I stare in horror as Eli barely manages a nod before Shay turns, still gripping my arm, forcing me to stumble behind him as he stomps away through the thicket. I cast a worried glance back at Eli to see his hands twitch the tiniest bit. His face is completely covered with blood and he moans in agony. I start crying harder just as Shay pulls out his phone with his free hand and dials someone, before pressing it to his ear.
“I need a pick up on Maple Drive… two clicks… see you soon.” He shuts it off as we emerge from the trees. When we approach the ditch, he scoops me up into his arms like I’m still seven years old, and carries me down the embankment and up the other side. When he sets me on my feet again, he leans his backside against his bike and continues to glare at me. “Dad and Billy are on their way to bring him to the hospital.”
For a moment, I simply stare at him in shock. I feel cold all over, my hands are shaking, and there’s a buzzing in my ears. “What did you do?” I whisper before my legs give out beneath me. I fall hard on my ass on the side of the road and accidentally bite my tongue, but I barely feel it. Shay is at my side at once, trying to hold me, but I shove him away. “Don’t touch me!” I shout at him. “I don’t want you anywhere near me!” I’ve seen Shay fight plenty of times, but nothing like this. I’ve never seen him attack someone, especially someone completely innocent. He had pummeled Eli’s face to nothing. I’ll be surprised if he has any teeth left.
“Mina,” his voice lowers dangerously in warning and tries to grab me again.
I scuttle back on my hands and feet before I shove off the ground and retreat several steps, putting a fair bit of space between us. “You beat him within an inch of his life.” My voice is flat, and despite how calm I sound, my heart is racing so fast, I think I’m on the verge of having a heart attack.
“He touched you.”
“He touched my hand, you psycho!” I shout suddenly, and it echoes down the road as the rumble of approaching motorbikes alerts us to James and Billy’s arrival.
“You didn’t answer my text or my calls.”
“Yeah! Because I was upset with you. And now, I’m more than just upset! I’m so fucking angry and disappointed, I don’t even want to look at you!”
Shay’s dark brows pull together as I scream and swear at him. I’ve never had much of a big potty mouth, but right now, my mind is such a mess of emotions, I can’t keep myself in control. Shay stands, towering over me with his large, muscled frame, but despite how intimidating he looks, I am far from afraid, especially when I see the hurt in his eyes. “Mina, I’m sorry about tonight-”
“I don’t care!” I scream at him as James and Billy pull up. “I don’t want anything to do with you, Shay. Just leave me alone!” I turn to James, tears streaming hot down my face. He looks from me to Shay and back again, his dark eyes trying to piece together what the hell happened. “Will you please take me home?” I ask him. Billy can help Eli. If anything, Shay should. But I know he won’t.
“Sweetness, please…” he starts to beg and I hear him step up behind me as my stepfather passes me a spare helmet from a saddle bag.
“Don’t!” I whip around and glare up at him, having to tilt my head back to see his face as he’s so tall. “Do not come near me. Weren’t you supposed to be busy with the club?” I snap at him, ignoring how the corners of his eyes tighten at my dismissing words. “Looking at you makes me feel sick to my stomach.” He flinches hard. I’m hurting him right now. Good. He needs a reality check. He can’t just attack people like that. There is no way Eli is okay. I’d run back to help, but I know Shay won’t let me. He’ll simply drag me back.
After I get the helmet on, I quickly climb up behind my stepfather and wrap my arms around his waist. I don’t even bother looking at my stepbrother as we pull away, leaving him behind to deal with the mess he created.
When Shay made it home late Friday night, he tried to see me, but I’d locked my bedroom door. He knocked and called my name, and I just ignored him. “Mina, please… let me in?”
Instead of answering, I put on a pair of headphones and played some music from the laptop I had set on my bed. I hummed along to Title and Registration, a song by Death Cab for Cutie, allowing the beautiful tune to ease my nerves. It was almost one in the morning, and after James had dropped me off at home, I went straight inside and sent a flurry of texts to Eli, apologizing and asking if he was okay and if there was anything I could do. I wasn’t expecting a reply. Not now, anyway. I hoped Billy got him to the hospital alright. Maybe tomorrow I’d call.
Mum wasn’t home. I had no idea where she was, and I honestly didn’t care at this point. My shock from what had happened was wearing off and now, I was just pissed. I ended up going into Shay’s room, tore his bedding off the mattress, and threw it around the space. I grabbed the clothes from his closet and threw those on the floor, too. It wasn’t my proudest moment. I know it was childish, but I’d never felt such overwhelming resentment and fury in my life. I had no idea how to deal with it. It clawed its way up my throat, causing me to explode and desperately seek an outlet. So, I attacked Shay’s things. He was lucky I didn’t go for his computer or his expensive guitars that he had hanging on display on the wall over his desk, though it was damned tempting.
When I was done, I stood in the middle of the destruction, panting and shaking. I didn’t feel better. Not even close. Stumbling out of his room, I left the chaos behind for him to find. I took a long, hot shower, ate a frozen dinner, and then hid away in my room and stayed there, hiding from the world.
And now Shay’s fists were pounding on the door so hard, I could hear it over my music. After a full minute, I ripped off my headphones and stomped to the door, but didn’t unlock it. “Fuck off, Shay!” I shouted.
“Please, Sweetness, let me in. I need to see you. I need to talk to you-”
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” I snapped, cutting him off. “I need to be alone. Respect that.”
“Mina…” his voice cracked a bit and heard a small thump on the other side. I could picture him pressing his forehead to the wood. Most likely he was leaning against it to hold up his weight. I knew this was hurting him, but I was still too angry to care. I needed space. He continued to plead. “Mina, I need you. I need your help… I-I…” He sounded like he was choking. “I can feel-feel the dark cloud in my mind. It’s-it’s growing. It’s drowning me! I need you!”
I clenched my fists and fought my natural instinct to go to him. No. I wouldn’t let him make me feel guilty about this. “You could have killed him,” I said, proud that I didn’t waver.
“Mina…” again, his voice broke.
“No! Just go. Go. I don’t want to see you, I don’t want you near me! You disgust me!” I turned and went back to my bed without another word. I shut my laptop off, turned off my light and huddled under my blankets, turning my back to the door. For a long time, he stood there, his fingers drumming a frantic sort of rhythm against the doorframe to my room. From that sound alone, I could tell he was strung out, impatient, and agitated. Finally, after a minute or two, his footsteps thudded heavily down the hall, followed by the click and slam of the front door opening and closing. He’d left.