45. Intruder
Stifling a small yawn, Lydia threw a quick glance at the clock hanging against a wall nearby in her kitchen.
*11 p.m.*
She continued to load up the dishwasher with plates everything else she'd used to cook, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her parents had returned late from work and they had just turned in after the late dinner they had together. They were obviously very tired, so she had to be careful not to disturb them. She finished setting that up and then went to the storage room to load up the washing machine. She was also incredibly tired after another day of continuous practice at school but she had to finish nonetheless; these were her usual chores after all. She had to keep the whole house in order and tidy since her parents didn't exactly have time for that and they didn't like hiring strangers to do that for them either. So she hastily set up that load of laundry and then retired into her own room, so eager to call it a night. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She'd just endured yet another day of bullying at school today.
Mike was at it again with his stupid comments and jabs. He'd laughed at her when she accidentally lost balance during their warm-up session and fell.
He'd even made inappropriate jokes and comments about her being dumb and slow and exceptionally bad in bed, and that that was probably why Julian didn't seem to be dating her anymore. He'd started to be increasingly mean to her in these last few days, whenever Julian wasn't around or paying enough attention to notice. And she could only imagine what was going to happen to her within the following week. Tomorrow was the day of the pageant. Julian's last day of filling that role as their class' musician. And then she would be all alone again. With no one to protect her from Mike's senseless vendetta.
She would have to be strong and power through the rest of the year exactly like she did before. Suffering in silence. Pretending that it was all okay. She would have to cover up her bruises and put a nice smile on her face, the way she'd done so many times before.
*One more year and then it would be all over*, she promised herself. One more year and then she would be moving away for the Classical Arts Institute. A place so very far away from here. A place where she could start over. Finally free herself.
"One year," she softly whispered with a sigh, flicking on her glittery floor lamp. It gave her room a warm and diffused glow, one meant to soothe her, beckon her to go to sleep.
She then went to retrieve a pair of comfy underwear and a t-shirt from her dresser, carelessly rummaging through it when she accidentally stumbled over a large piece of black fabric nestled within the array of panties and pajamas. One that definitely wasn't hers. She didn't own any pieces of clothing in that color. Maybe a few pairs of panties but that was it. Nothing more.
She fished it out and stretched it in her hands, finding herself staring at a large and completely black band-printed t-shirt. Guns'n'Roses, it read, displaying those two very items. A little bit of heat blooming in her cheeks as she immediately remembered whose it was. The details of that special day returning to her at a dizzying speed.
*This t-shirt looks so fucking good on you*... those words echoed in her mind in that sexy and rough voice of his, along with what followed after.
She swallowed, a pinch of molten heat pooling in her lower abdomen, accompanied by a deep sense of longing. Oh, how she would've enjoyed to have him here with her. In her bed. Holding her as they slept, together. The way he did that night. To have his scent, his warmth, his arms around her. The soothing feeling of his warm breath on her neck. His powerful body. His heartbeat.
She blew out a long and tired sigh, giving the garment one last look before turning to neatly place it on her bed, along with a pair of matching panties. At least she could dream about it whilst wearing it. About him wrapping around her like that.
So she went to her en-suite to have a nice and soothing hot shower before going to bed. She was in dire need of it, for her sore muscles. She slipped inside and turned on the water, not bothering to fully close the door behind her. She was within the privacy of her own bedroom after all.
She did a hasty job to undress, haphazardly throwing around the clothes off of her body. Leaving them all over the floor. And once she was fully naked she finally stepped into the shower cubicle, smiling at the feeling of warm water pelting down her body.
Completely unaware of that dark silhouette that had soundlessly entered her bathroom, standing just a few steps away from her.
She raised her hands to trace them through her hair, sliding it back over her head. Away from her face. Right before she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms wrapping around her body, the unexpected and equally frightening action startling the living life out of her.
She was about to scream her lungs out but a hand quickly covered her mouth, effectively muffling that sound. She squealed and started to thrash, icy horror gripping at her as she futilely squirmed in her captor's strong grip. Desperately trying to escape. But he wouldn't budge. Her assailant refused to let her go, even hugging her even tighter against him.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, sweetheart. Relax, it's just me,"
Those whispered words made her stop. Heart still pounding so furiously as she fell limp in between those arms. Her breathing fast and uneven. And before she could even realize what she was doing she had already started to cry so hard, audibly choking on her own sobs.