You Light Up the Sky Like Lightning

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty-One

Justin didn't take it well at all. He was a mess- crying, freaking out, random moments of just yelling- and that was only the part about me getting physically abused. 

But when I told him that I had been . . . raped, he lost it completely. 

"Oh my god," he whispered. "No! I was supposed to . . . you know . . . but not rape you . . . But it was supposed to be me . . . When you were ready . . . And we would have our kids in the future . . ."  Then he did another random yell- one of sorrow and pain.  

He went on and on like this, and by the end of telling the story again, I just had no more tears left. I stopped crying, and my voice- and my voice alone- had returned to normal. 

Justin's tears on the other hand never ran out. He was like a waterfall.  I never expected to ever see him cry- much less over me.

"Justin," I said softy as he buried his head in his hands. 

"Landry, I'm so sorry. I should have been there or you. I should have come to look for you. I . . ." he trailed off. Suddenly, he picked his head up. "Why did he even do it?"

I attempted to shrug, but it didn't work. "He . . . he said that he was hired by someone, and he just did more than what was asked."

"He was hired?!" Justin yelled. 

I squeezed my eyes shut tight. "Please don't yell," I whispered, my head starting to throb already. 

I don't think he heard me. 

"Who would hire someone to do that?! Why?! What's the point-"

Carin came up behind Justin and probably covered his mouth. I don't know. My eyes were closed. 

"Justin, did you not hear what Landry said?"

He let out a strangled sound. 

"Justin, she said not to yell. It gives her a really bad headache. And with the unstable and serious condition that she is in now, we don't want to risk anything. Okay?"

I opened my eyes and saw Justin nodding. He was still looking at me, and he was still crying. 

I tried to sit up, but my left arm- the dislocated one- screamed out in pain, causing me to let out a squeak. 

Justin came rushing to my side. 

"Lan, be careful. I . . . I can't see you be hurt anymore."

I nodded and tried sitting up again. Justin helped me and was more gentle than he's ever been before. 

Despite what Carin had said earlier, Justin sat on the edge of the bed. He slowly moved his hand up to my face. I flinched when he rested it on my cheek- the one without the bruise. He was very gentle, but it still hurt so much. 

Justin very softly and gently moved his thumb so that it was rubbing my right cheek. He stopped that after a minute when his finger found one of the cuts- one of the many cuts. He traced his fingers along it, and I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes. It killed, but I would rather it hurt more and feel his touch, than have it not hurt as bad but not feel his touch. It hurt either way, so it didn't really matter. 

Justin moved some of the hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ears. 

"Which side had three broken ribs?" he asked. 

"Left," I whispered. 

"Okay."

He carefully came over to my right side and sat down next to me. I was glad because I wanted to feel him there again. I wanted to know that I had some support. I wanted to know that there was strength from someone in this room. 

I felt so helpless. 

"Justin, be careful," Carin said in her warning voice. 

He nodded. He found a spot on my head that wasn't around any cut or bruise and lightly kissed it. I smiled a little bit. 

A soft knock came from the door as Justin slowly scooted closer to me. He was very careful not to hit my ribs, and he was very cautious of not moving the bed too much. He positioned himself so that our sides were touching, but also so that it didn't add any extra pain to me. I moved my good hand and arm so that it wasn't under the blankets. I found Justin's hand and weakly placed my hand in his. I had no energy to try to squeeze it, but he held my hand tight, and it was such a reassuring feeling. 

Carin went to the door, and opened it. It was Pattie and Jeremy. 

Carin let them in, and they walked over to the side of the bed. It was nice of them to come see me, but I honestly didn't want an audience right now.  

"Justin, please be careful," his mom warned him. 

"I know," he told her. 

"How are you feeling?" Jeremy asked me. 

I tried to shrug again, but couldn't because the pain was too great. 

"I'm . . . okay," I said. 

"Oh, sweetie," Pattie said as she looked over my body. She looked as if she was on the verge of tears. 

Okay, I'm done having people cry over me. 

Justin moved his arm behind my back, and I cried out in pain. He immediately withdrew his arm and looked at me. 

I had never felt pain there before, and they all knew that. Why now? Why now when they were all here being so sweet, so caring, and why does Justin have to be the one to cause it? I knew for a fact that he didn't want to hurt me. 

Justin helped me lean forward, but I did so in pain. Pattie and Jeremy helped, and Carin was on the other side of the bed now. 

I just wanted to be alone with Justin, but they wouldn't leave. I couldn't bring myself to ask them to.  

Justin lifted my tank top so that it was only covering the things necessary. He eyed the gauze and started to unwrap it slowly and carefully. 

No one stopped him. No one said anything. No one dared to move a lot because they were all helping me lean forward- and that alone made pain shoot all throughout my body. That's how weak I was: I couldn't lean forward on my own. 

When Justin finished unwrapping it, they all let out a gasp. 

I thought that the gauze was for my ribs and stomach, but it wasn't. It was for the foot and a half long, fourth of an inch deep slice I had running down my back.