• “Zane!” I screamed in horror as I ran over and crouched down trying to lift his face up as the cold winter air came in from the door. His face was bloody with a big wound open on his forehead. A big bruise was forming on his chin. “Oh god Zane,” I whispered. I pushed him over trying to see him. He groaned his one eye black and blue then other was trying to open. “Zane?” I shook him tears forming my eyes.

    “Olivia…” he mumbled.

    “Yes! Yes I’m here,” I told him. He groaned his eye brows going together.

    “Come here,” he whispered trying to lift his hand. I came down a couple tears falling from my eyes. “You sound really sexy when you’re scared.” he whispered. I jumped back and stared at him wide eyed. He grinned but then winced when it hurt.

    “You idiot! How can you joke when you’re practically dying on my floor?!” I yelled.

    “Ow,” he mumbled closing his good eye. I stood up and shut the front door seeing Zane’s car parked in the yard. Oh my gosh. What happened? I locked the door getting goose bumps. It wasn’t from the cold though. I had bad feeling about this. I sat back down on my knees my stomach churning.

    “Zane?” I whispered and put my hand on his cheek. He sighed and leaned into it not opening his eye. “You need to stand up ok?” I whispered. He didn’t move. My heart was pounding. Was he dying? Should I call the ambulance? “Come on! Crack another joke. Please!” I begged. He groaned and moved his head. I stood up and pulled him with me. He was practically laying on me. “Zane, come on! Please help me.” I said. Finally I got him to the couch and laid him down. He grunted. I was crying now. I ran to the kitchen and got a glass of water I went back in and sat on the edge of the couch. “Zane, you need water.” I pulled his head up and poured water in his mouth. He swallowed then opened his eye a little.

    “Why are you crying?” he asked. I breathed a sigh of relief. If he was talking we would be ok. “You. Silly.” I said shaking my head. He half smiled but it looked like it hurt.

    “I’m fine…..just…just give me 5 ibuprofen.” I frowned.

    “You need to rest.” He nodded and leaned his head on the couch. I ran up stairs and grabbed the medicine and pulled out 5 pills. I got a cup and filled it with hot water and a wash cloth and went back down stairs. “Here,” I whispered sitting on the floor next to the couch. I put the pills in his mouth and grabbed my water bottle and let him drink it down as he leaned his head up. He nodded and I pulled back. He let his head fall back down. His eyes closed. “We need to talk.” I whispered. He was silent. I swallowed hard as I looked across at his chest. I slowly peeled off his jacket then was afraid to see what was under the other shirt. I saw it already it was traveling up his shoulder. I slipped off his shirt as he grunted but didn’t say no. I gasped and put my hand to my mouth. There was a large bruise from his stomach up to his shoulder. Then on his arm were hand prints. “Oh my gosh!” I yelled. Zane looked up at me his eyes looking distant. He gave a short laugh then coughed.

    “It’s just a couple bruises.”

    “He did this to you didn’t he?” I whispered as I sat down on my knees and looked into his eyes. He clenched his teeth and looked down at my hands on my lap.

    “Yeah,” he choked out. I shook my head.

    “Zane,” I whispered closing my eyes. “You need to tell someone about this. It’s getting out of control!” I yelled. He shook his head.

    “It’s over now.” he said coldly acid in his voice.

    “When did this happen?” I demanded. He leaned back the marks on his arm really showing. “Last night…..he said something bad about you.” he looked over at me his eyes sweet but hard. “I hit him.” a lump started in my throat. “We got into a fight. He hit me and I hit back just as hard,” I didn’t want to hear anymore. No. but I had to let him finish. “He got me good in the stomach and I fell. He had the advantage and kicked me and kicked me……he was rough. More rough then he has been. Finally he gave up and yelled screaming all this crap about respect.” he scoffed. His voice sounded a lot better. Something of hope filled me a little. “Then this morning I couldn’t get up for school. I was in pain. He got mad. He came in and hit me again till I would leave. Finally I did….” he looked back at me adjusting his jaw. “And here I am.” he said. I didn’t realize how my hands were in fist and how I felt like hitting that man so hard he would die. “Where is your mom?” I asked my voice tense. He shook his head.

    “She was at work this morning. Last night she yelled but she wasn’t strong enough to stop him.” I looked down. Calm down Olivia. I told myself. It’s ok. I kept on having these visions of me killing him. It was horrible. Why did I care so much? I looked up at him.

    “I’m glad you came.” I said quietly as I reached for the wash cloth. I dipped it in the water then looked at him again. His eye that wasn’t black and blue was watching me, the light of the fire reflecting sparkles of orange. I put my hand on his jaw and brought him more toward me. Even though he was beat up he still looked handsome. Like one of those models that whatever you put on them they still look like sex gods. I touched the wash cloth to his forehead where the wound was, he winced. “Sorry.” I mumbled. I wiped the blood off. Well it wasn’t too bad. It looked like maybe he hit it on something when he fell. It already looked like it was stitching its self up. I looked down at his chest and bit the inside of my cheek to where I felt blood in my mouth.

    “It doesn’t hurt that much.” he said still looking at me. I avoided his eyes as I put the hot wash cloth on his bruised chest and shoulder. He flinched slightly as the hot water touched his cold body. I took it off and wiped his arm where the finger prints were just trying to make it feel better.

    “Are your rips ok?” I asked thinking. I looked up at him. He moved a little bit and winced. Panic stirred in me.

    “Yeah, I think….just muscles are sore.” I nodded pressing my lips together.

    “How are you feeling?” I asked. He shrugged a little.

    “Better but sleepy.” I nodded.

    “Ok go to sleep.”

    “Olivia, please don’t tell anyone. I’m fine.” he said quietly. I nodded as I stood up and picked up the wash cloth and cup looking like it had red dye in it. “Wait,” he touched my hand. I turned toward him looking down. “Thanks.” I smiled sadly and nodded. I covered him up with a blanket and went out of the room and into the kitchen. I dumped the cup of water and threw the cloth over the dish pan. I leaned against the cupboards suddenly feeling like a leaf getting blown away from the wind. I slid down the side and sat down on my butt. My hands were shaking a little as I closed my eyes and tears streamed down between them. How could he not want someone to know?! It would stop Scott from doing this! If I just call the cops and report Scott they would take him away for good. And Jane, why isn’t she doing anything? Because she thinks she loves Scott? Her son is getting beaten to no end by him and she doesn’t even care! I can’t handle this. I can’t handle seeing him hurt. Why? Because I did care about him. More then I ever knew.