Hidden Pasts. Dark Secrets. Chapter 9

9. His Promise

Sounds of birds woke my dreaming. The soft songs of the little birds peacefully ran in my ears. The calm melody was soothing. It was a great day to start out a new day.
The early morning light that usually shimmered in my room already pass and midday's sun was already high in the sky. My white, silk shades were already open.
I opened my eyes leisurely to the bright room. I rolled out of my bed and started to walk out of my room. A small note hung on the mirror on my door. Tod had left it for me.

Hey Lacey,
There's some food downstairs for you. All the dishes are done, and dinner was fine last night. Evelyn even started some laundry for you. Evelyn and I will be out for the majority of the day, so take it easy all day. Don't try to sneak out. Take some Advil while you're at it, too.
Tod

Yes. Finally, so alone time to think was all mine. I would be able to concentrate on homework or other things.
I heard my stomach growl loudly, and I knew it was time for some food. The made my way down the stairs, cautiously. My head began to throb, like yesterday and I didn't want to faint without anyone near me. Maybe even worse, I would fall down the stairs and break my neck and be paralyzed, while Tod was out with Evelyn.
I shook off these disturbing thoughts and went to the kitchen. A small, white plate stood on the kitchen table. It was plate full of coffeecake muffins. Another note stuck to plate, too.

I know they're your favorite. So enjoy them!

I laughed to myself. I would have to thank Tod later for this.
I took the largest muffin in the pile and found another plate. I finally found a knife and I cut from the top of the muffin down in half. I looked through the refrigerator and took out a small box of butter. I spread the butter gently across the muffin. My mouth began to water.
I took the small plate with the warm coffeecake muffin and headed to the living room. I flipped through the TV absentmindedly. Nothing important or interesting was playing.
I switched back in forth from a dull soap opera to Dora the Explorer. I found myself more drawn to Dora. I caught myself singing along to the familiar theme song, responding to Dora's stupid questions, and even yell at the annoying and sly, Swiper the Fox. I stopped myself before I could sing along with anymore of Dora's irritable songs.
I took a break and decided to clean Tod's house for him. I washed all the leftover dishes from this morning. I even cleaned the cabinets, washed the floor and cleaned out the refrigerator. I did these all cautiously, hoping not to quickly move my head too much. With my luck, I would faint in at any instance.
After spending hours of cleaning, I needed another break. I wasn't ready to start homework. It was only one forty-five. I had all day to do that.
I relaxed on Tod's warm, brown couch. I lied down and fell quietly to sleep to the murmur of the voices of the characters from a new Spanish opera that played on the TV.
About 30 minutes passed when I finally woke. The agonizing pain in the back of my head came back. I staggered up the stairs to find the Advil. I made it to my room and I sat on my bed. I managed to take two tablets.
After the pain slowly started to disintegrate, I decided it was time to start homework.
I looked through my room, trying to find my tote bag. In it, were my sketchpad and my books. After minutes of tearing my room apart, I realized it was still downstairs.
I steadily made my way out of my room. I looked out of the door from my room to the long hallway.
"It's not that far of a walk," I reassured myself.
I took small, baby steps to the top of the stairs. I counted out forty-five steps before I walked down them. For some reason, I was more cautious then ever. I lifted my left foot and lightly placed it on the beige step. I lifted my other foot and placed it next to my other foot.
"Forty-four more steps to go," I whispered.
I made it down ten more steps until I finally couldn't keep my feet straight anymore. I was forcing all my weight on my ankles with each step when suddenly both of my ankles gave out.
My knees bent and crashed on the stairs. My upper body went headfirst into the stairs. I went sliding down the large steps. I forced my hands out in front of me to catch my fall. But it all happened within a matter of seconds and then I was at the bottom the stairs. I was lying on my stomach with my arms were bent unnaturally.
I felt something tear on the way down. A slow, severe pain swelled up in my arm. I bent my left arm to see blood gushing out of my forearm. I titled my head back to the stairs. I tried to pick out something that cut my arm. A small nail stood at the end of the third step from the bottom.
