A THIRST FOR HER

A THIRST FOR HER Chapter 4 (Jessica)

Chapter 4 (Jessica)

My first week at college has been really great, were being taught the basic techniques to cutting hair at the moment and I'm really enjoying it.

I've kept busy in the evenings by staying in my room and completing assignments that are due in next week.

As long as I'm quiet my dad doesn't even realise I'm home.

He usually drinks so much during the day that by the time I get home he's flat out drunk on the sofa.

That suits me fine, because my mum works night's and I don't like being home alone with him.

Occasionally Amy will come over, but I prefer it if she doesn't. It's too embarrassing having friends round to witness my dad's violence. Amy knows what goes on but I don't like her to see how bad it really is.

I haven't seen Lucas once all week, which is really disappointing. It's like he's gone into hiding. I keep coming up with exscuses to pop out just so I can walk past his house, but still no sign of him.

I was kind of hoping to accidentally bump into him at some point. I was sure there was an attraction between us, but now I'm not so sure. I don't have a lot of experience with boys so maybe I was reading signals that weren't there.

I've been thinking about him constantly, there's something mysterious about him that has me intrigued and I'd really like to get to know him better.

I'm startled suddenly by my dad's coughing outside my bedroom door. I quickly close my books, flick my light off and jump into bed.

I snuggle under my duvet and listen anxiously for any sign that he might be coming into my room. When I hear the shower come on in the bathroom I feel my muscles relax as I let out the breath I was holding.

When I wake in the morning I let out a huge sigh of relief that I managed to go all night without alerting my dad to my presence.

Today's Saturday and I have to work down at Mr Chudleighs farm. Ever since his wife passed away he's struggled to keep up with the running of the farm house and so he employed me.

He's a really sweet man and more of a father to me than my dad's ever been.

I basically do odd jobs around the house and a bit of cooking and cleaning for him. He pays me well even though I'm only there two days a week. He's the only other person apart from Amy that knows about my dad. I think he only keeps me on to help me out with money. He has a lot of friends that I'm sure would be only too happy to help him out for free.

I owe him a lot, without his generosity I would never of gone to college.

I send Amy a quick text to let her know I'll be ready in an hour.

She offered to give me a lift down to the farm, but I think it was just an excuse to come by in the hope of getting a glimpse of my sexy new neighbour.

I hop in the shower and give my hair a quick wash, once I've dressed and straightened my hair I decide to try out some of my new make-up. It's meant for my course but like they say, practise makes perfect, so I may as well practise on my face.

Once I'm done I smile at myself in the mirror. I've gone a little over board with the eye make-up, but I look good. I head downstairs to grab a coffee before work and when I walk into the kitchen my mum looks at me with panic in her eyes.

"What's wrong mum? you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Jess" she whispers "do you have a death wish? If your father see's you done up like that he's going to kill you. Why do you insist on doing things to wind him up?"

"What!" I say completely outraged that she would say that.

Like my dad being a psycho is my fault.

"How can you even say that to me mum? I'm seventeen soon to be eighteen. Wearing make-up is what girls my age do.

I'm not doing anything wrong and I refuse to take it off" I say defiantly.

As I say that I notice my mum glance behind me and I know without looking that my dad's stood there.

I slowly go to turn around and as I do his fist comes up and punches me straight in the side of my face.

My vision blurs for a second just as my legs give way and I collapse on the kitchen floor. The pain in my face is unbearable and I lift my hand to feel my cheek. I'm shocked when I see that I'm bleeding really badly.

I look to my mum for help and with tears in her eyes she just shakes her head at me and walks away.

I sit there dazed and alone bleeding on the kitchen floor whilst my parents watch Tv in the other room.

I grab hold of a chair and manage to pull myself up. Feeling light headed and unsteady on my feet I head for the back door.

Once I'm far enough down the road I search my pockets for my phone, with shaky fingers I dial Amy's number. It goes straight to voicemail so I leave a message.

"Amy!" I sob into the phone, " can you come get me please, I'm hurt really bad and I need your help." I hang up and make my way to the end of the lane, out of view from my house. I touch my cheek and wince at the pain " oh fuck that hurts."

"Jess!" I look up to see Lucas making his way towards me, he stops suddenly when he see's the state of my face. For a second I think he's going to walk away , but he takes a deep breath and sprints over to me.

"Who the fuck did this to you?" He says angrily as he scoops me up and carries me in his arms. I don't speak I just cry into his shirt and take comfort in his heavenly smell.

"It's okay I've got you now" he whispers into my hair.

At some point I must of dozed off or lost consciousness, I'm not sure which because when I wake up I'm in a bed I'm not familiar with. My heads throbbing and I feel like I've been hit by a bus.

I groggily sit myself up and take a look around , I'm completely shocked when I see Lucas sat on the floor in the corner of his room. He has his eyes shut tight and his fists clenched like he's in pain.

"Lucas" I mumble, my throats dry and scratchy and I've got the headache from hell.

He jumps up suddenly, surprised to see me awake.

"Hi" he says shyly. " How are you feeling?"

" Um better I think. Are you okay? why we're you sitting on the floor? You looked upset, I can go if me being here is a problem."

" No no! don't do that, I want you here, really. I'm just not great around blood. I'm sorry." He says honestly.

"That's okay. Anyway thanks for taking me in. I don't want to take up any more of your time, so I better get going." I say knowing that was the polite thing to stay, but in my head I'm thinking please ask me to stay.

"There's nothing more important than taking care of you" he says sweetly. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"It was my dad" I say honestly. For a split second I thought about lying and telling him that I fell, but something about him makes me trust him.

"He overheard me arguing with my mum about me wearing make-up, she implied that I do it to wind my dad up and when I refused to take it off, my dad appeared out of nowhere and punched me in the face." I explain as the tears start up again.

"My mum didn't even help me" I sob.

"What a Bastard" he says furiously.

He kisses the top of my head and I automatically snuggle into him. He smells so good I wish I could stay in his arms forever.

" And just for the record, I think you look beautiful with or without the make-up" he says.

" How about I get my mum to clean up your face and then you and I go out for a walk?" He smiles warmly at me and I literally swoon.

"That sounds really nice, I could use some air. I just need to call my friend Amy first she'll be frantic wondering where I am."

I say with a smile.