was my first chance. It was fun Dillon and we are still friends but this is where I’m going and it’s not fair to hold you back.” I try to convey how sorry I am with a look, but nothing prepared me for what happens next.

Smack!

I am on the floor. Dillon just punched me in the face. I can feel my face and eye swelling already. I’m fighting back tears.

“You stupid bitch you don’t get to leave me. I’m Dillon Mathews. I love you and you’re going to stay right here. You’re going to do it or so help me God
, Becky.”

I can’t see anything
out of my right eye now. I yell at him, “No Dillon, because I don’t love you. I’m sorry I wish I could tell you what you want to hear but I can’t. I’m leaving and I think it’s for the best that you don’t contact me again. Goodbye Dillon.” He looks mystified. He lunges for me. I try to turn and run, but he grabs me by my hair and yanks it, and I fall down the steps.

I’m dizzy. I know I’ve hit my head. I get up and run out the back door. I don’t stop even though I hear Dillon screaming. I run home. I run up the stairs to my room, and I grab my luggage. I call a cab
because I don’t have time to walk to the bus terminal, and it’s late. I can’t stay and wait till tomorrow to leave. Dillon will be here soon. He won’t just let me get away. I grab an ice pack as the cab is pulling up. The cab driver asks if I’m alright as he loads my bags. I tell him I’m fine that I slipped. I jump in the cab, just as I see Dillon running up the street. Luckily, he doesn’t see me or think to look in the cab as it passes. This is a huge step for me.

I arrive at the bus terminal and go right up to the booth and ask for the next bus to Toronto. Luck
y for me, the last one leaves in fifteen minutes. I get my bags and head to the bus. We leave on time and it’s nonstop. Thankfully, it won’t take long to get there. I have a credit card my parents gave me, so I’m just going to stay in a hotel. I realize I am going to have to call Keegan, because I won’t be comfortable in a big city alone, and if my brother finds out I stayed and didn’t call Keegan, he will freak out. It’s late, he might not even answer. I dial his number, and he picks up on the second ring. “Becca, is that you.” I try to refrain from crying, but at the sound of a familiar voice I break. I can’t even try to hide it.

Crying, I say,
“Keegan, it’s me. I’m arriving in Toronto in forty five minutes or so. I am just going to stay in a hotel and then we can meet up when my brother gets into town.”

“Becca
, you’re crying. Babe, what’s wrong? Are you okay? No, you will stay with me. I will be there to pick you up do you understand?”

I
nod, but forget he can’t see me. “Yes, I understand. Thank you, Keegan.”

He sighs. “Are you alright, what’s wrong? Do you want me to call Alec?”

“NO! Don’t call him, please. I’m okay now. I just had to get away, I will explain. I promise.” I’m going to have to convince him not to tell Alec because he will kill Dillon.

“
Okay, babe I won’t call him yet. However, I don’t like this. Are you better now?” He sounds so torn I hate to put this on him.

“Yes, I feel safe. I’ll be better once I’m off the bus. See you soon.” I hang up. Everything is fine.
Dillon can’t get me. Keegan and Alec will see to it.

Chapter 5

As soon as I get off the bus, I see Keegan. I run up to him and jump right into his arms, sobbing. I have no strength left to feel embarrassed by this. He shushes me and rubs my hair.  When he goes over the cut on my head, I wince. He puts me down right away and steps back. It’s pure shock on his face. He can now see what Dillon did to my face and the back of my head. His face changes and I can not begin to convey through words the way he’s looking at me. He grabs me again and hugs me. Then he guides me over to get my bags and loads them in his car. He’s silent. He brings me around to the front of the car. He see’s my hesitation to get in the car.

“It’s okay
, babe. The motel isn’t far and I’ll drive slowly.” He puts me in and buckles me up. Once he’s buckled himself in he turns to me. “Hold my hand if you want to.” I scoot over as far as I can and lean on his shoulder. He grabs my hand, and we pull away.

