Sweet Blasphemy

Chapter 8: I am Bulletproof

Chapter 8: I am Bulletproof

*Andy's POV*

Riley rolled over wincing in her sleep as her side made contact with my arm.

Something was clearly off. A while later she rolled over again. I pushed her tank top up to the bottom of her ribs running my fingers along her side. My breath caught in my chest, her skin was hot and inflamed raised in thin lines from fresh cuts. I lay my cool palm over them and heard her sigh in relief.

Riley's ringtone woke me at 7 the next morning. Next to me Riley quickly pulled her shirt down over her side sitting up. I grabbed her phone answering it on speaker.

"Yes?" I asked shortly. It's 7 in the god damn morning. On a Saturday. No I'm not exactly happy to be up.

"You've got one hour to have Riley outside" her father acted unaware of my very obvious irritation

"Over my dead body" I hung up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Riley reach her hand under her shirt pressing her palm to her side and closing her eyes.

"When did you do that?"

"Do what?" her eyes fluttered open.

"You're waist, it's completely shredded when did you do it?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I could feel it. Not to sound like a creep. Last night you could barely move without wincing. I just ran my hand over your skin. So tell me when did you do it and how bad is it honestly?"

She pulled up her shirt revealing a complete masochism it was much worse than I thought it looked like she had taken a cheese grater to her side and dried blood ran down her body

"It was last night" she murmured bringing me back to earth.  I flipped her shirt side inside out taking in the blood dried to the fabric.

"Riley" I sighed pulling her into me.

"I'm sorry Andy. I don't want to keep disappointing you but it's just so difficult." she whispered.

"It's alright I understand. Come on." I stood taking her hand opening the door and bringing her downstairs with me. I turned the water on waiting for it to warm up I went into the laundry room and grabbed a wash cloth.

"Here sit." Riley pushed herself up onto the counter top I ran the wash cloth under the warm water and turned back to Riley. "Pull your shirt up" she did as I said without question and I pressed the cloth to her side wiping away the blood. She winced shutting her eyes. I gently scrubbed the blood from her cuts all the while wondering how it was she trusted me so completely.

*Riley's POV *

"There" He finished washing the blood from my body and pulled my shirt back down tossing the cloth into the sink, when he turned back to me I slid off the counter into his open arms.

"I'm sorry" I whispered into his body.

"It's alright I promise I understand better then you think." His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Not just that though... I'm sorry I dragged you into all of this."

"It's worth it" I looked up into his eyes and he brought his lips softly to mine. For just a moment I forgot that my time with him was quickly running out and that my side was burning. He made me feel safe like I could forget all the pain I'd ever known in the world.

I looked at him smiling when we broke apart.

"I'm sorry I had to at least once" he pulled me into him again.