Buying the Virgin novel Chapter 116

MICHAEL

“What’s our line?” says James quietly. “How mad at her are we?”

How do I answer that?

The woman I love abandoned me and left me numb with fear for her….

“Hugs first,” I say. “Mad later…. Mmmm…. I’m just going to take a look at her, now the worst of the dirt should be off. See what state she’s in.”

With the shower running, dousing herself from the head downwards, facing up into the water stream, she doesn’t hear me enter. On her arms and shoulders, down her thighs, all over her body, she is covered with bruises, just fading to blue and purple. And clean, her face shows more bruising; over one cheek and eye.

Her shower has the look of ritual. She is cleaning off more than honest dirt.

“How did you get those?” I ask, nodding at the blue markings over her.

She startles, spinning to face me, then, for the first time since the day I met her, seems bothered by her nudity. She looks down, not speaking, wringing her hands together, looking down, trying to cover herself.

“Charlotte…”

She bursts into tears. I step into the shower with her, still fully clothed, wrapping my arms around her.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry….” she cries.

I rock her in my arms. “Shhh…. It’s alright. You’re safe now. And so’s Beth.”

James appears at the door. I meet his eyes, head-pointing down her body at the bruises. A rainbow of emotions crosses his face: anger, pity, sympathy, horror… “I’ll get a medic here,” he says and vanishes back into the lounge.

He returns five minutes later. “Doctor’s coming.”

Charlotte is still weeping uncontrollably. “I’m a bit wet,” I say. “Here, you take her. Get her into bed.” I pass her to James, who enfolds her in a large towel, then carries her out. Stripping off my soaked clothes, I go in search of dry ones.

I find the two of them in the bedroom, James rocking her in his arms, kissing her wet hair. After a few minutes, her breathing steadies and she falls asleep, her head resting against his chest. Laying her back against the pillow, he pulls the covers over her.

We sit in the lounge but keep the bedroom door open a little.

“What do you think?” he asks. “Just beaten? Or raped too?”

“Raped too, I think. When I went in there, she tried to cover herself from me.”

He snorts, a sound of bitter laughter. “What could possibly be funny?” I ask.

“She’s gone out, against every protest and effort to stop her. She’s achieved what she set out to do; Beth is back with Richard. She’s certainly been beaten, perhaps raped. She got home, God alone knows how…. That’s obviously what all her interest in the City plans was about, so she anticipated that too…. She’s pulled up out of the sewers…. and now she cries…” He sweeps his hands back through his hair, his expression helpless.

“Did you ask for a female doctor?”

He nods. Mmm, yes.”

There is a knock on the door. “Ah, that should be her.” But instead, it’s Richard, with Beth.

They stand, wreathed in smiles until they see our expressions.

“James? Michael? Is everything alright?”

“She’s been beaten. She’s covered in bruises. And we think she’s been raped.”

Beth brushes past us. “Here, let me talk with her….”

She returns after a few minutes, patting both me and James on the arm. “She hasn’t been raped. But she is pretty much at the end of her resources. She’s been running for days. She was beaten while we were held, and she took some more damage while she was running, and…” She gives James a long look. “She thinks you’re going to punish her. She really isn’t in any state for that right now.”

He stares down at her, his expression blank.

“James isn’t going to punish her,” I say. James swings to face me, arms akimbo. “Are you?”

For a moment, I think we are going to argue over this, then his eyes soften. “No, she’s been through enough. Perhaps it will have taught her a lesson.”

“That, I doubt,” I say. “Let me handle it.… when she’s ready.”

Beth nods. “Right now, I’d say that what she needs, is the pair of you, and to sleep.”

Richard stands. “We’ll come back later. Give me a buzz, James, when you think she’s ready to talk.”

As Beth and Richard leave, James eye-points the bedroom. “’Hugs, then?”