When we arrive, he tells me to stay put.
Wow, he was right, the motel wasn’t far. I see him take my luggage into the room, and he comes back for me. I’m exhausted. He picks me up and carries me into the room. First thing I notice is one bed. Not that I care, in this state anyway. I’m too emotionally drained. He lays me down on the bed, and he gets his first aid kit from his hockey bag. He still hasn’t said anything. He checks out my head first. Whatever he did stings, and I wince. He blows on it and says, “Sorry.”  He approaches me and grabs my chin between his fingers to get a better look. “Did you put ice on it? The swelling appears to be fading but it’s already bruised.” I nod my head. It’s all I can do to make sure I keep the tears in. He bends down so that he’s level with me. “Becca, what happened?” I open my mouth to speak, then stop. If I tell him it was Dillon, he’s going to tell my brother, and Alec will beat the living crap out of Dillon and probably end up arrested. I can’t lose him too. So I lie.

“I fell down some stairs.” I can’t look at him

“Try again, Becca and don’t lie to me please.” I look up, and his eyes are glistening. He’s so worried and scared. I can tell before I even say it, he knows it was Dillon. What else I see is without a doubt he’s going to tell Alec. I want to be mad, except I know if this was Michael, he’d tell my brother too. I am actually happy he has found someone like Michael, who has such loyalty to him.

“It was Dillon. I told him I was leaving, and he lost it.”

He’s sitting beside me on the bed now. I continue to tell him everything. I tell him about the messages I got from him. The way he treats me, and finally, how he punched me then tossed me down the stairs. I told him I ran and never looked back, and that he showed up at the house as I was driving down the street in the cab. He just sits there absorbing it all, nodding.

I start to sob again. “If we tell Alec he will kill him. I can’t lose him too.” I don’t even have to explain that he gets it. He pulls me down to him
, and I lay down crying all over his shirt.

When I finally calm down, my phone starts ringing. I don’t need to look. It’s a personalized ringtone for Dillon. I start shaking and crying again. Every time it stops ringing it starts again. The third time Keegan says, “That’s Dillon isn’t it?” I just nod. He gets up and goes to answer it.

“No, this isn’t Becca, you little shit. No you can’t speak to her.” I shake and tears pool again.

“This isn’t her brother but I bet your ass when he finds out he’s going to want to beat the living crap out of you just like I will if you contact her again. Got it?”  He hangs up.

“Becca, are you okay? I should take you to the police station.” I jump up and scream.

“No. NO! No police.” He walks up to me and hugs me.

“I’m calling your brother, though, and then we can talk about the police.” I know that’s as good as it’s going to get so I just nod. He walks over, picks up his phone and dials Alec.

“Alec, sorry to wake you man but there’s been a problem. Your sister’s here.
Before you freak out, she’s fine but I think you should come.” He pauses, then starts again. “She got into a fight with Dillon and is upset.” Keegan’s quiet again “Okay, see you in the morning.” I breathe out the breath I didn’t even know I was holding in.

“Keegan, why didn’t you tell him?”

He turns to me. “I didn’t want him to bypass us and go right after Dillon. Besides, he should hear this in person don’t you think?” I just nod. “I’m going to sleep on the chair I want you to lay down and try to rest.” I shake my head vigorously.

“Keegan, I can’t.” I start to cry again.

He walks over and again pulls me down with him, so I am lying on his chest. “It’s okay, babe I’m here. Everything will be okay.”

I
nod, then turn and look up at him. “Please stay with me. I don’t want to wake up alone. I’m scared, please.” I’m holding onto him like my life depends on it.

“I’m not going anywhere Becca. I promise. You’re safe with me.” I start to drift asleep.

In my head, I answer him with ‘I know I am’. Before I’m out cold, I swear I hear him saying, “I didn’t mean it.” But I’m too far gone to be sure.

