Forever and Always

Red-Stained Sundress

"Harvey...", Emi's voice came out as a hoarse whisper as she looked at him. His golden-brown hair was tousled, and a shameless smirk crossed his face.

Charles moved closer to Emi, darting his eyes between Harvey and Emi as he tried to make sure she was ok. Her eyes glassed over, her face now as still and emotionless as stone. It slightly scared Charles to see her so drained of the emotion she usually showed. What in the hell had Harvey done to her for her to be like this.

"Harvey, we need to talk outside. Now", Emilia told him, standing up and making her way to the front door. Harvey whispered something in Neva's ear before leaving her side and making his way over to Emi, giving Charles a dirty look on the way. Charles' heart thumped in his chest, threatening to rip its way out.

He watched as Harvey passed her, stepping out onto the front porch, and Emi doing so a moment later, closing the door behind her. Charles started to stand up - he needed to make sure she was ok. Harvey wasn't safe.

"Charles, dear. You need to let her handle her own problems, ok? She's a big girl now", Maria told him, giving him a look that told him to sit back down. He ignored it.

"I don't think you know what happened the last time, Mrs LePre. So please, I need to make sure she is safe", Charles told her, making his way over to the windows in the door and looking out just enough so that he could see but not so they could see him. Behind him, he heard the dramatic sigh of Neva as she flopped down onto the couch he just left.

"Why are you with her, Harvey?", Emi's hurt voice cut sliced though Charles' heart, and he deeply wished he could take that pain away from her.

"I'm doing exactly what you did to me, Emi! You and Charles! What the fuck is that anyways? I know you are more than just friends! Have you seen the way he looks at you?", Harvey shouted. Charles saw Emi's lip quiver, but her face remained stony.

"What are you on about? He's been my best friend since I was born! There's nothing going on, ok! Unlike you and Neva. As soon as I leave, you go for her. Seriously", Emi retaliated.

"You left with him! What else was I supposed to do?", Harvey yelled.

"Because you hurt me, Harvey. You physically hurt me! Look! The bruises are still there!", Emi cried, showing him the fading bruises on her wrists. Harvey's face darkened as she showed him her wrists. "You hurt me! And you didn't care. You still don't because look! You're with her! You know we don't like eachother, yet you still chose to do it! You hurt me, Har-", a loud thwack pierced the air and a moment later Charles saw Emi falling backwards.

It was like the moment happened in slow-motion. The slap sound, then her falling. As she fell, her head hit the side of the metal shoe-rack behind her, and all chaos descended.

"Emi!", Charles cried, swinging the door open and running out to where she lay on the floor. He was followed quickly by Maria and Ferdinand who gasped when they saw her lying there.

Charles lifted her head up gently, her frightened but pained expression looking back at him. And that's when he felt it. A warm, thick liquid coated the hand that held her head up, and alternating hands to see what it was, his heart dropped as he saw red. Red, red, red.

Blood coated the top of his hand in a thick layer, making him feel queasy.

"Someone call emergency services! Her head is bleeding!", Charles cried out.
Behind him, he heard Maria's scared gasp and she dropped to the floor beside Emi.

"Ferdinand, call them, please!" she begged her husband.
He quickly complied, calling emergency services on his phone and telling them the situation all the while Charles begged Emi in her weary state to keep her eyes open.