Voices floated around her.What was that awful smell? and didn't she just leave the hospital.She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright light."You are awake".She tried to get up to face the owner of the voice but she felt a sharp pain in her leg."The Doctor said you shouldn't try to move too quickly. You got lucky. The bullet didn't do much damage but you still need time to heal".She looked at him talking so casually like he wasn't the reason a psycho bitch shot at her."Aren't you going to say anything?"Crystal stared at him still staying quiet.Logan rushed into the room, Isabella following suit."Oh my God Crystal, are you okay?", Isabella asked going to get side."Snowflake are you okay?"Why were they asking her that stupid question. She was shot, she's in the hospital. Of course she's not okay.So she kept quiet still.Logan turned to Ryke angrily, "It hasn't been up to a day and you already got her shot"."I do not need to explain anything to you. Now if the two of you
"Wake up, son".Ryke tossed and turned in bed, the next thing he felt was a slap on his face."When I say wake up, you do it immediately. Now get ready, we are going on a trip".Ryke stood up, trying to fight the tears forming in his eyes.He had never understood why his father hated him so much. He was only ten years old and he had experienced enough beatings to last him two lifetimes.He passed his mother on his way out, and she smiled at him while trying to hide her swollen eyes.There was no point really."Hurry up boy, only a woman drags her feet"."I'm coming Dad".Ryke stilled, "I'm sorry Dad. I mean Sir".Richard smiled at his son, "You know what. I'm in a good mood today so I'll let it slide".The trip took forever. The snow seeped into his clothes.His father had forbidden him from wearing a jacket saying, "I am training you to be a strong man. Strong men can withstand anything"."We are here", Richard announced.Ryke stood, trying to keep his eyes open. The snow was becomin
Breakfast the next morning was awfully quiet the only sound that could be heard was the clattering of cutlery. Ryke stared at her as she tried to use our hair to hide her blush. His inner voice kept wondering the same thing he did. Why did he stop? He could have taken things further and fulfill the fantasy that haunted him for two years but he couldn't bring himself to do it.She was a virgin and somewhere out there, a man was waiting. Someone who would protect and treasure what she had to give but that man was definitely not him. Deciding he had had enough of the silence, he spoke, "How did you sleep?" Crystal kept quiet so he continued, "Dd anything interesting happen after I left? Still she regarded him with silence."Any interesting dream in particular?", Ryke asked taunting her. "What the hell is your problem?"There she was. His firecracker.Crystal stood up angrily make making all the cutlery on her side of the table fall to the ground."Didn't anyone ever teach you to rea
Ryke watched as everyone else ran around, laughing and playing without a care in the world.More than anything he wished he could join them.They looked like they didn't have worries about anything.Unlike him, he had to think of when the next punches would come."Ryke, why are you sitting all alone?"He looked up at Miss Lily staring down at him with a smile on her face.She was really pretty, he thought."I don't want to play"."Okay, do you mind if I sit next to you? I don't want to play either".He nodded."Care to tell me why you don't want to join them?"He shrugged."Well it's good that you are here. I actually wanted to talk to you about something. On your family tree I saw that you put your father's name as Richard Sterling and also as Richard Jenome. Mind if I ask why?"He let out a breath, "Those are my father's names"."Well shouldn't it be Richard Jerome Sterling?""No!"."But that's the way it's supposed to be"."He said he has two different names so you don't know what
Crystal stared at the wall clock in the small cafe counting minutes till she could take an excuse to leave. Chloe was nice, but the rest of her friends were not her type of people. There were a gang of four, Becca, who thought it nice to pop the gum in her mouth every single second, Jeremy, whose eyes hadn't left her chest area, trying to see if he could suddenly get x-ray vision and see through her big top and lastly Cade, the guy who had completely dissed her when Chloe introduced them. Since they sat down, his eyes had been focused on the book in front of him while his hands shaded away. She looked up at the clock one last time, "You know what? I actually forgot that I have somewhere to be. It was really nice meeting you guys though". Liar She threw them one last smile before walking out. The sky was darkening, the rain was definitely already making plans to come down on them. Should she call Ryke? She was still upset with Logan and Isabella didn't have a car, even though sh
Ryke opened his eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the light in the room. He looked around.Why was he in the hospital?Something else caught his eyes, there was a curtain of white hair surrounding the side of his bed.She lay by his side holding his hand in a tight grip like he would drift off if she let him go.He sighed. He remembered now. He had a panic attack and then something else crossed his mind.Her lips on his before his world went black. He sighed again.He hadn't had a panic attack in over ten years, why did it happen now?***********Ryke placed his ear on the door of his room listening to them argue.It was different this time. Normally his father did the shouting and screaming and then sometimes the hitting followed.But this time was different, his mother's voice was also raised and she was screaming back at him.He opened the door slowly, trying to get a better take on the situation. His father's hands raised and then came down across his mother's face.He shouted as s
"Do we have to go? I mean you could just tell them that you got hit by a truck or something", Crystal whined.Why do I have to be the one to get hit by a truck?"She rolled her eyes at him, "Because I am too beautiful to die. Obviously"."So you think". "You don't think I'm beautiful?"She turned to face him with a raised brow."What I think doesn't matter. What matters is how you see yourself". "Haha, very funny". Ryke smiled. Ever since his panic attack, things had progressed a little or at least he would like to think so because two days passed and she didn't throw a tantrum or remind him how much she hated him. On the downside, his father was alive. He had responded to the text immediately and he never got a reply. His father had gone radio silent. Like the quiet before a storm.He wasn't a little boy anymore that couldn't defend himself from the punches thrown at him. He was a grown ass thirty year old man with a billion dollar company to his name.Yet fear still accompanied
"What did I tell you about following orders?""I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I won't do it again", the little girl replied with fear in her voice."Of course you won't", the man said removing his belt."Please. Please. I'm begging you. I promise I won't do it again"."After this, I'm sure you won't".The man raised his hand."Please!!!", the little girl screamed.Isabella woke up with a scream, sweating and panting.Her mother rushed into the room, "Mija, are you okay?"Camilla went to her side, pulling her close, "It's okay. It was just a nightmare".Isabella sobbed into her mother's chest, "It felt so real Mamá"."It's okay, you are fine now. Don't worry. No one will ever get you".The next morning, Isabella went out for a run. It was one of the things that cleared her head.They say you can't escape your past. She had been living in denial. Maybe if she forgets about it, it eventually goes away. So far that has worked for her.The nightmares had always haunted her but this past few