Of course, a small nail would pierce my arm and have blood pour out.
I snapped back to reality when the severe pain in my arm and also my head, overcame my whole feeling in my body. I looked back to see a small puddle of blood forming below my forearm.
"Shoot, shoot!" I screamed. "Are you kidding me?"
I slowly took my sweater off, that I was still wearing from the night before and tightly wrapped it around my arm. I screamed in agony.
Suddenly a loud pounding sound came from the front door. It became louder and louder. It continued for about ten seconds. Right after the sudden noise stopped, Kye came flying in though the front door.
He quickly sprinted towards me. His eyes were locked on mine, but he looked down at my bleeding arm, too.
I sat at the bottom of the stairs in an extreme unbearable pain from my head and my arm. But disbelief was the only emotion I felt. I thought to myself, deciding if this were a dream or real life.
When Kye effortlessly picked me up by my waist, my answer was set in stone.
I was not dreaming.
I starred at him the whole time. My eyes were glued to him, but no words were spoken. I read his facial expressions. Fear was all I could depict.
He rushed me to the kitchen and lifted me with one arm on the counter, next to the sink. He held me still, close to him. His elegant blue eyes were still fixed on mine. His lips slightly parted, and he whispered something too low for my ears to hear. My arm burned in pain and I cringed.
I saw him jump at my sudden shudder and accidentally pressed firmly on my arm. But the sudden pain that ran through my arm, overcame me. I screamed unintentionally. This scream louder then before and it only made Kye more scared.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he pleaded. "Keep still."
I watched him frantically pull me closer to him. Terror was written all over Kye's gorgeous face. I've never seen him so scared before. But I felt safe as he held my arm gently in his hands.
"Does this hurt here?" He pressed on my wrist.
"No," I whispered in pain.
"Here?"
"No."
How about here?"
"Yes. Yes," I screamed. His hands were pushed down on the top of my forearm. I took a quick glance at my arm.
A dark red liquid was starting to seep through my black sweater. The deep red color of the blood stained the counter and dripped into the sink. Kye quickly turned the sink handle to the right and cold water gushed out. I winced away from the sight. The blood in my arm was coming out way too fast and it was hard to control.
My head became dizzy and the feeling in my body was slowly slipping away from me. Not to mention, the aggressive pain in the back of my head was throbbing and hurt just as bad as my arm.
But I wasn't afraid.
"Do you have string? A rubber band?" He asked. The sound of his voice was frantic and worried.
"Uh, uh. Here." I reached behind me, slowly, and searched through a drawer next to the sink.
Tod kept his pencils, notepads, his car keys other things in the drawer. And rubber bands happened to be in there too. But I didn't understand why he needed one now.
I held out the rubber band to him and he quickly took it out of my hand. He took my arm and gently tied the rubber band around my bicep. He tied it so tightly that the circulation, in my arm, was being cut off.
I understood now.
Although the blood stream going into my arm was being stopped, the blood in my forearm still rushed out. A small puddle of the dark liquid was forming. The blood dripped off my arm and fell in my lap and on Kye.
There was too much blood. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned my whole body away from the scene and left my arm dangling behind me, with Kye still holding it.
"Lacey," he whispered quietly. "It's going to be alright. Just watch."
I turned slowly back to him. He was slowly unwrapping the blood stained, black sweater from my arm.
"No, please don't!" I shrieked. "I don't want to see anymore blood."
"It's alright. Trust me," he argued. His voice was now light and calm.
I looked back at his face. Fear wasn't his facial expression anymore. It was now worry and wonder.
He slowly unraveled the black sweater. The blood was soaked into the sweater as he pulled it away from me. He threw it into the sink and poured the water over it. I didn't look at my arm yet.
I watched the water pour over the sweater. The red tinted water filled the sink but slowly turned clear after a few minutes. I sat still next to Kye, avoiding looking down.
