Poor girl! She comes on the busiest day we’ve had.
I walk from behind the bar to meet her.
“Hi there, I’m Acacia, and that’s Toby.”
“I’m Lily. Nice to meet you both.”
“Come on, I’ll show you around, and then we’ll see how you can pour a beer. We are really busy, so I may not get much done with you today, but if you can be back for opening tomorrow, I can show you more then. Does that sound okay?” She nods with a smile, so I get started on showing her the ropes straight away.
~*~
By the time 9pm rolled around, I was beat and kind of relieved that it was just the regular local crowd in now. I see Landon walk in as he casually struts up to the bar.
“Hey Landon, how are you?”
“I’m good thanks, beautiful.” He winks at me before turning his eyes at Toby.
“Beer?” I ask, but he can’t take his eyes off Toby, watching his every move. I wave a beer in front of his face to get his attention.
“Oh yeah, thanks.”
I pop the cap off and place it in front of him. My shoulders are aching, I roll them to get some relief. At the mirror behind the shelves I see the reflection of myself, I’m a mess. Taking my hair down I try to tame the mess and smooth it down, but the case is impossible. I bunch it back up and put it up in a tie.
“Sia, why don’t you go home?”
“I can’t leave you. It’s not fair, especially for a newbie.”
“She seems to be doing okay and Landon’s here, I’m sure he’ll help me close up.” I look across at my best friend as he smiles. Landon shouts across that he’s not going anywhere tonight.
After being convinced I grab my coat and bag, hugging Toby, and Landon on the way out. Before I leave, I turn to Lily to tell her that I’ll meet her back here at ten in the morning to open up and go over everything else. When I head out of the bar and start to walk down the alley, which I hate, I hear a bottle rolling across the ground behind me. Now I hate this alley - it’s dark, I don’t usually walk down here on my own, but I’m too tired to take the long way ‘round to my car.
I look back but can’t see anything. I walk a little faster when I heard heavy footsteps coming up fast. I began to speed up, I reach into my bag for my phone either to provide some light or call someone for help if I need it, but before I could get my phone out an arm grabs me around my neck from behind. I tried to scream, but his other hand went over my mouth, muffling my cries as I struggled to get him off of me. The stench coming from him was so bad it burned my nose every time I tried to take a breath. The alcohol on his breath was making me gag as the smell of stale smoke is permeating through me, wafting up my nose.
I kick, and I punch without seeing, but my effort doesn’t make contact with him. Before I know what’s happening, I’m being slammed up against the wall; the back of my head smashes against it. I try to hit out at him, but my vision isn’t clear; I’m seeing stars. I can feel myself drifting as my legs turn to jelly and I’m falling as if in slow motion - lying on the cold, damp ground, just floating on the edge of consciousness.
I hate being weak. I feel him tugging at my clothes and try to lift my hand to stop him, but it’s so heavy. I fight it, I do… but I can’t do anything to stop him as the sleepy feeling takes over my body. Before everything goes black, I hear footsteps and someone shouts, and I send a little prayer for it to be my savior as If finally let the darkness takes me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ASHTON
Pulling into the parking lot at the back of the bar, I turn off the engine and think for a second. I need to get my emotions under control, it wasn’t fair on Acacia this morning for me to sound off at her like that, she helped me, she made sure I didn’t choke on my own vomit and how did I repay her - by shouting at her. I shake my head at myself in disgust I get out of the car and look around the lot, I know Acacia is here at least, I can see her car. I need to speak to her, I need to apologise for the way I acted. It seems being a bastard is standard for me these days. I hope she listens to me and accepts my apology.
There’s an alley that leads from the lot to the front of the bar, it’s like a shortcut. I begin to walk past the alleyway but something pulls at me to walk that way, like I have to. As I’m halfway up the alley when I can hear scuffling. I try to ignore it, thinking it’s probably druggies getting their fix, so I carry on walking with my head down. I lift my head at the sound of a muffled squeal. It sounds like a girl, but I can’t be sure. I walk a little faster until I get closer. When I realise what’s happening I shout out.
“Hey!” I run towards the asshole and drag him from the girl on the floor. Spinning him around I pull my fist back and punch him in the face. Both of his hands go to his nose as I lift his head and punch him again. As he falls to the floor, I straddle the bastard and hit him till his blood covers my knuckles. When I’m convinced he won’t wake up anytime soon, I go to the girl.
Picking her up in my arms and carry her back down the alley. As I hit a slither of light, I look down at the girl… fuck!
r /> “Acacia?”
She murmurs something without opening her eyes. I run to my truck as fast as I can with her in my arms. Placing her in the front seat, I walk around to my side and get in. In the interior light, I check the damage he’s done. I can see some of her clothes are ripped, her jeans are half undone - I must’ve got there just in time. Rage is boiling inside of me I move the hair from her face and stroke her cheek softly.
~*~
Nothing else on my mind but to take her somewhere safe, somewhere no one can touch her. I drove as carefully as I can, all the way to my Cabin and carried her in. Laying her down on the couch, I covered her up with a blanket and started a fire to warm the place up. I took off her boots and covered her feet back up. I wait for her to wake up, come to her senses, but the minute’s turn into hours and she haven't come back to consciousness. I check her pulse and feel her temperature just to reassure myself that she’s still alive.
I should have taken her to a doctor, why didn’t I take her to a hospital? What if something happens to her? I don’t know how I’d deal with that.