Beautifully Unfinished (9 page)

Lucy realised the car had stopped, but she had no idea where she was. She could hear the driver getting out of the cab, and walking away, but she made no attempt to move. She was frozen with fear.

Her mind was racing. How could Riley just sit there and let Trent touch her? How could he even talk to him knowing what he had done to her?

She couldn’t get the memory of his smell out of her mind. It made Lucy’s stomach heave.

A few minutes later, the door beside her opened, and someone leaned in and touched her arm. Lucy’s whole body stiffened up even tighter as she pulled away from whoever it was.

“Lucy,” a kind voice said to her. Lucy knew she recognised the voice, but couldn’t place it. “It’s April. Sweetie, what’s happened?”

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, and they were met with the kind, worried eyes of the girl she met in the drug store a couple of days earlier. She had no idea how she had got here, but she was happy to see a friendly face.

“Sweetie, why don’t you let me take you inside?” April said as once again she reached out for Lucy again.

“Please, don’t touch me,” Lucy whispered, as she silently cried.

“Okay, Lucy,” she said, her voice still calm and soft. “I promise, I won’t touch you, but please, come inside with me.”

Lucy nodded and tried to smile through her tears. She climbed out of the car and avoided eye contact with the driver.

“I need to pay,” she said to April, as her brain seemed to kick back in and she became aware of what was going on. She turned back to the driver, and he handed her back her handbag.

“It okay,” the driver said quickly, and he smiled at her. “I am just happy you’re okay.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, as the tears trickled down her face, but she was not okay. She was far from it. She felt like Trent had just raped her again, but this time, Riley sat there and let it happen.

Lucy followed April up the driveway to her house, but she hesitated before she followed her inside. She didn’t know why.

“It’s okay, Lucy,” April said, sensing her reluctance to follow her inside. “You’re safe here, I promise. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Lucy smiled and followed her into the house. When they were inside, April led her through to the living room, taking care not to get too close. Lucy sat down on the sofa as a fresh wave of tears took hold and she began to sob again.

“Lucy, talk to me,” April said, sitting down next to her, but she was careful not to touch her. “What has happened?”

“T…Trent,” was all she managed to say before she quickly buried her face in her hands and began to sob harder.

“Did he touch you, Lucy?” April said, as Lucy could hear the anger in her voice. “Did he…again?”

“He was there,” Lucy blurted out. “He…touched…”

Lucy couldn’t say another word as she pinched her eyes shut, covered her ears with her hands and just sobbed.

Her mind was invaded with memories of how he held her down that night. His heavy body pressing down on hers, his breath on her face. She remembered the pain that spread through her body as he bit her again and again. She remembered how she pleaded with him to stop. There was just so many memories.

She wanted them to stop; she wanted it all just to stop. She pressed her hands tighter to her head and shut down completely.

“Lucy,” Tucker whispered softly as he kneeled down in front of her. The minute she heard is voice, she opened her eyes and was greeted with a warm smile.

Without even thinking, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest, as she held on to him like her life depended on it and began to sob again, but this time, it was tears of relief.

“It’s okay, Lucy,” Tucker said as he cautiously wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer to him. “I am here; you are safe.”

“I don’t know what happened to her,” April said, as she stood behind Tucker. “The cab driver said he picked her up outside Monty’s. He said she got into the cab and just freaked out. He found my address in her bag, the only other address he could find was one in New York. I know you are friends with the Chief, that’s why I called you. I figured you would want to help her like you did before. God knows she needs someone she can trust.”

“You did the right thing, April, thank you,” Tucker said, as he gently rubbed Lucy’s back trying to calm her down. “Lucy, talk to me. What happened? Did someone hurt you? Was it Riley?”

“T…Trent,” She said is a tiny voice, and she instantly felt Tucker tense.

“Did he touch you?” Tucker asked, and Lucy could hear the anger in his voice.

“He…he was in the bar,” she explained, as she tried to bring her breathing back under control. She looked up at Tucker who looked like he was ready to murder someone “He was talking to Riley like they were friends. He sat down next to me…he put his arm around me…”

She closed her eyes unable to continue and began to shake from head to toe.

“Did he hurt you, Lucy?” Tucker demanded.

“No,” Lucy said, as she opened her eyes once more and looked at Tucker. “But before he left, he gave me this look and said it was good to see me again, and that…that we should catch up sometime.”

Tucker released her from his embrace and stood up. He began to pace up and down like a caged animal.

“This time, I will kill him,” Tucker said, looking at April.

“And what will that achieve?” April said, as she walked up to Tucker and stopped him. “He hasn’t done anything. At least not this time anyway. Right now, she needs you.”

Tucker looked at Lucy sitting on the chair, and she gave him a look of confusion.