I could see it and feel it already. Blood was probably pouring out of my arm and spilling all over my lap. I could see it drip and splatter all over the kitchen floor. But it was the total opposite.
No blood was visible. All I saw was a dark wound that ran from the top of my forearm and to the bottom of my wrist. The cut was jagged, as it moved its way down my arm. It made a Z shape that was carved on my light skin. There was no blood pouring out of the wound. The visible blood was the blood that dried on my arm, stained Kye's shirt and leaked onto my lap.
"How did you do that? It was bleeding like crazy just a couple of minutes ago," I asked him.
"My uncle was a doctor. And I've seen this a lot. I guess I have some experience, huh?" he laughed lightly. But then returned back to a stern look.
"Lacey? Are you better now? You looked like you were about to faint again, my love," He gently spoke.
Again, the words love pierced my heart—but in a good way. My hands trembled and my heart raced hysterically. I think Kye must've noticed that I shuddered because his eyes went back to dark and concerned.
"Tell me," he pushed. "Are you better now?"
"I think so. Can I lie down?" I murmured back to him.
"Sure, but let me clean you up first" he answered as he took a napkin off the counter next to me and let a few drops of water absorb in the napkin. He lightly glided the wet napkin up and down my arm. The remaining blood was quickly fading and wasn't visible anymore. Oddly, he ran into the bathroom upstairs and picked out some medical tape and some gauze.
"How did you—?"
"Keep still," he responded.
He took about five pieces of gauze and laid them on my forearm. He took large pieces of tape and wrapped it cautiously around my arm.
Once he was done playing doctor on me, he started to help me up. He wrapped his left arm around my waist. I still sat on the counter next to the sink. He pressed softly on my waist and started to slowly pick me up. I wrapped my right arm around his broad neck and clamped down on his shoulder. I let my left arm dangle in the air. Without any trouble, Kye pulled me off the counter with one arm. His bulky arm held me close to his warm body. I laid my head down on his chest and the frantic sounds of his beating heart scared me.
I gripped tighter with my right hand. I must have dug my fingers too much into his shoulder because he flinched away from my grasp.
"Are you in pain?" Do you need any medicine?" he asked with a soothing, velvety voice. The way his British voice twisted around some words made me more interested in hearing his voice.
"I think I'm better now," I lied.
My head pounded painfully and my arm stung and ached too much for me to handle. But I didn't want Kye worried anymore, about me.
He finally walked me towards the living room. The TV still sounded in the background as he gently laid me on the couch. He quickly found some pillows and laid them behind my throbbing head. He got one for my arm, also. He placed my arm tenderly on the pillow.
I felt useless as he did everything for me. He stayed close to my side and fixed everything for me. He would constantly fix the pillows or pull Tod's blanket from the couch closer to my trembling body. He wouldn't let me move an inch. He just stood by my side and watched every small move I would make. His subtle blue eyes wouldn't leave my face. I tried to rest and close my own eyes but I could still feel his watching me intently.
I thought I should be afraid, or be fearful but it wasn't like that at all.
I felt safe, as he sat next to me. I didn't feel any emotion of fear, only a flutter of embarrassment. I had to faint right in front of him and have him take me away. I had to have him find me at the bottom of the stair, bleeding. I was starting to assume that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Although he kept a close eye on me, he never spoke that often. He would ask every so often if I was in pain or if I needed medicine. I shake a 'no' to him. I couldn't find the words to say to him, either. I was too stunned that he was here, at my home. I was in way too much shock that he happened to find me. I was even more surprised by how nicely he was starting to care for me. He didn't have to.
"Um," I managed to whisper. I must have found some courage inside that made me speak to him. "I was wondering something."
"Yes?" he whispered back.
"How did you find me here. I mean, you happened to find me at the worst time. Did you hear me scream? Or something," I wondered.
"I was at school, this morning and noticed your absentness. I heard that Neenah and Tess did not know where you were, either. I took a walk during lunch and made it down here. Someone screamed from inside a house on this street. I rushed over too see what had happened. But it coincidently, it was you," he answered immediately. The tone of his voice wasn't as soft as it was before. It was dull and bland.
