Page 13 of We Are Yours

Where was I?

It was only then that I realized there was an IV in my arm, and I wasn’t experiencing any pain.

How much time had gone by?

This wasn’t the first time I’d woken up with one in my arm, but I was in a hospital, not someone’s bedroom. My mind worked in overdrive, though at least I still remembered who I was with. After steadying my breathing a bit, I took in my surroundings for a few minutes, thinking I’d find the answers written on the walls or something.

A black nightstand sat on each side of the bed, with a lamp placed on top. A long dresser in the corner, and a chair strategically placed by my bed as if someone had been sitting there, waiting for me to wake up.

I swallowed hard, continuing to let my eyes wander. The black curtains were closed, keeping the light from shining through, making the room have a soft glow. It was easier for my eyes to get accustomed to the brightness, and for some reason, I knew someone had done that intentionally.

Nothing hung on the white walls. The room was of average size, comfortable, and pleasant. It felt familiar too, with the scent and the emotions still lingering in the air. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have loved it in here. The privacy alone was nice.

Letting that sink in, I peered down at the bed, feeling the soft sheets on my skin. The clean scent was warm and inviting. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept in a decent bed.

However, what caught my attention the most was that I was only wearing a shirt that didn’t belong to me, and before I could give that any more thought, I noticed my cuts were all bandaged up. My fingers instinctively skimmed my eyebrow, and that too was covered in a dressing.

Did Julius fix me up?

I sat there until I pushed through the lightheadedness, and I was able to set my feet on the cold wooden floor. Slowly, I stood while still holding the bed frame as I tried to make my way to the window to open the curtains and allow some light in.

I must have been out for a while since the light felt extremely aggressive on my eyes. Blinking away the spots, I didn’t recognize the neighborhood or house I was in, but I wasn’t scared.

Did I feel safe?

It was such a foreign emotion that I found it difficult to even move. I was content where I stood, letting the sun soak into my skin. I shut my eyes for a few seconds, comfortable in the silence, savoring the moment for as long as I could.

No yelling.

No belittling.

No fear.

Is this their house? Julius’s bedroom?

It was such a silly question. I could smell him everywhere, and taking comfort in that was easy. In the blink of an eye, the memory of Mr. Bates and what happened snatched my refuge. Why was I there in the first place?

I grabbed the new bottle of water off the nightstand and chugged it down. It was refreshing, helping me drown out the worry. I knew it wouldn’t last. I’d have to face this.

On my way to the door, I caught my reflection in the mirror and stopped dead in my tracks. Turning my head side to side, I prepared for the worst, and to my surprise, there were only a few light bruises on my face, neck, and chest. My lip was pretty banged up, along with my forehead, but I expected that.

Though I wish I could say the same about my body when I lifted the shirt. It was a wreck all on its own with a mixture of angry black, blue, and purple bruises. I wanted to cover them, so I pulled out my ponytail. Long red hair cascaded down to my lower back. I instantly felt at ease, hiding behind a shield that protected me from the reality of the outside world.

I ran my hands through it, noticing I was paler than usual, but a bit of color was forming around my freckled cheeks. At that point, I might have been stalling, waiting for I didn’t know what.

Once again, I steadied my breath before I ripped the IV out of my arm.

It was now or never.

Ready to face the music, I had to get away. I opened the door and collided with what felt like a brick wall.

Not expecting to see…

* * *

The pianist.

Chapter