Until There Was You (9 page)

'I didn't ask him to.......I
don't even know how he found me, I swear...' I plead knowing what's
coming next as he advances on me and my chance to escape vanishes.
My eyes dart around looking for an escape route or somebody,
anybody to help but it's pointless the streets are deserted.

His fist lands square in my
face, as I try to run he grabs my hair at the roots and holds me in
place as another blow strikes my stomach. I try to curl up and
protect myself but it hurts my head to much, his grip never
faltering.

'Was you going to run from me
again whore?' He laughs sadistically as he throws me effortlessly
to the ground.

'No Mike, I wasn't I promise
Mike please.' I beg but it's all in vain as the punches and kicks
begin to rain down on my body curled up on the cold pavement. I
feel his fist connected with my stomach with such force that it
takes my breath away, he stands on my wrist and I hear something
crack. There is no escape for me this time, nobody is coming to
save me. I pray for the darkness to take me but it doesn't. I
scream when I hear my ribs crack and pain racks my body, it does no
good though it never does, even when he squeezes my head under his
foot. The blows keep coming my face, my legs, my arms that he his
stamping on just like my head. Please make him stop....

I hear shouting and the blows
stop, or at least I think they do. My body hurts to much to move,
my eyes won't open enough to see who it is shouting as the
blackness draws closer. Finally it will take me, at last I can be
free. I am ready to die, to escape from this pain will be a relief.
In my mind I see Liam, I will never get to apologize, to tell him I
love him or even say goodbye.

'Goodbye Liam.' I whisper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter SIxteen

Liam

Two Days Later

She left me, she left me and she
isn't coming back to me. I haven't moved from my office since she
left, though I haven't done any work. I have been sat here with my
good friend Cognac the only thing proving that the outside world
still exists is the news channel on the TV on the wall. Where is
that fucking remote.

Two days ago I watched her walk
down the driveway and out of my life forever. What did I
do......Nothing I didn't even chase her, try to change her mind.
Why?....Because I am a selfish coward! The irony is twisted, I can
have any girl I want yet the one I do want doesn't want me. Funny
isn't it.

'Liam!' Oh what the fuck does
she want, it's all her fucking fault. I slam my head against the
desk in frustration, wincing at the impact.

The door to my office swings
wide open and my Mother stands in the doorway looking her usual
immaculate self.

'He's in here.' She calls out to
god only knows who.

'Where have you been? Why
haven't you been answering your calls? Are you drunk?' She lectures
me not even giving me chance to answer her. Nate walks in behind
her with pity in his eyes when he takes in my disheveled
appearance. I don't need his fucking pity!

'Well look who came to visit.' I
stand up clapping but the room spins so I fall back into my chair.
'My two favourite people, I am honoured.' I slur.

'Jesus Liam, what the hell
happened to you?' Nate asks, acting like he cares. 'Where is
Alexis?' Oh finally the real reason he came, didn't take him
long.

'She's gone, gone away from me.'
I mumble like a nutter, maybe I am. Maybe losing her will cost me
not only my heart, but my fucking sanity.

'What do you mean she is gone?'
My Mother questions.

'SHE. LEFT. ME!' I bellow at the
top of my lungs then take another swig of my cognac.

'Liam mate, where did she go?'
Nate asks.

'Why do you want her for
yourself, as long as you have £500 she is yours.' I laugh
bitterly.

He is about to respond when the
news lady steals my attention.

Breaking news just in, Police
are looking for any witnesses to a violent assault that has left a
young woman said to be in her late teens to early twenties fighting
for her life. Police are also appealing to anybody that may also be
able to identify the woman, who is around 5 foot 3 with blonde
hair. Due to the nature and viciousness of the attack and injuries
sustained by the victim, we cannot give a better description.
However we can tell you that she was wearing a white off the
shoulder sweater and black jeans and boots, 48 hours ago. Anybody
with informa.....'