"Okay," was all I could respond.
I turned my body slightly to the left. I turned my face to look towards him, now. He was kneeling next to the foot of the couch. His eyes were dark, again. His perfect curls in his hair were more ragged and frayed. His luminous face gloomy and a small trace of wariness was visible. His bronze skin that usually glimmered in the sunlight was now pale. He looked scared or even worse, he looked sick. His face wasn't full of a brilliant light. It was murky and hidden. He kept his distance from me, and I couldn't understand why.
His major mood swings brought me confusion. Just a few minutes ago, he was right by my side and his skin was luminous. Now he was distant from my reach, and looked a lot paler.
"Are you alright? You look kind of sick," I asked him kindly.
"I'm fine, why?" he asked harshly.
"You look really pale and kind of sick, too."
"I'm fine, okay?"
The stern tone of his voice scared me. His eyes seemed to squint with anger. His rugged body moved farther away from me. He still sat at the foot of the couch, on the floor. His head now turned toward to window. The sunlight barely peaked through the clouds but the rays of light still bounced off Kye magnificently. He was still gorgeous in every way, even if he was angry about something.
I had to know what he is thinking. Or why he is mad.
"Kye," I asked gently again. "Are you mad…at me?"
"Why would you say that," he spoke as he moved his face back into view with mine.
"Uh-uh. You seem mad about something. I'm sorry if it's me. I can leave if you want me too. Well, maybe you should leave if you're mad at me. I'm fine by myself now." My voice trailed off and I tried to not look at Kye beautiful face as I spoke. I would have lost my train of thought.
"Why do you assume it is you, Lacey? You have done nothing wrong. Besides the fact that you managed to fall down a flight of stairs and slice your arm open. You still have done nothing wrong to upset me." His words were slightly calmer.
"Then why are you mad?"
"I feel like…like a fool."
"Why," I questioned him.
"I broke into your house and I still staying here. I should be back at school. I am also upset because I had no reason to worry about you and leave school, just to find you. Maybe I should be leaving."
"No. Please don't," I begged him. My voice sounded more pleading then I expected it to be.
"Why," he whimpered.
"I'm sorry. I just want you here. I feel more…more safe when you're around me. I might do something else stupid and if you leave, I'm screwed."
I heard him laugh halfheartedly. He stood up and kneeled beside the couch, again. I sat up off the couch and moved over slightly. I patted my hand on the couch next to me, motioning him to sit next to me.
He gently smiled at me. My heart raced rapidly as sat next to me. His irresistible blue eyes looked straight into mine. His perfectly golden skin was back to its stunning shade. His white buttoned up shirt had remaining drops of blood on it. But the light color of his shirt still brought out the perfect shade of his skin, the gorgeous color in his eyes and the ideal color of his hair. He still looked like an angel.
He suddenly shifted his body closer to mine. I sat still facing forward but I turned my head to the right to see his face inches from mine. He was turned all the way around, facing me. His left arm was bent and was resting on couch. He cupped his chin in his hand and stood still—still looking right at me.
I was lost for words, within his stare. I could barely breathe and the loud thudding sounds of my heart made it hard to hear. Although it was dead silent in Tod's house, the sound of my own heart sounded loudly.
"Let me ask you a question," he spoke with a gently voice.
"Sure."
"How do you always fall all the time, or faint all the time?"
"My dad said I get it from my mom. Apparently, she was worse then I was. He told me that she made monthly trips to the hospital."
"And you don't?" he questioned.
"Not every month," I laughed.
Kye let out a small chuckle.
He crossed his arms over his muscular body and half smiled. It looked like he was thinking about something—or trying to figure out something.
"What were your parents like," he asked.
This wasn't what I wanted to talk about. Did he have to bring up my parents? I wanted to lie and say that they were great and lived somewhere else but I wanted to say with Tod. But I couldn't lie to Kye.
