Leaving Boston dead on the ground, I run in the opposite direction of the gun shots. Running as fast as my bare feet will take me. Under my feet are rocks and sticks and other small, sharp fragments. As I run, I can feel them cutting into my feet, they're bleeding badly, matching the knife wound to my shoulder, dry blood staining my arm. But I can't stop running, I can't look back, I need to keep moving.
"This way." I hear a male voice as he gets closer.
They've found me, I know they're close, but I have to keep running. Picking up speed, I move a little faster, reaching my arms out and grabbing onto the trees for support as I run by.
"Alex this way." I hear the voice again, and it stops me dead in my tracks.
Chet, it's Chet, I can hear his voice. He found me. I squeeze my eyes shut before opening them again. No, I have to be having some kind of hallucination from all the hits my head took earlier today, Chet is gone. They killed him. Keep running, Amity, I tell myself. Keep running.
Moving my legs once more, I run in the same direction I'd been running this entire time, I can't be sure it's the right way out, there are far too many trees in the way for me to see, but if I want to see my family again, I have to try.
Keeping my line of focus, I continue to run, but once more I stop in my tracks as I come face to face with him.
Chet.
"Amity!" Chet's eyes grow wide as he takes in the sight of me. Quickly, he moves toward me and pulls me into his arms. "Guys she's here." He yells out to whoever else he is with him.
"C- Chet." I pull back from the embrace, looking up at him."
"I'm here, Sweetheart." he whispers as he places his hand on my cheek, stroking it gently.
"B-but they told me you were dead." I tell him as tears stain my cheeks once more and I burry my face into his chest.
"Shhh, it's okay sweetheart, they were playing mind games with you, I'm perfectly fine." He whispers as he strokes my hair, holding my body close to his. "I'm here."
"Amity, are you okay?" A voice speaks from behind me and right away I know it's my father.
Pulling back from Chet's embrace, I look toward to my father who has Benz and Alex on either side of him.
"I-I'm okay." I tell them, still a little dazed.
"We need to get her home." Chet speaks as he picks me up bridal style. "Benz text Ryan and have him call the Doctor to look her over the second we arrive." He says as we make our way out of the bushland, heading in the direction I'd been running.
Weakly, I hold on to Chet as he carries me, but my arms grow tired quickly, as do my eyes and suddenly I'm fighting the urge to fall asleep, but I fight it and keep my eyes open, alert that anything could happen at any moment.
Reaching the car, Dad jumps into the driver's seat, and Benz in the front passenger seat, leaving the back for Chet, Alex and I. Alex opens the car door for Chet, and he places me down on the back seat before sliding in, pulling me back into his arms, my head resting on his chest as I curl up to him, finally feeling safe.
The moment Alex is in, Dad starts the engine and we speed back towards the main roads.
"Chet." I mumble softly.
"What is it, Sweetheart?" He whispers.
"My shoulder." I whisper.
He gently moves my tangled hair from my shoulder, and I look down to find it's bleeding once more. "Alex, give me your shirt, she's bleeding." He says looking toward my brother.
Without a second thought, Alex removes his cotton t-shirt from his body and rips it, handing it to Chet.
"You're going to be okay Sweetheart," He leans down pressing his lips to my forehead. "Close your eyes, you're safe now, it's okay."
***
I wake up to the sound of voices coming closer and closer. I sit up quickly, my heart racing and I look around the room looking for an exit, I need to move and I need to do it now if I'm going to make it out alive.
Suddenly the door swings open and I find Chet standing in the doorway with a woman who looks to be a doctor standing at his side. I place my hand on my chest as I catch my breath. I'm home, I'm safe, I don't need to run anymore.
"Hey, you okay?" Chet questions as she rushes to my side, sitting down next to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He whispers as he pulls me into his arms, kissing my temple.
"It's okay, I just I-I forgot where I was for a moment" I tell him honestly.
"This is Doctor Wood, she's going to check over you, is that okay?"
I nod my head.
"Is it okay if I turn the light on honey or would you rather I didn't?"
"Sure." I nod.
The light flickers on and I close my eyes for a moment, moving closer to Chet. Only when I open them once more and can see everything around me in the room do I move away from him.
"I'm sorry," I whisper.
"You have nothing at all to be sorry about honey, what you went through tonight is a big deal and it's going to take you a little while to feel normal again and that's okay." Dr. Wood assures me with a soft smile. "When you feel comfortable move to the edge of the bed for me and I'll start the examination.