The noise fades and the room
spins, I don't know how I know but I just do. I know that it is
Lexi, My Lexi. Oh God, I sink to the floor in front of the TV. I
hadn't realized I even got out of my chair until my knees hit the
hard floor. I can hear Nate calling me and my Mother screaming but
I can't think straight. I can't think of anything but Lexi, I have
to get to Lexi, she needs me.

'Lexi' I whisper in despair.

'Liam, please tell me you don't
think that poor women is Lexi?' Nate asks me, his tone grave.

'Hospital Now, Needs Me.' I
mutter and somehow he understands, helping me up. I rush out the
office, Nate hot on my heels and my Mother behind him.

'Dem car now!' I snap down the
phone.

'You can't go like that, what if
someone see's you Liam. You look ghastly.' My Mother states.

'Are you fucking serious right
now? Lexi, My Lexi, the girl I love could be taking her last breath
and you want me to fucking shower and shave in case someone sees
me, stupid woman.' I snarl, all traces of my drunken state
evaporated as I run to the car.

When I pull up at the hospital
the news lady said she was at I am frantic.

'Alexis Cross, I need to see her
now.' I blurt out to the lady on the reception desk as she taps
away.

'Sorry Sir, we have no one by
that name here.' She says politely. She must have. The news said
she was here.

'The girl from the news report,
we think it may be my friends girlfriend. Her name is Alexis
Cross.' Nate speaks, how is he so calm and collected that I envy
him.

'I know it is.' I mutter
darkly.

'Sir you will have to wait for
the Police Officers before you can see her.' She tells us
sadly.

'What? Can you at least tell me
how she is please?' I beg as Nate puts his hand on my shoulder.

'I am so sorry Sir, I am under
strict orders not to release any information regarding her.'

'Oh God no, she is not dead, is
she? Please.'

I turn to Nate and he wraps his
arms around me.

'I should have stopped her man,
I let her leave and didn't chase her.'

'It's not your fault Liam, you
can't think like that.'

'How is this not my fault, I let
her leave me. I watched her walk away, I didn't even tell her how I
felt.' I cry, for the first time ever I cry into someone else's
arms.

'I am Detective Butler and this
is Detective Stark, and you are?' A tall, built man behind me with
a sharp buzz cut and a nasty olive green suit says. Stood next to
him is a short, plump lady with short black hair and thick purple
glasses.

'Liam Coltan and
Nate......Nathaniel Benson.' I shake both their hands and Nate
follows suit.

'We were informed you have some
information regarding the young lady in intensive care?' The lady
Detective inquires.

'Is she alive? Please I need to
know?' I plead, desperate to know if she is at least alive.

'Mr Coltan we are asking the
questions at this time.' The male Detective states firmly. What the
hell is this?

'So about this information?' He
continues.

'Alexis Cross, my girlfriend is
the girl in the damn new report.' I explain as calmly as I can.

'How can you be sure?' She asks
and I almost lose it.

'I just am okay, the description
and the clothes. She left me two days ago, I haven't seen her
since. I could be 100% if you would let me see her.' I fume.

'So she is not exactly your
girlfriend anymore then if she left you. Why did she leave you?'
She questions with a snotty attitude, I have had enough of
this.

'Nate phone Evans and tell him I
need my lawyer ASAP please.' I order as I hand him my phone, these
shitty detective are messing with the wrong man.

'Mr Coltan I don't think there
is any need for a lawyer here, we are just having a friendly chat.'
The wanker says.

'No you are treating me like
some suspect, when all I truly want is to see my girlfriend.' I
snap. 'So if you want to continue this 'friendly chat' arrest me
and wait for my lawyer.'

'That really isn't necessary
Sir, we are just doing our jobs.' He retorts. 'Surely if it is
indeed Miss Cross you want us to be vigilant, poor girl has been
through hell.'

I am about to reply when Nate
returns smiling and a second later Detective Stark's phone
rings.

'Stark...' She answers 'Yes
Sir......No Sir.......We didn't know Sir......Yes
Sir.......Understood.' She cuts the call, her face is pale as she
whispers to her partner.

'Evans.' Nate and I say at the
same time with smug smiles.

'Mr Coltan, follow us and we
will take you to Miss Cross.... You too Mr Benson but you will have
to wait outside. Understood?' Stark explains in a much nicer tone,
I note.