"My mother died of childbirth. So I never got to know her," I started. "My dad just passed away almost three weeks ago. But he was great."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything so personal. Please forgive me."
"It's fine, Kye. You didn't know."
My body shuddered when past memories flowed through my brain. I saw a photograph of my mother and father on their wedding day. Her long reddish-brown hair sat graciously on her shoulder and her white dress made her skin look amazingly luminous. My father had his thick brown dark spiked up on the tips of his hair and his black tuxedo with his white-buttoned shirt made him look very handsome. My parents looked perfect for each other in the photograph.
And I had to mess things all up.
If it weren't for me, my mother wouldn't have died. My father would of never found Evelyn and I wouldn't have been heartbroken my whole life.
"What's wrong," Kye questioned. "You look upset again."
"No. I was just thinking about my parents. And how I messed things all up."
"How so? It wasn't your fault that your parents passed away. It's a part of life."
"Yes it is my fault," I yelled back. "My mother would have been alive today if I wasn't born. My father would still be married to her. He would have never found Evelyn and marry her. It's my entire fault. I'm the one who killed my parents."
My heart was now beating so fast, that it started to hurt.
"No. You're wrong, Lacey. Don't say that."
"Why does everyone tell me that? 'It's not you're fault, Lacey.' Don't say that'".
I was furious now. I stood up off the couch and hobbled back to the kitchen. I sat at the kitchen table and laid my head down on my arms. Small tears started to form in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away before Kye could hear my sobs.
"Please don't cry. Don't beat you're self up over this. I don't want you to blame yourself," he spoke soothingly and ran his warm hands down my back. I suddenly sat up and saw Kye's saddened face in front of mine.
"Sometimes God takes people from us and we don't know why. We don't have an answer for why this happens. Let me say that it is not your fault. Please don't blame yourself."
"I'll try," I murmured.
I sat quietly, looking at Kye. His face was full of sadness—the same sadness I saw when he was helping me with my arm. He again scanned my face with a sense of confusion.
"Stay right here," he ordered.
"Why? Where are you going," I whined.
"Just stay, okay?"
I watched him stand up and fly up the stairs. He turned to the left and I heard his soft footsteps walk all the way down the hallway.
He was in my room.
"Stop," I yelled to him. "What are you doing?"
Before he could respond to my question he was already downstairs. A large smile spread across his face. He held something in his hands behind his back. He chucked lightly.
"You forgot something."
He graciously skipped across the kitchen floor. He held out, in his hands, my double-hearted necklace. I smiled back at him.
"I told you, you look beautiful with this on. Let me put it on you, love."
"Okay," I whispered with delight, as my heart fluttered.
He tender hands touched the back of my neck as he attached my necklace. He moved away from behind me and pulled up a chair next to me. He took his hands and again traced the outline of my heart necklace. Specs of sunlight beamed off the sapphire jewel and I watched it sit marvelously at the bottom of my throat.
He slowly moved his hands up my cheek and swiped my hair away from my eyes again.
"You shouldn't have your hair in front of your beautiful eyes. It hides them, you know?"
He soothingly ran his warm, velvet hands across my cheekbone. My heart was beating uncontrollably, now. My eyes almost rolled to the back of my head, from his touch.
His touch always left me breathless.
He must have heard my heart's fast beats, too because he smiled to himself and moved an inch closer to my face. His cool breaths grazed my face lightly. I closed my eyes suddenly and felt my body shudder tremendously. My eyes remained closed as I felt Kye's steady breathing move closer to me. But a new feeling suddenly touched my skin.
The feeling of something warm pressed against the right side of my neck. All of a sudden, my body jolted with surprise. I couldn't open my eyes to see. But I could only guess.
He was kissing my neck.
I could hear Kye's heavy breaths in my ear. My hands were clenched with fists but I wasn't scared. Fear never flowed through my body. Shock and delight were the only emotions I could pick out.