Slowly, I move my body to the edge of the bed and place my feet on the ground. She begins with my feet, checking to make sure nothing needs to be pulled out of the cuts and that none of them are deep enough for stitches, then she checks the rest of my body.
"Do you remember anything at all?" She questions as she examines.
"I got stabbed in the shoulder, but other than that I'm fine." I assure her. "Just that and the cuts on my feet from running."
"Alright, lets look at this shoulder." She says softly as she pulls an antiseptic cleaning solution pouch from her bag and begins cleaning the wound, causing me to whimper softly at the feeling.
"I know it's probably stinging, I'm sorry but I need it clean to see how deep it is." She says as she continues.
With the majority of the blood now gone from my shoulder, she inspects the wound closely. "It's going to need a stitch or two, would you like me numb the area before I begin?"
"No." I shake my head. "Just do it, the sooner its done the better."
"Am are you sure? The numbing needle will only take a second." Chet assures.
"Just get it over and done with." I assure her.
"Sure." Dr. Wood nods her head as she moves back to her bag, pulling out what she needs. A second later, she makes her way back over to me and begins stitching my shoulder. "Amity, I need to ask you some questions and they may make you uncomfortable, do you mind if Chet leaves the room for a moment?"
"He can stay." I assure her.
"It's okay Sweetheart, I'll be outside if you need anything you just call out for me okay?" He whispers as he presses a kiss before moving off the bed, heading for the door which he closes after him.
Chet's POV:
Stepping out of the room, I hang my head and exhale deeply, finally able to allow myself to feel. She looks horrible, she's cut, she's bruised, she's bleeding, and she's been stabbed. She was only gone a few hours; but she looks as if she was gone for days, she says she's fine other than then cuts on her feet and the stab wound to her shoulder, but is that really all there was to it? They could have done anything to her in that time.
I know what questions the Doctor is going to ask her; I know why she wanted me out of the room and if I'm honest, I'm glad she sent me out because even though the same questions have been rolling around in my own head I'm terrified to know the answers, I'm terrified to know that something more happened to her at the hands of those men and I wasn't there to protect her.
"Amity I know these questions may make you uncomfortable but whatever you tell me stays in this room okay?" Dr. Wood questions
"Ask whatever you need." Amity replies
"While you were with these men, did anything happen to you sexually?" Dr. Wood questions and I swallow the lump in my throat.
"Are you asking if they raped me?"
"I'm asking if anything at all happened sexually, not only rape."
"No." Amity answers "Nothing like that happened, I got out of there before anything had the chance to get that far."
"I believe you." Dr. Wood replies, "But I need you to know that if something did happen it's okay to say so."
"If something happened, I would tell you it did, if I was raped I wouldn't be ashamed to tell you so, because I'd of done nothing wrong." Amity assures her.
I let out a deep, a sigh of relief almost, knowing nothing further had happened to her, and even it had she'd be honest and tell us the truth. She'd be right not to feel ashamed because it wouldn't have been her fault. None of this is her fault.
"Will I send Chet back in?" Dr. questions.
"Yes, please."
The bedroom door opens, revealing Dr. Woods with her bag in her hand. "I'm all done here, she'll be fine." she smiles as she brushes past me and makes her way down the hall.
I enter the room once more, I smile softly at Amity who is sitting on the bed, her shoulder is now stitched with a water proof patch over the top to keep the stitches protected and she's looking up at me with her electric blue eyes. My brave girl, even after all of this. She smiles back softly.
Sitting next to her on the bed once more, I pull her into my arms and kiss the top of her head a few times. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I think I'll feel better after a shower, but is my family still here?"
"They're all downstairs waiting for you." I nod.
"Can we go and talk with them? I only want to tell this story once and then forget about it."
"Of course, Sweetheart."
Amity's POV:
We make our way down the stairs hand in hand. I know I probably should have showered first but I want to tell everyone what happened at once; I don't want them to keep questioning things in their own minds for any longer, once they know I'm truly okay they'll be able to relax and I'll be able to shower and go to bed.
As we reach the kitchen, I take a look at everyone sitting around Chet's large dining table. Mom looks as if she's been crying, her cheeks and eyes red and puffy. I can't see Dad's face because his head is in his hands. Alex looks as if he's about to fall asleep at any moment, Benz looks disheveled, and Sasha, Brigette and Ryan looking as exhausted as I feel.
"Hi." I whisper as I enter the room.
"Oh, honey!" Mom jumps to her feet and rushes to me, wrapping her arms around me, holding me close before pulling away, looking me over. "Are you okay, baby? What happened?"
