Time Heals

Chapter 16

Nathan

"I'm fine Nathan, honestly what's got you so wound up!" Mum was sat on the sofa watching TV, unharmed and Dad was nowhere to be seen. Relief flooded through my body and I let out a breath I'd been holding back with fear.
"Nothing mum I just over reacted." I reassured her, not wishing to worry her about Dad.
"Okay honey if you're sure." She smiled and turned her attention back to the TV.
The door opened and I knew it was Zara. After the relief had worn off, my anger towards her returned.
She didn't come into the living room; instead I heard her footsteps running quietly upstairs and into the spare room that we have given her.
How could she keep that from me? I'd told her my deepest secrets and she repaid me by keeping the knowledge that Dad knows where we live to herself. She knows the fear he makes me feel, she knows how dangerous he is!
She decided that the right time to tell me was when I was basically throwing myself at her.
I felt so angry. I wanted to shout and scream and hit things.
My father knows where we live.
The feeling of panic spread through me and I knew I needed to get Zara away from me, even if that meant hurting her. The safest place for her is far away from my family. I knew what I had to do, but it broke my heart to do it.
I stomped upstairs and threw open her door, forcing all emotion from my face.
"I want you out." I ordered, pointing at all her stuff. "Pack now and go back to your flat."
The look on her face killed me. I knew she wasn't ready to live alone there.
"Nathan I'm sorry I didn't..." Zara began, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Shut up! Go and don't come back." I snapped brutally, turning on my heel and slammed the door behind me.

As I hurried into my own room I felt overwhelmed with sadness and guilt. It didn't help that all I could hear was Zara's sobs through the walls. It was harsh of me, and I hated kicking her out but I had to do it. I had to do it to keep her safe.

Zara

"And he threw you out?" Alex sounded surprised when I told him what had just happened. "Just like that?"
"Yeah, I should have told him that his Dad showed up." I sighed and saw the graveyard up ahead making my mood all the darker.
"But he's over reacting a bit." Alex decided, but I understood Nathans anger.
"There's so much emotional baggage about his past." I shrugged and trudged through the graveyard, searching for Dad who I really wished I could be talking to right now. "He opened up to me, I knew how dangerous his dad is and I didn't even tell him. In his eyes I abused his trust."
"How dangerous is this guy?" Alex gave me a nervous look and his question made me think back to everything Nathan had told me about his father.
"Maria left her son to get away from him." I met his eyes and he gulped, realising that if this man caused enough damage to force a mother to leave her child, he must be rather dangerous.
"Have you thought about your safety? He knows who you are Zara." Alex put his arms around me and hugged me to his muscular chest. I found myself relaxing at his familiar touch. "I don't want you hurt."
"Nothing can hurt me more than I've already been through." I looked up into his eyes and his dark eyes had such concern in them.
This was my Alex, the guy I'd dated for almost two years. My Romeo.
Suddenly our lips touched and all my old feelings for him returned.
We were in love, once.
I don't know how long we kissed for, but the realisation of what I was doing kicked in and I pushed him away from me.
"Alex I can't..."
"Why not?" He stepped closer but I shook my head.
"No, me and you are done I can't go back to what we had." I felt tears spring to my eyes and desperately needed to talk to Dad.
"But what we had was amazing!" He argued, not understanding that I didn't trust him and I didn't want him. "You can't deny you still have feelings for me."
"Maybe I do, but I don't trust you anymore and I don't want to be in a relationship with you." I tried to explain and I saw the hurt in his eyes.
There was a tense pause and I watched his face intently, unsure what to expect.
"Ok, friends?" He held his hand out and I agreed, shaking on it feeling happy that he'd accepted my decision and hadn't pushed me.

