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My phone buzzes and I run to it, hoping Dexter answered me. He did say his dad needed him, which could be the reason for the delay. When I reach my phone, I look down at the message and all the blood from my face rushes out. My ears are buzzing so loud I don’t hear anything else.
Unknown caller: Stay away from Dexter.
My breath speeds up. What should I do? I need to let Dexter know. That’s when my phone buzzes again.
Unknown caller: And don’t even think about telling him or anyone else. There will be consequences for you and your family if you tell.
My hands start to shake as I hold my phone and thoughts start to race through my mind. Could this be Dexter trying to get out of this? Or is there someone else who knows about us?
My heart pounds as I recall our date once again. Some people saw us, but everyone knows we are friends. This call plus Dexter’s behavior is weird. I need to find out what is going on. Who could this person be and why would they want me to stay away from Dexter? My chest hurts with the thought of not being with him. Is this his way of him showing me that he doesn't want to be with me?
A few days go by, and I still haven't seen Dexter. Nor have I heard from the unknown caller. Dex has only texted me here and there, which is out of character. Usually, we text constantly. Maybe he got a weird message too.
I can’t help but feel that something isn't right.
I need to make sure he's okay. Once I know he is fine, then I’ll keep my distance if that's what he wants. Before I can think twice about it, I drive straight over to his house, worrying about all the things I might find.
Once I reach his house, I take a deep breath to gather my strength, heading toward his front door. I knock, hoping that he’ll answer. I know he's home because his car is in the driveway. After a minute I knock again, a little harder this time. He lives alone so it's not like someone else can answer the door.
I pull my bottom lip in between my teeth and start chewing on it as I think about what to do next. Maybe he is in the shower and can’t hear me. I try calling on his phone, but after a few rings, it goes to voicemail.
Walking around the house, I find one of the windows in the back open. It’s easy to get to the window and pop out the screen. Climbing into the house, an uneasy feeling comes over me. What if something bad happened to him?
I look around and it seems like I’m in the laundry room. I smile to myself and when I see Dexter's clothes haphazardly thrown in baskets. Squaring my shoulders, I put my hand on the doorknob, determined to find out why I can’t get a hold of Dexter.
We’ve gone a week without talking and I hadn’t put much thought into it. But that was before. The timing of this silent treatment, along with everything else, I can't help but have this niggling feeling in the back of my mind, telling me that something isn't right. We just proclaimed our feelings for one another, how could something be wrong already?
Tentatively I start to walk through his house unsure of what I’ll find. I head toward the living room, but don’t find Dexter there.
Next, I check the back hallway toward the bedrooms. When I enter the master bedroom, my eyes are immediately drawn toward the bed. He's on his side in the fetal position. His chest moves up and down so at least he’s breathing. I swallow down my anxiety. He’s here. I make my way toward the bed, and when I get closer to him, I let out a whimper.
Dexter must’ve heard me because he stirs. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. There's a huge bruise on his cheek. He has a cut above his eyebrow that seems to have been stitched up. Without even thinking, I move to take the covers off him, and when I do, I’m greeted with even more bruises. His chest, ribs, and side are littered with large purple marks. It looks as if someone took a bat and hit him.
I can’t help myself. My hand goes to the bruise on this face, and I graze over it. That touch causes his eyes to shoot open, and he stares at me with his dark eyes, as he croaks out, "Hazel."
Tears swell in my eyes. One tear escapes and streams down my face. Dex’s hand wipes the tear away.
“What happened?” I ask with a strained voice.
Chapter eight
Dexter
Something soft brushes along my cheek and it wakes me. Feeling groggy from the last few nights, I look up to see the most beautiful woman staring at me. I can’t believe my eyes. Is this a dream? The last thing I remember was getting put into my bed by my brother Alex. I still feel a little groggy and before I can stop it her name leaves my lips, “Hazel.”
As I say her name, tears well in her eyes. One escapes and runs down her cheeks. I can’t help myself and wipe it away. It's clear she's hurting.
Her sigh nearly crushes me. “What happened?”
Shame takes over me and I turn my head away from her. I can't look her in her eyes and tell her what happened. I don't want her to see me like this. If she knew that these bruises were a punishment for going out with her instead of training, will she still want to be with me? My stomach drops at that thought. What if she decides this is too much for her?
Hazel grabs my face and pulls me back toward her, causing me to wince. She drops her hand quickly. “Shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but you can’t turn away from me. What happened, Dexter?”
I can't stand seeing the pity in her eyes. I snap at her wanting everything to go back to the way it was a few days ago. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
Those words hurt and piss her off. Her mouth goes in a straight line and her face reddens. I don’t really care if she's pissed, I can’t let this part of my life touch her.
She deserves so much more. The wheels are turning in her head, and I need to stop them before she does something reckless.