"Do you mind if I speak to you all at once? I don't want to keep telling the same story." I question.
"Of course, Honey, come and sit down." She encourages.
Taking my place at the table next to Chet. I look around the table quickly, it's all eyes on me, and even though it's a little intimidating, they're all my family and they only want to know because they care.
I take a deep breath and begin telling my story. I tell them how a man I had never seen before broke into the house, how I attempted to fight him off, but I couldn't reach my gun in time. I tell them about how he stabbed me and how I turned off the pain, how I did my best to get out of the situation, but that it became too much when he set my house on fire and knocked me out cold.
I explain to them that after being knocked out cold the next thing I knew I had woken up with a man I later learned was Eric Boston standing over me in the bushland, my hands and feet bound and cloth in my mouth. I fill them in on all the things Eric said to me, and how I allowed him to get in my head after making me believe Chet was dead, but I still fought because in the back of my mind I just couldn't believe his words, I needed to see Chet again; I needed to know he was okay.
I look around the table once more, everyone is staring at me, some in shock, others in disbelieve, but all of them in pity, they feel sorry for me. For some reason, everyone seems to blame this on themselves.
"How did you get away from him?" Sasha asks coyly, "I- If you don't mind me asking." She almost whispers the last part.
"Chet, you may want to block your ears for this one." I sigh softly, "You too dad." I look across the table at my father and give him a small smile.
With another deep breath in, I explain what I did to get away from him, how I had acted sexually toward him and really saw it as my only way out. I assured them I wasn't proud of it, but when he fell right into my trap, it was the only thing that I could see working.
As my story comes to an end, I can feel Chet's hand gripping my thigh tighter and tighter without him realizing. Slowly, I turn to him.
"I'm sorry." I whisper.
Sighing, he releases his grip on my leg. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, Am, but I'm glad you're strong enough to protect yourself."
"I agree." Dad speaks. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you, but I'm proud of you Amity, you are so much stronger than you know, stronger than I knew." He admits. "I see it now, you're not a little girl anymore, you can handle your own and you're a true Cobra."
I give him a small smile. "Thanks Dad." I say as I take his hand across the table in my left hand and hold Chet's hand in my right. "But I need you to know that I don't blame either of you, I'm fine, everyone is okay, and I'm just glad it's over." I look between them both before dropping their hands and move back in my seat.
"I'm glad it's over," Chet nods with a soft smile. "And I'm glad you grew up with a father who taught you how to protect yourself, one who didn't hide all the bad things in the world from you like some delicate flower."
"Thank-you Chet." Dad nods his head. "While we're on the topic of what we're glad about." He looks toward me once more. "I'm glad you've found someone who cares for you as deeply as we all do."
"Okay." I laugh softly dragging out the O. "I'm going to shower and call it a night before you two being nice to each other makes me cry, or vomit, I'm not sure which one yet." I tell them as I stand to my feet.
"And she's back!" Alex laughs, causing everyone else to laugh with him.
"I might call it a night as well." Chet says as he stands to his feet. "I'll see you all in the morning."
***
With Chet's assistance, I step into the huge square bath which filled with warm water and bubbles. The moment I sit down, I feel my body relax and it relaxes even further when Chet who is sitting on the edge of the tub begins washing my back with a washcloth, massaging it at the same time.
"Wouldn't it be easier if you got in here with me?" I question my back still facing him.
"Are you sure?" He questions thoughtfully, "I don't want to pressure you."
"Chet, I promise I'm fine." I turn my body to the side now facing him.
Standing to his feet once more, he quickly removes his clothing and steps into the bath, sitting behind me. As he does, he pulls me in between his legs, my back to his front and he continues washing my back.
"We're going to have to clean your feet as well and put some antiseptic cream on them, Dr. Woods left some on her way out."
"Thank you for taking care of me, I owe you." I mumble, snuggling my head into his neck.
"You don't owe me anything, Sweetheart, these are the things you do for the person you love."
His words hit me instantly, and I sit up, turning to face him. "Y-you love me?" I stutter.
"I uh.." He looks down for a moment, then back at me. "I know you're going to think I'm only saying this because of everything that happened, but yes Amity I do."
"You do what?" I question as I turn my head to the side, a cheeky grin on my face.
Cupping my face in his hands, he locks his emerald greens on mine. "I love you." He says, not once looking away.
"I love you." I tell him for the first time, before leaning in pressing my lips to his.
This chapter was edited and re-published on the 21/9/20