From then on we didn't really say much more as we found Dads grave and I said a few words, nothing special but it made me feel as though he was still listening to me.
The flowers were still fresh so I didn't need to put anymore on.
After around half an hour I decided it was time to go home.
"Do you want me to come back to the flat?" Alex asked but I turned him down, I honestly just wanted to be alone.

~~~

The flat was the same as how I'd left it, but it seemed empty and cold. Everywhere I looked I saw memories of Dad which brought back the burning pain in my chest.
Nothing could replace the love I have for him, and I felt myself caving in and breaking down again.
I locked myself in the bathroom and turned the shower on, stripping down to nothing and stepping into the waterfall.
The tears disappeared into the stream of water flowing down my body.
Life wasn't fair.
I'd lost the most important person in my life and I still don't think I'll ever get over it.
Not to mention that I'd hurt Nathan, the person that has been so kind to me. I basically stabbed in the back by not telling him his crazy women and child beating Dad was in town.
Damn it Zara, you mess everything up, I thought to myself.
Then my mind wondered to the kiss Alex and I had shared. Should I have turned him down like I did? I mean, we were once the most popular couple in the school. Why can't we be like that again?
Too much has happened. Perhaps I did feel slightly attracted to him but I'd moved on the day he broke my heart. I put my head back, feeling the water covering my face and closed my eyes to stop the stinging shampoo.
I can't go back to how it was. Life will never be how it was.

Once I'd finished conditioning my hair I turned the taps off, feeling fresher and less emotional.
Wrapping a towel around me I stepped out of the shower and paused.
*knock knock*.
Someone was knocking on my door.
Frowning, I wondered whether it was Nathan come to take me back to his house. That was unlikely, and I kicked myself for my wishful thinking.

My bare feet padded gently against the floor as I walked to the door and opened it.
I gasped when I saw who was outside my door and tried to shut the door but his foot prevented me from doing so.
The man Nathan feared above everyone else shoved my door open, making me stumble backwards and it was all I could do to keep the towel around my body.
"Hello again." He grinned and shut the door behind him.
"What do you want?" I shot at him, nervous about how vulnerable I was in just a towel.
"My family." He stated, face manic and mad with power. "Once Nathan sees his pretty little friend under my control he'll come running."

The good looking part of him disappeared, overcome with the evil glare in his eyes.
"You have no control over me." I laughed at that thought.
"We'll see." He stepped closer and tugged my towel loose so it almost fell of my body but I managed to hold it up, covering my front and just wishing he'd piss the hell off. "What's your name?"
"What's it to you?" I spat, trying to come up with a plan but failing drastically. If I ran to the kitchen to try and get a knife for self defence, he'd easily grab hold of me. A tall, muscular man like him could floor me in a matter of seconds. Plus it would be difficult to attempt to look threatening with a knife while trying to hide myself with the towel. My hands gripped the towel which was my only comfort at this moment in time.
"I like to know the names of all my victims." His words freaked me out a bit but I managed to not let my emotions show as his hand held my chin, moving my head from side to side. "You are very beautiful. What's your name?"
"I'm not a victim." I tried to push his hand off my chin but he was surprisingly strong. "Let go!"
His grasp tightened and it began to get rather painful.
"What's your name?" He demanded, face inches from mine and his grip just getting tighter and I began to wonder whether he planned on breaking my jaw.
"Fuck off." I gasped and he growled in anger, throwing me onto the floor like I was a rag doll.
"You think you're strong, but strong girls are the best to break." He towered above me, smiling his creepy smile but for some reason I didn't feel scared, just annoyed that this man had caused my friend so much pain. It needed to stop.
My heart beat fast from adrenaline and I jumped to my feet.
"How do you break someone who's already broken?" I snapped back at him, kicking out and hitting his private parts.
He winced but didn't cripple over or anything.

Instead he grabbed my wrist before I could move and pinned my arm behind my back. This man was so strong; a weak teenager like me had no chance in hell of fight him off. Pain flew up my arm but my only thought was anger towards this beast of a man who had no concept of love for his son.
"You can be broken twice." He whispered threateningly in my ear then smacked my head on something hard, knocking me out instantly.