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Chapter thirty-six - Nathan
It feels like forever for the police to arrive, in the meantime I've tried to ring Leanna god knows how many times but it's gone straight to answerphone each time and Jake's called Kim who's confirmed that Leanna left to meet Max around eleven and hasn't been back since, even though she said she was just picking up my car for me and would probably only be about an hour.
"So, what makes you think Max is the person who attacked you?" The police officer asks, sipping on tea in the Carlisle living room as though Leanna hasn't been missing for hours.
"He told me Jake disturbed the attacker which was why my injuries weren't worse. Jake said he never told anyone that." The officer looks at Jake as though withholding that snippet of information from the police is a criminal offence and I'm starting to panic about what he's doing to her. "Look, we came to talk to him
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Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter thirty-seven - Leanna
I wake up in a soft white bed, warm light streaming in through the windows and my body feels incredibly heavy, as though it's not woken up yet. It takes a while to work out where I am, but then the memories flood back in and I bolt upright, looking around for Max, but there’s no one else here. Stepping out of bed, I shudder when I see my clothing neatly folded on the chair in the corner, looking down and realising someone changed me into some pajamas while I was sleeping. I quickly change back, throwing the pajamas onto the bed behind me and open the bedroom door. The house is so quiet, that, as soon as I open the door I can hear movement downstairs, the steady bubble of water boiling and Max whistling a tune from the room below. The scent of toast cooking has me salivating despite my predicament, even though it's clearly burnt. As I creep down the stairs, I notice a window, large enough for me to climb through, is slightly open and even though I have no idea where my shoes are, I
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter thirty-eight - Nathan
As soon as Leanna hangs up, I check the phone for a number, but it was withheld. She was trying to tell me where she is, I know she was, but it's not a lot to go on, a cottage, half a mile from a river and a road nearby. But she did say he was in a Vauxhall, that might help the police, so I call the direct number the police gave me and relay the information to the officer, who thanks me and reassures me I did the right thing by telling them.As though I might have considered keeping this information to myself.Hushed voices downstairs let me know my parents are home, so I run downstairs and tell them about the phone call. My mum calls Leanna's parents and within minutes they're walking through the front door and I repeat myself for the third time in the last hour.The
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter thirty-nine - Leanna
Max's arm is around me, tracing circles on my shoulder, his other hand gripping mine tightly and holding it in his lap. I can feel his erection through his trousers and I'm fairly sure he's holding my hand over it on purpose, almost as if to let me know how much he wants me tonight.My heart's hammering wildly in my chest and I have no idea what time it is, or how long the film's been going on for, but it feels like it should be finishing soon and I'm yet to come up with a plan to avoid having sex with him.About halfway through, he nudged my head so it was resting on his shoulder, so I pretended to fall asleep and I'm resting all my hope on the idea that he won't try to wake me tonight. But that plan is flimsy at best."Baby, wake up, the film's finished." He rubs his thumb over my cheek affectionately and I force
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter forty - Nathan
My parents are furious with me, Leanna's parents were furious with me, I'm pretty sure if I hadn't brought Leanna home after nearly three full days of not knowing where the hell she was, I'd have been being grounded, lectured and they'd be thinking up new punishments for me for weeks. All because I went off to rescue Leanna without taking them or even telling them where we were going, not directly anyway and I hadn't stopped long enough to actually tell Millie where we were heading so they could even follow us. They had to wait at home, helplessly, praying that we would all be ok.My only other saving grace is that I at least called the police and let them know where we were heading and what we anticipated on arrival. Jake saw the trouble I was in, so thankfully didn't mention it was him that called them, it hadn't even crossed my mind, I was too focused on getting to Leanna.
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter forty-one - Leanna
It's been two weeks since Max took me to that cottage. Two weeks of people tiptoeing around me, treating me like I'm made of glass and trying not to upset me.My parents are being super protective and I understand that, they want to know where I am all the time and I'm having to text them every hour just to reassure them I'm ok, even Kim's finding reasons to be around me all the time and Nathan hasn't touched me more than a cuddle since I got back. I know he wants to, but whenever we even get close to starting something, he backs off, asking me if I'm ok and apologising for pushing me too far, too soon.It doesn't matter how often I tell everyone I'm fine, they think I'm just trying to put a brave face on, but I really am fine. I agreed to see a counsellor that the police recommended, but it all feels like a lot of fuss over nothing.
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter forty-two - Nathan
The news came early last week that Max has been transferred to a psychiatric unit for assessment, apparently he's still under the illusion that he and Leanna have something and I'm the one standing in the way of that. They're not sure who's most at risk from him; Leanna, me or himself.Leanna feels guilty, like she somehow did something to encourage him or send him over the edge. She keeps asking if I think she was too flirtatious with him, regretting the times she was a bit overzealous in her appreciation of something he did. I keep telling her she's like it with everyone, that she tells everyone she loves them, she told my sister that on our last holiday because my sister hid her a piece of the chocolate cake from being devoured by Luke and Shane.It's just her way, it always has been. I'm fairly sure her friends are the same. Italia and Corrine both to
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter forty-three - Leanna
I feel ridiculous with how nervous I am waiting for Corrine to come over. I haven't spoken to her for three days and she's ignored all my messages. Finally she sent a brief text this morning to say she'd come over this afternoon. Millie and Italia are already here talking about some show they both watched last night. Pretty sure they're trying to distract me, but I feel like my entire focus is downstairs, waiting for her to arrive. There's got to be a reasonable explanation for why she tried to make out like she and Nathan had a thing, right? Millie has reassured me repeatedly that it was the briefest of kisses and that Nathan was not involved at all, I think she thinks that I'm doubting him, which I guess I should a bit. I think I should be upset that Corrine kissed him too but I'm more concerned why one of my oldest and closest friends is behaving so oddly.
Nathan: Branston High Series Chapter forty-four - Nathan
While Leanna is sorting things out with her friends, I'm catching up on homework. It feels too normal. With everything that's gone on recently, sitting here trying to figure out maths problems is quite nice. I never ever thought I would say something like that! After that, I lie back on my bed and watch a film, waiting for Leanna to let me know they've gone so I can go over and see her. This is the longest we've been apart since Max took her nearly a month ago and I can feel myself getting twitchy with the urge to check on her. Telling myself it's all fine, I wander downstairs to make a drink and a sandwich. I'm not really hungry, but at least it'll keep me occupied and I take it upstairs to eat while I finish the film. A knock on the door has me jumping out of bed and running downstairs, Corrine's standing there
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