Lay Me Down

Lay Me Down Chapter 16

"I'll be back," he whispered. I heard shuffling and when I turned to look at the doorway I saw Keith standing there.

"I'd appreciate it if you leave son," Keith stated. Carter was about to respond, but he saw the plead in my eyes and so he stayed silent. Carter pecked me on my lips and then turned to leave. I heard his steps pound down the stairs and then I heard the door close. 

I sat down on my bed and saw Keith peek out the door. I'm guessing he was making sure that Carter had really left. "I don't want you seeing him again." 

"I don't care what you want," I replied.

"You better," he said. "Get ready, you have clients. They've been asking for you."

"I'm not doing that Keith."

"Yea, you are, so start preparing. Don't let me come back in here and find that you still aren't ready." With that said he walked out of my room and closed the door behind him. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. I had no clue what to do. Should I begin to get ready? I know that Carter said he was coming back, but I didn't know how long that would take. 

I began to put my things up hoping that Keith wouldn't come back before Carter did. As I sat on the edge of my bed fully clothed and nowhere near ready for a client, I rubbed my hands together. My palms had begun to sweat and I was growing more nervous. As soon as I heard a soft knock at my window I sped to the window and hurriedly opened it.

"Are you okay?" Carter asked in a hushed tone.

"Yea," I replied helping him inside. I took the bag he had hanging on his shoulder and stuffed it under the bed. "Get in the closet." 

"Why?" 

"He's coming back Carter, he told me that I had clients and that I better be ready by the time he gets back."

"How long ago was this?"

"About twenty minutes," I told him. "He should be coming back any time now." With a sigh he got into the closet. I went and sat back on my bed waiting for what was to happen. Would Keith maybe grow a heart and tell me that I didn't have to do this anymore or would he force me by slapping me around? Though I wasn't exactly sure what was about to happen I had a feeling - a bad feeling - that it was the latter. I hated how things had ended up and I especially hated the life I was living. Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't we pick the lives we wanted to live? What a perfect world we would have then if we chose the path that we wanted to take.

I heard the doorknob twist and I inhaled a deep breath. The door swung open and there stood Keith. "Why aren't you ready?" he questioned.

"Keith, please don't make me do this. I don't want to do this," I pleaded.

"Nobody cares what you want," he replied walking over to the bed. I scooted to the other side of the bed backing away from him.

"Keith, you don't need me," I stated looking towards the closet where Carter resided.

"Lizzie, you are going to do what I tell you to do. End of story. Now get ready," he demanded while pulling me by my hair and throwing me against the wall. I prepared myself for the next blow but when nothing happened I looked up and saw Keith push Carter up against the wall and punch him in the face. I closed my eyes trying to recuperate my throbbing head from being thrown against the wall and when I reopened my eyes I saw both Keith and Carter on the floor. Carter was passing blow after blow to Keith's face.

"Carter, stop," I barely managed to say. Why did I feel like this? I had been slammed against the wall plenty of times before but this time I felt dizzier than usual. Carter ignored me as he continued to lash out on Keith who was trying hard to block the blows. "Carter," I said again, this time more clearly, as I moved over to him and grabbed his arm. 

Once I touched him he stopped hurting Keith, who was now still, and looked at me. "I'm so sorry Lizzie. Are you okay?"

"Yea," I muttered, nodding my head. I noticed right away that his lip was bleeding and that he had a small bruise appearing on his left cheek. "I'm so sorry," I lightly placed my hand on his cheek.

"Don't worry about it. I've had worst." I stood up from the floor and Carter did the same. "Come back to my place. I know you are worried about the cops but just come back for a couple of days, please." I averted my gaze over to Keith who was moaning on the floor. I nodded my head and began repacking my bag. Once done, Carter and I left leaving Keith on the floor.

We walked to his house in silence. When we reached his house he told me to try not to make a sound. He silently opened the door and closed it behind us. We crept up the stairs slowly and once we were in he closed the door and locked it. 

"Maybe we should clean your cut and put some ice on your cheek," I told him, placing my bag down.

"I'm fine," he said walking away from me to his closet.

"Are you mad at me Carter?"  

"No Lizzie, i'm not mad," he said walking back out of the closet and coming up to me. "Well, at least not at you."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Maybe we should just stop."

"Stop what?" he questioned staring at me. 

I looked away, unable to meet his gaze and said, "us." 

"Why? Why would you want to stop us?" 

"Because Carter, it's obviously not working."

"It's working perfectly fine for me. I don't mind having to fight for you."

"But I do Carter. What if things get serious and someone gets hurt? What if you get hurt? I can't go on knowing that something happened to you and it was my fault."

"Nothing will happen to me, you just have to trust me. I promise that we will make it through this, one way or another," he smiled reassuringly. "Besides, I'm in too deep now and I don't know what I would do if I weren't with you," he said before placing his lips on mine. He wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me closer and deepening the kiss allowing me to feel the swell in his lip.

I pulled away from him and stared into his eyes trying to see how he really felt. When I noticed that there was truth in what he spoke I laid my head on his shoulder, and when he wrapped his arms around me I felt true bliss. What if God would let me stay right here forever? I didn't what to live with Keith and my mom, the druggie. I was perfectly fine right here in Carter's arms and that's where I wanted to be at. Forever.