Lucy wasn’t sure what she was missing, but there seemed to be some connection between Tucker and April. She knew something about Tucker that Lucy didn’t. Something that had happened in the past, but right at that moment, she didn’t want to know. She just wanted to go home; she felt drained.

“Tucker,” she said in a small voice. He instantly stopped pacing and returned to Lucy. “I want to go home.”

“Okay, Lucy,” he said, and gave her a smile. He took her hand as she stood up from the sofa. “I will take you home.”

“April, thank you for everything you have done,” Lucy said, grateful for what this girl had done for her. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“If you need anything,” April said, giving Lucy a sad smile. “You call me, I mean that. I will call tomorrow to see how you are doing. I have your father’s phone number.”

Tucker wrapped his jacket around Lucy’s shoulders and held her close to him, trying to stop her shaking. When they reached his truck, he opened the door and helped her inside.

Lucy felt so pathetic. She knew Tucker and April pitied her, and she hated that. She hated that April saw her as weak and vulnerable, but right in that moment, that was how she felt.

Lucy watched Tucker as he thanked April once again before he ran around the truck and climbed in next to Lucy.

“Everything will be okay,” he assured her as he slipped the keys into the ignition and started the engine. Lucy tried her best to smile, but inside she just wanted to go home, back to New York, back to her life and as far away from River Springs as she could get.

When they pulled up to Lucy’s father’s house, Lucy’s stomach clenched when she saw Riley sitting on the front step waiting for her. He stood up the moment he saw Tucker’s truck pull into the driveway.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Tucker growled angrily as he stopped the truck abruptly. “Stay here.”

Tucker was out of the truck and stalking toward Riley before Lucy had a chance to reply. She knew this wasn’t going to end well, and her heart started to race.

Lucy watched Tucker as he walked up the driveway, before her eyes found Riley and she could see the fear in his face. Still, he stood his ground.

“You have some nerve showing up here after you let that animal get near her tonight,” Tucker said, as he walked up to Riley and stopped so close to him, they were almost nose to nose. Lucy’s heart was now hammering hard in her chest. “You have balls; I will give you that much.”

“I am not here to fight, Tucker,” Riley said, holding his hands up and stepping back up the steps, away from Tucker. He glanced towards Lucy and gave her a pleading look before he turned back to Tucker. “I just came here to see if Lucy was okay. I wanted to make sure she got home safely.”

“You’re nine years too late,” Tucker said, as he reached up and grabbed Riley by his jacket, then dragged him down from the front steps and shoved him down the driveway. “It’s too little, too late, now get the hell out of here, and stay away from her, or so help me God, I will…”

“You will what?” Riley said, as he stepped back towards Tucker. “Swoop in and save the day again? Be her knight in shining armour like last time?”

Without missing a beat, Tucker swung out and connected with Riley’s jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. That was the last straw for Lucy, as she could feel the familiar feeling of panic wash over her. She pinched her eyes closed and struggled to breathe as the panic attack she had been fighting to keep control of all evening, finally took hold.

“NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” Tucker yelled before he looked towards Lucy. The minute he saw her gasping for breath, he ran to the truck and pulled open the door.

“Lucy, it’s okay,” Tucker said, as he turned her to him and took her hands. “I need you just to try and breathe.”

Her whole body began to shake as she desperately tried to catch her breath.

“What’s wrong with her?” Riley said, as he struggled back to his feet. He started towards them, but Tucker quickly turned and gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks.

“Lucy, open your eyes,” Tucker said, as he turned his attention back to her and ignored Riley completely. “I need you to look at me.”

Lucy opened her eyes, and she found Tucker staring down at her.

“Good girl,” he said, giving her a smile. “You’re okay. I have you. Now please, just breathe, in through your nose, and out through your mouth.”

“Tucker, this is stupid,” Lucy heard Riley say from behind Tucker. “I am a doctor. Let me check she is okay.”

“You are also the reason she is in this condition,” Tucker snapped back. “If you want to help her, Riley. Go home.”

Lucy kept her eyes fixed on Tucker and slowly her breathing started to ease.

“There you go,” Tucker said, giving her a smile. “I am going to pick you up now. Is that okay?”

Lucy just nodded, and Tucker scooped her up in his arms and headed towards the house, still completely ignoring Riley.

“Lucy, please,” he called after them, but Lucy didn’t reply. She just rested her head against Tucker’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

When Tucker reached the house, he opened the door and stepped inside, then closed the door behind them, leaving Riley standing in the driveway.

Tucker headed straight for the stairs and then down the hallway to Lucy’s room. Setting her down on the bed, he switched on the lamp on her nightstand before he lifted his coat from her shoulders, then removed her shoes. Finally, he pulled the blanket from the end of her bed and covered her completely.

“You need to sleep,” Tucker said, as he smiled down at Lucy. “I will make a bed down on the sofa. So if you need me, just call me.”