Kye's warm lips moved from the bottom of my chin to the middle of my throat. His scorching hot hands clamped onto mine. I tried to release his grip—to move my body closer to his—but he wouldn't let me. I was stuck sitting face forward and having Kye kiss the side of my neck.
He then gripped my wrists, as his tender lips pressed harder on my neck. I somehow managed to move my fragile body towards him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and forced his lips moved off of my neck. He started to lightly press his lips to mine.
I shuddered severely as I felt his lips touch mine. The familiar spark of electricity that normally came when his hands touched me was now a powerful feeling of fireworks.
The strong feeling scared me and made me jump. I never felt anything so violent and passionate at the same time. My heart also beat faster then I have ever felt it. I managed to take my left hand and press down on my heart—almost to keep it from jumping right out of my chest. Although my eyes were closed, they rolled to the back of my head.
Kye abruptly pressed harder on my lips and he gripped the back of my head tightly with his left hand. A sudden pain surged to my head. He happened to grab my head where I hit it yesterday. And now the pain was unbearable. But I couldn't move, I just sat stiff in pain.
He pushed himself closer to me and forced me out of my seat. He pushed his warm lips more violently against mine. As he moved my body closer to him, my head hit something.
He pulled himself so close to me, that I hit my head against the wall in the kitchen. But he didn't stop. He didn't even notice my trembling. He pinned my shoulders to the wall as he forcefully kissed me again.
Half of me said I should be afraid and should try to stop. But the other half me wanted me to kiss him back.
The scared part of myself overpowered me. I fought myself away from his grip. But he still wouldn't stop.
"Please, Kye," I whispered.
I jumped in pain when he gripped my aching forearm, still kissing me. The pain in my head and now in my arm coursed through my whole body. My shaking body started to numb from the agonizing pain.
But then I felt Kye jump, too. He moved his body farther from mine as I finally opened my eyes. His perfect blue eyes were now dark and some kind of frenzy burned inside them. His body was slouched over, as he leaned back in his chair. I could hear his loud, staggered breaths. I could also hear mine.
A craving inside me yearned for him. But something else told me I shouldn't. I could see his body shaking with fear—with regret.
The pain in my arm and head flushed through my fragile body and I fell to my knees. I gripped my right arm with my left and bent my head down to my knees. I cried out in pain.
"Lacey," Kye spoke with fear. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I have to go."
"Don't just leave me like this," I screamed at him.
"I have to, love."
"No!"
"I can't help you anymore. I'm just going to continue to hurt you," he spoke as he bent down beside me.
He grabbed my shaking body and held it tightly to his. A sudden anger burned inside of me. I was angry that he had hurt me. I was also angry that he was going to leave me. I started to fight myself away from his grip.
I weakly punched Kye in his chest and tried to shake myself away from him. But he gripped me tighter. Tears of agony and suffering poured out of my eyes. I still tried to free myself from Kye as I cried.
"I can't take this anymore," Kye spoke again with unease. "I hurt you, Lacey. I can't stand to see you like this. I promise not to see you anymore."
Before I could yell back at him—to beg him to stay—he was already releasing me from his grip. He took his brown leather jacket off of the kitchen table and headed for the door—leaving me speechless.
"I said don't leave me. I need you here."
"All I did was hurt you more," he whispered while standing next the front door.
I managed to stand up and run to his side.
"No," I argued, falling over again.
He bent down beside me, while I sat on the floor. My head spun rapidly and I couldn’t hold my head up straight.
"I'm leaving. I can't see you anymore."
He was out of the door by then.
He left me cold, stunned and numb. I wrapped my arms around my legs again. My head throbbed in pain and my arm pounded in pain, also. Tears came streaming down my face again.
"Please come back. Please come back. Please come back," I repeated. "I do need you, Kye."
Then a loud roar of Tod's pickup truck pulled into the driveway. I managed to pick myself off the floor and glide up the stairs. I made it to my room and I jumped into my bed.
I shuddered and cried, softly. I gripped my heart necklace with both hands as I replayed the day over in my head.
"Please come back, Kye. I love you."