To The Rescue

“What?” I gasped in shock. “Why?”

“Come on, I’ll explain on the way,” Molly told me as she grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door.

I was barely able to convince her that I needed my stuff before she was stuffing me into her car and driving away.

I vaguely noticed that she wasn't going towards her house. But in my mind, I was already with Noah.

“What happened?” I demanded, trying to keep my eyes off the road as it raced by.

“Keith. That son of a bitch happened,” Molly snarled. “He told his parents that the two of you were out on a date. Then Noah showed up and beat the shit out of him in a jealous rage. He made Noah out to be some sort of perverted cradle robber and… UGH!!”

Molly didn’t have to finish for me to understand the context.

“That bastard!” I growled, slamming my fist into the side of the door as I imagined it was Keith’s face.

“I know,” Molly agreed. “At this point, the only person who might be able to help is you.”

This whole thing was getting out of hand. I thought to myself. I knew Keith was a nasty little toad, but this was just out and out wrong. Keith couldn't have me, so he was going to ruin my chance at happiness? Just to get back at me? Not to mention he was ruining Noah’s life as well! This whole this was messed up and stupid.

I nodded towards the road. “Where are we going?”

“I’m hoping we can go straighten this all out and get Keith to back down.”

“Good,” I replied, stopping just short of baring my teeth in my fury.

With Molly’s insane driving and the whirling of my mind, we were parked before I could take in my surroundings. But instead of a courthouse or even a law firm, we were outside a large, white, four-story building with a blue and white sign that declared it to be Hamford County General Hospital.

“Why are we here?” I asked.

“Scott made a few phone calls and found out that they have Keith staying here. Apparently, Keith is ‘too injured to be cared for at home.’ So, they have him in a nice penthouse suite here,” Molly replied, rolling her eyes.

“What a freaking whiny punk,” I scoffed and copied Molly’s eye roll.

If I had thought it was going to be hard to get in to see Keith, then I would have been mistaken. As soon as we got to the waiting area outside his room, Molly walked up to two overly elegantly dressed people engaged in a heated conversation with the doctor. Based on their border-line evening wear, which was obviously designed to show off their wealth. And the way the doctor looked like he was caught between slamming his head against the wall or giving himself two more patients… I had to guess that these two people were Keith’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Horton.

As soon as the doctor saw Molly, he took the opportunity to run away. I wanted to call him a coward, but I completely understood his need to run off. But once Molly waved me over, I knew my chance had disappeared. Molly introduced me to Keith’s parents, who seemed absolutely overjoyed to see me.

“I am so happy to finally meet you, my dear,” his mother, Louise Horton, gushed. “Keith was absolutely right! You are gorgeous!”

The tight, pleasant smile I was forced to put on hurt my face. It didn’t help that the smarmy look on Mr. Horton's face made me certain which tree the rotten Keith-apple had fallen a little too close to.

“Thank you,” I replied as courteously as I could. “I just wanted to speak with Keith for a moment, if that’s okay?”

Keith’s parents immediately and eagerly agreed and stepped out of the way. I looked at Molly, and her eyes jerked towards Mr. and Mrs. Horton, indicating that she would stay with them while I handled things with Keith.

I gave her a quick nod of gratitude, then squared my shoulders before heading in to fight the beast. Hearing the squeal of the door opening, Keith turned over to greet his visitor with his best miserable look. However, the moment he realized it was me, that look vanished, and he managed to push himself upright with little effort.

“Rebecca!” he greeted me with a broad smile. “I’m so glad you came to check on me! I was starting to think you didn’t care!”

I gave him my best cold stare, mixed with disdain. I didn’t know how he saw me. But based purely on how it felt, I hoped it was freezing his genitals off.

I looked down my nose at him. “I DON’T care, Keith. Considering several of those bruises on your face were caused by me, what the hell makes you think I would?”

The smile on Keith’s face melted away and contorted into something that barely resembled him.

“You really are a stupid, cold bitch. You know that?” he snarled.

I kept my face blank, but inside I was so shocked that my heart was racing, and my mind was whirling. This was the man that I had felt was underneath his good guy, flirty façade. To be face to face with him at that moment, made my knees weak with fear and horror. But I refused to let him see how much he scared me.

“Maybe I am. Maybe I don’t like someone trying to take advantage of me or trying to rape me. Then, after all of that, trying to get my friends in trouble for simply defending me,” I stated emotionlessly. “OR, to keep it simple, since you have a hard time understanding me, I hate liars, bullies, and rapists. Which is everything that you are.”

“You better watch it, girl or someone is going to silence that tongue of yours,” Keith threatened me.

“Like I said… a bully,” I replied. “I won’t let you intimidate me. You need to drop the charges and accusations against Noah, and you need to do it now.”

My demand was met with stony silence, but I kept my gaze on him without flinching. The silence was so palpable that I was startled a little when Keith let out a booming laugh.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Keith chortled. “Why would I do that? Everyone is looking at me like the poor victim of a brutal attack for daring to look for love! Even my parents treat me better. Why would I give up all of that for your little playmate?”

I wanted to appeal to Keith’s better side, but I was certain I was looking at it. Anger and disgust boiled in my gut, and to my frustration, tears began to prick my eyelids. I so badly wanted to plant my fist in his face once more just to listen to him howl in pain. Keith brought forth a dark side to me, and I wasn’t sure I enjoyed knowing it was there.

I stalked closer to him and bent down until we were nose to nose with each other. “Listen up and listen well, you no good, disgusting, soulless piece of shit. If you don’t tell them the truth, then I WILL, and I promise you I will not stop until the world knows what a loathsome piece of trash you are. Do you understand me?”