******************************************

I wake up several hours later. Keegan is playing with my hair and kissing my head. He thinks I’m still asleep. I wait a few minutes because this is the first time in a long time I feel comforted and safe. Then I start to move, and his hands stop. I turn and look up at him. “Good morning, Keegan.” He looks sad when he looks at my face. I bet I look awful.

“Morning, Becca. Did you sleep alright?” I nod.
He adds, “The swelling is mostly gone. It’s just badly bruised. Please tell me this was the only time he’d done this or I may walk out and kill him right now.”

“He’s never touched me before
. He’s only yelled at me. He’s sent me awful messages but he’s never been physical until last night. Before you even ask, I’m not lying and I’m not going anywhere near him ever again.” I squeeze him trying to tell him how thankful I am.

“I believe you Becca. I’m glad you won’t go near him again, because he doesn’t deserve you and he didn’t before he did this either. Oh your brother will be here in
about twenty minutes.” He looks glum. I know he already knows how this is going to go down with Alec. I get up to get dressed. The gash on my head is covered by my hair. I put on more makeup than usual to hide the bruise on my face, but there is no hiding it. I give up. I hear my brother come in and he’s frantic.

“Where is she? What happened, Keegan? Is she okay?” He’s so worried.

“She’s in rough shape but she’s fine. Before she comes out I should tell you what happened.”

As soon as he gets to the part where I get punched I hear him yell, “What?”

The bathroom door busts open and there is Alec staring at me with his mouth wide open. Shocked doesn’t even begin to describe what he looks like right now. “He’s dead.” He goes to storm out, but Keegan grabs him, and I hustle out behind him.

“Man
, don’t do that alright. She needs you right now.” He automatically stops fighting, turns around and grabs me into a big hug. I can tell he’s trying not to cry. I begin sobbing.

Over the next hour, I explain the entire story.
Alec hadn’t even heard about my stair tumbling yet, and he was even more livid. He warned me if he ever saw the asshat, or if he contacts me, then Alec’s kicking his ass. Keegan also chimed in on this and said he’d help. Alec eventually noticed one bed and asked about the sleeping arrangements. Keegan went to tell him, but I beat him to it. I told my brother I was a disaster and begged him to stay with me because I was scared to be alone. I was afraid to fall asleep and have nightmares. Alec asked me if I had a nightmare. I found it odd that he asked that question. I told him I didn’t, and that seemed to make him somewhat happy. Now that I think about it, I haven’t had a nightmare anytime I was with Keegan. I know he wanted to say something. I haven’t let anyone sleep with me other than Alec when he held me after Michael died. The room is silent. I hadn’t noticed because I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that I might have more than friend interests in Keegan. Which is bad, I can’t go falling for another one of my brother’s best friends. Not to mention Keegan made it pretty clear at the party I was like a little sister. I look up to see both of them staring at me.

“I’m fine.” I reply before they can ask. Alec comes and sits beside me. I know what he’s going to say before he even says it.

“We should tell the police and call Mom and Dad. He can’t get away with hurting you. If I had come home for the summer this wouldn’t have happened.” I hug Alec then slowly take a step away from the bed and pace.

When I have my thoughts in order I tell them what they don’t want to hear. “No, we aren’t going to tell anyone. I’m going to Europe to study art, spend time with Charlotte, and then I’m starting university. If he comes anywhere near me again then we can do something but I just want to move on and forget.” And just to seal the deal so my brother will drop it, I add, “Besides this year has
been hard enough on me. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Looking at Alec, I know my words hit home. He will drop it. I feel horrible stooping to this level, but I just want this over with. I will be living fifteen hours away
from home come fall. I’m a horrible human being, who does that? Oh, that’s right Becca does. I start to cry softly. I feel arms come around me. I instantly know they aren’t Alec’s. I turn into the arms and look up at Keegan. His eyes see right into my core. I relax and put my arms around him.