Save Your Heart for Someone Who Leaves You Breathless
o17.
Four hours later, when Anthony finally arrived at Renee’s house, the driveway was empty, and was very happy about that.
He made his way to her front door and knocked on it.
No answer.
He knocked some more, and there was still no answer.
He called her phone three times, and could hear it ringing inside the house.
But she still didn’t answer.
He didn’t understand, it was only six o’clock at night, she definitely shouldn’t be sleeping.
Anthony realized that something must have happened as he ripped apart the porch, looking for a spare key, he found one seconds later and opened the door, shutting it behind him and calling her name.
“Renee?”
No answer.
He walked through her living room and to her kitchen, where he saw her high heels discarded on the floor.
He walked farther into the house, upstairs.
“Renee?” he called once more.
He peaked into her room, but no one was in it. He quickly glanced around, and his eyes caught sight of her parents rooms’ open door. He slowly opened the door.
His heart stopped.
Laying on the bed unconscious with a dress haphazardly thrown across her otherwise naked body lay Renee. The love of his life, who was half way dead.
He walked in closer and saw the bruise marks in the shape of a hand on her neck.
He immediately called 911, and they were on their way.
“It’s okay, baby.” He said, beginning to cry. Careful not to touch anything, not to contaminate evidence, he said, “I’m here to protect you now.”
And even as he said it he began to sob louder and hate himself even more.
He was here to protect her now, but he had still been too late.
It all passed in a blur for Anthony, who stood off to the side as the EMT’s came in and threw the dress into a bag, along with her underwear and bra, for evidence, and covered her naked body in a sheet.
Not over her face, though, like they do for the dead. Anthony breathed a sigh of relief for that much.
They took her into the ambulance, where Anthony sat beside her unmoving body with a shallow heartbeat, holding her hand in his.
When they arrived at the hospital, however, Renee was taken away from Anthony.
“Wait,” he said to one of the EMT’s, “will she be okay?” he asked hesitantly. Scared of the answer.
“If your asking if she will die, the answer is most likely no, as long as there are no serious complications.”
“Do you guys know what happened yet?”
“From the looks of it, she was raped, and she must have fought back, because there are skin cells under her finger nails. When she fought the perp most likely choked her, until she was unconscious. There were traces of seamen on the bed we found her in, so there are detectives their taking the evidence. After stabilizing her, they are going to do a rape kit. There is no reason they shouldn’t catch this guy.” The EMT said as he turned to leave.
“I can tell you who did it right now.”
“Who?” the EMT asked.
“The same guy who has been abusing her for a year.”
Anthony told the EMT it was Ryan, and the EMT went to tell the police to take Ryan into custody, but Anthony sprinted out of the hospital and cursed himself, he didn’t have his car, he rode in the ambulance.
He quickly caught a cab told the cabbie to park a block away from Ryan’s house, and to wait. Anthony sprinted in rage to Ryan’s front door and knocked on it, only seeing Ryan’s car in the driveway.
Ryan opened the door, and before he even had time to register the fact that it was Anthony, Anthony cocked back and punched Ryan so hard that he fell to the floor with a broken nose.
“Fuck you.” Anthony said, and then walked away.
He let Ryan take it as he wanted, most likely realizing that Anthony knew about Ryan and Emily, but that wasn’t it at all.
Anthony punched Ryan because he did the worst thing he could possibly ever do, to the girl Anthony loved most in this world.
Just as Anthony had gotten back to the cabbie, police sirens and lights cruised down the road, in the direction Anthony had just come from.
He made his way to her front door and knocked on it.
No answer.
He knocked some more, and there was still no answer.
He called her phone three times, and could hear it ringing inside the house.
But she still didn’t answer.
He didn’t understand, it was only six o’clock at night, she definitely shouldn’t be sleeping.
Anthony realized that something must have happened as he ripped apart the porch, looking for a spare key, he found one seconds later and opened the door, shutting it behind him and calling her name.
“Renee?”
No answer.
He walked through her living room and to her kitchen, where he saw her high heels discarded on the floor.
He walked farther into the house, upstairs.
“Renee?” he called once more.
He peaked into her room, but no one was in it. He quickly glanced around, and his eyes caught sight of her parents rooms’ open door. He slowly opened the door.
His heart stopped.
Laying on the bed unconscious with a dress haphazardly thrown across her otherwise naked body lay Renee. The love of his life, who was half way dead.
He walked in closer and saw the bruise marks in the shape of a hand on her neck.
He immediately called 911, and they were on their way.
“It’s okay, baby.” He said, beginning to cry. Careful not to touch anything, not to contaminate evidence, he said, “I’m here to protect you now.”
And even as he said it he began to sob louder and hate himself even more.
He was here to protect her now, but he had still been too late.
It all passed in a blur for Anthony, who stood off to the side as the EMT’s came in and threw the dress into a bag, along with her underwear and bra, for evidence, and covered her naked body in a sheet.
Not over her face, though, like they do for the dead. Anthony breathed a sigh of relief for that much.
They took her into the ambulance, where Anthony sat beside her unmoving body with a shallow heartbeat, holding her hand in his.
When they arrived at the hospital, however, Renee was taken away from Anthony.
“Wait,” he said to one of the EMT’s, “will she be okay?” he asked hesitantly. Scared of the answer.
“If your asking if she will die, the answer is most likely no, as long as there are no serious complications.”
“Do you guys know what happened yet?”
“From the looks of it, she was raped, and she must have fought back, because there are skin cells under her finger nails. When she fought the perp most likely choked her, until she was unconscious. There were traces of seamen on the bed we found her in, so there are detectives their taking the evidence. After stabilizing her, they are going to do a rape kit. There is no reason they shouldn’t catch this guy.” The EMT said as he turned to leave.
“I can tell you who did it right now.”
“Who?” the EMT asked.
“The same guy who has been abusing her for a year.”
Anthony told the EMT it was Ryan, and the EMT went to tell the police to take Ryan into custody, but Anthony sprinted out of the hospital and cursed himself, he didn’t have his car, he rode in the ambulance.
He quickly caught a cab told the cabbie to park a block away from Ryan’s house, and to wait. Anthony sprinted in rage to Ryan’s front door and knocked on it, only seeing Ryan’s car in the driveway.
Ryan opened the door, and before he even had time to register the fact that it was Anthony, Anthony cocked back and punched Ryan so hard that he fell to the floor with a broken nose.
“Fuck you.” Anthony said, and then walked away.
He let Ryan take it as he wanted, most likely realizing that Anthony knew about Ryan and Emily, but that wasn’t it at all.
Anthony punched Ryan because he did the worst thing he could possibly ever do, to the girl Anthony loved most in this world.
Just as Anthony had gotten back to the cabbie, police sirens and lights cruised down the road, in the direction Anthony had just come from.
♠ ♠ ♠
Happier than the last? Comments?