"Bitch." The drunken slurring of his voice made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and my stomach lurched. I turned to see Robert standing at the entrance to the sand dunes. He swayed a little as he watched me with unfocused eyes.
"It's all his fault. He's taken everything... Angelica used to love me once... Until he came along. He gets them all... Lacey, Angelica, you... Why should he get everyone? And now the business too... Did he tell you? My father has cut me off."
As he spoke I could see him beginning to straighten. Whatever he had drunk was slowly wearing off and for that I was grateful. At least it meant he wasn't a threat if he had his faculties about him.
"I'm sorry, Robert. I'm sorry about Angelica and your father..." The name Lacey rolled over and over in my head but I couldn't place it. I had never heard of a woman called Lacey in David's life.
"Sorry? What are you sorry for? It's him I want to be sorry." Something changed in Robert's eyes and I could see the coldness that had concerned me before creeping back into his gaze.
"Let's see how he feels to lose something he loves."
"David!" I screamed his name as Robert pounced towards me. I ran as fast as the long dress would allow, my feet sinking in the white sand as I attempted to escape.
"Come here!" His voice sent fear racing through my veins.
My feet tangled in the hem of the satin dress, sending me sprawling to the sand. I struggled to get up, to crawl and escape somehow, but Robert fell upon me. Gripping my shoulders he turned me over and slapped my face, momentarily stunning me. Stars filled my vision and I screamed again.
Robert crawled over me and wrapped his hands around my throat, his grip tight and unrelenting, growing tighter. I struggled to breathe. My hands clawed at him, ripping and tearing at clothes and flesh—anything I could lay my fingernails on.
He lifted my head and slammed it down as his grip tightened further. I couldn't scream, couldn't breathe and pain exploded behind my eyes as my head hit something sharp and solid. I grew more tired, unable to fight. Darkness ate at my vision. Creeping in around me. I could swear I heard David's voice calling my name but it sounded very far away.
Darkness claimed me. My body went limp. The last thought in my mind was of David. I imagined him gathering me into his arms, calling out my name. Begging me not to leave him. Tears seeped out of my eyes. I wanted to touch his face. Brush the fear and pain from him. But I couldn't. I couldn't fight the darkness and I let go. It swallowed me whole. My one regret was I hadn't told David that I loved him. I did love him. It had taken me too long to figure it out and now it was too late. I drifted. At least in the dark it didn't hurt anymore.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The sound of beeping slowly roused me. My eyes felt heavy, as though they were weighed down with lead. The second I opened my eyes I instantly regretted it. Everything about the room was far too bright. The white walls and bed sheets seemed to create a glare that made the pounding in my head so much more pronounced.
Someone groaned. It wasn't until I felt a hand grip mine tightly that I realised it was me making the small, groaning, whimpering noises. I sounded pathetic, like a wounded animal.
I opened my eyes again and this time I tried to keep them open. I wanted to be awake... It was the reason I had fought so hard to survive in the first place. I wanted to be awake for the person gripping my hand so tightly I was sure it would be covered in bruises.
"David..." The word came out on a half choked, hoarse sob.
His face came into view above me. The concern and anguish that filled his eyes hurt my heart. I didn't want to see him so upset. He shouldn't have been so worried... Part of me wondered why he would be so worried... It didn't make any sense...
He ran his free hand down against the side of my face, cupping my cheek. It was such a tender gesture that I couldn't stop the tears from trickling from my eyes. I opened my mouth again but my throat ached and the words refused to form properly. I was so confused...
I tried to sit up and the world spun in sickening circles. Bright white lights exploded behind my eyes making me wince and forcing me to give up my attempt to sit up straight.
"Don't move, I'll get a nurse." He moved to release his grip on my hand. Panic flooded through me. I wasn't sure why but the last thing I wanted was for David to leave my side.
With a strangled sob of fear I grabbed at his arm and jacket, my fingers digging into his hard forearm leaving me feeling reassured. He was real. He wasn't just one of my dreams. I'd had plenty of them. Terrifying dark dreams filled with terror and pain. David had been my anchor but he had always disappeared just when I needed him most. He couldn't save me if he was a dream. But here in the white room he was very real.
"It's alright, Carrie, I'm just going to get a nurse to look at you. You've been out for three days. They were worried about your head trauma."
"Don't leave me, please..." The words finally left my tongue. The feel of the scalding tears running down my face made me feel alive. Everything did. Pain was both a blessing and a curse.
The door opened up and David turned relieved eyes to whoever had entered. "Aaron, she's awake. Can you get the nurse?"
"Of course." Aaron's tired voice met my ears. I tried again to sit up. The pain this time was a little less and I managed to push my body into an upright position. David spent his time moving the pillows around trying to find an optimum position for them. Even though I was weak I could tell he was nervous about something... But what it was, I didn't know.
"What happened?" I asked when he had finally finished fixing the pillows behind me. My voice sounded coarse, as though I had spent days singing and shouting at the top of my lungs.
"You were attacked..." David's voice trailed off as he caught sight of my confused expression.
Attacked. It didn't sound familiar. I knew something had happened. David's mention of the word nurse and the injury he had spoken of let me know I was in hospital. But why? I had no idea. All I was certain of was that I didn't want to be left on my own. And I certainly didn't want David to leave my side.
"You don't remember?" he asked, his expression once again filled with concern. I wanted to brush the look from his face and tell him that everything would be alright. But I didn't know how. If I couldn't remember being attacked then how could I reassure him that everything would be fine?
The door banged open and I jumped, making my head ache even more. Sudden movements were no good.
"You shouldn't be sitting up, Miss Grant." The nurse's business-like tone made me smile. She turned on David. "How long has she been awake?"