My high is short lived when they
open the door to the room that Lexi is in. Oh dear god, tears fill
my eyes and my breath get caught in my throat. If it wasn't for the
birthmark on her upper arm I would never in a million years believe
this is My Lexi.

'Lexi' I whisper. Why, I don't
know, she can't hear me, but I feel like I need to try.

There are so many tubes and
machines, half of her head had been shaved revealing a fresh scar
puckered as long as my middle finger. Both her eyes are swollen
shut and purple, her whole face is the size of a football. Her arms
are both in plaster casts with needles coming out of each elbow.
Never in my worst nightmares have I seen anything so horrific, who
ever did this really wanted to kill her.

Mike....It has to be that sick
fuck I need to tell the Detectives but I can't bare to leave her
alone like this.

'Please come back to me Lex, I
need you.' I whisper as tears roll freely down my cheeks, I don't
care anymore.

'Wake up Baby......Please.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Seventeen

Lexi

Three Weeks Later

God its hurts so bad. So much
for heaven, I scoff to myself. My body is so heavy and it hurts to
breathe, I am warm though, I wonder where I am? I am so tired now,
maybe I should rest a while.

I am getting so tired of this
darkness and the god awful buzzing sound. Why can't I move? If this
is death I feel cheated, I am suppose to feel bliss and peace. I
try to remember something, anything but it all starts feeling so
heavy again and the buzzing is getting louder. The darkness
consumes me again, taking control and I can't fight it. I don't
want to fight it.

'.......here with you so he
would and let me tell you Pretty Girl, he bloody stinks.' I know
that voice. Pretty Girl, he only ever calls me Pretty Girl. Come on
Lexi think. Ha! I remember something, my name is Alexis Anne Cross
and I am nearly 19, take that darkness.

'Pretty Girl you need to wake up
now. Liam is falling apart, he misses you so much. We both do, so
come on let me see them lovely blue eyes Pretty Girl.
Please....'

NATE! The voice is Nate. Liam?
Oh my god Liam, My Liam. I remember everything now, My Mother,
Mike, Liam and the dinner. The argument, I said some really cruel
things and left him then.......nothing. Where am I? I want to see
Liam, I have to tell him how sorry I am. I try to move, I really do
but it's so hard and it hurts so bad. The darkness comes for me
again but this time I try to fight it, I swear I do but I lose and
the blackness takes me.

I wake again, I don't know if
you can call it awake but that's what I am. I can hear the steady
beeping of a machine but nothing else. No talking this time, where
has Nate gone? Has he left me like everybody else? I wouldn't blame
him really, I am used to being alone. I try to open my eyes but
they just don't want to no matter how hard I try. My fingers hurt
too much to even think about trying to move them, and there is an
awful pain shooting down both arms. My head is numb though, I
suppose I should be grateful really if the rest of my body is
anything to go by.

What happened to me? Was I in an
accident? I feel like I have been chewed up and spat out and then
ran over. I just don't remember anything after leaving Liam's house
in tears. I feel something soft brush against my fingers and I want
so bad to reach out and touch it.

'Lexi, please wake up. It has
been over a week since they said you should and I am scared Lex. I
am so sorry for everything I said to you, I never meant a word of
it. I never got chance to tell you that I Love You and to see if
you said it back. I do Lexi, I Love You so much and I just want you
to come back to me. So if you can hear me baby, you fight this
because I won't let you leave me again.'

It's Liam, he is here and he's
crying. He Loves me, nobody has ever really loved me yet this
amazing man does. I want to tell him I Love him too but my body
won't respond. Why can't I move, please let me move. I don't want
to be in the dark anymore, I don't want to be alone. I try my eyes
again, praying they open but get nothing.

'Mr Coltan, your Mother is on
the phone demanding she speak to you this second?' A soft female
voice tells him and he sighs, his breath fanning across my
face.

'I am coming now, thank you.' He
replies. He is leaving. No he can't leave me, come on Lexi wake up
now. He is leaving you, god damn it.