There he saw her, curled into a fetal position, arms wrapped around legs, naked and laying atop the covers. With a start, he hurried to the bed. She had her head buried into her knees. On her upper arm, Nick could make out several bruises.
“Celeste? Celeste?” He reached out and gingerly touched her arm.
Celeste jerked away from him, letting out a scream. “Stop! Don’t! Stay away!” She squirmed to the opposite side of the bed.
“Celeste, it’s me, it’s Nick.” He slowly sank down onto the bed. He reached out and pulled a black bandanna out of her clenched fist.
She cowered in the corner of the bed; her legs pulled up to her chest again. She just stared at him with wide, tear stained eyes.
“What happened baby?” He looked at her with concern. On the floor next to the bed he spotted her pants and bra. Scanning the bed he picked up her ripped underwear. A sick feeling spread through his gut. “Oh God.” He looked back to her face. A tear rolled down her cheek.
“No Celeste, don’t tell me…….” He trailed off.
She bit her lip and hugged her legs tighter.
“Oh baby.” He moved fully onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t embrace him either.
“Who did this to you baby?” He rubbed her bare back. He was going to go find this asshole and kill them.
When she didn’t reply, he drew back. “Celeste?”
Tears filled her eyes and she just buried her face into her knees again.
It was in that moment that he saw the bruise on her cheek, in the slight form of a hand. “Oh God Celeste, we’ve got to get you dressed and take you to the hospital.” He moved back off the bed and grabbed up her pants. They had a rip down the front. Cursing, he threw them back to the floor. “You can wear something of AJ’s.” He moved to the closet and was soon back with a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.
He helped her sit up and slid the shirt over her head. She managed to put her arms through on her own. Then he helped her to the edge of the bed and slid the pants up her still trembling legs. “Here, hold my arm.” He helped her stand up and pulled the pants on the rest of the way. “You okay?” He wrapped his arms around her to help hold her. She still wasn’t steady on two legs.
Celeste didn’t say anything. She stared at the floor.
Without a word, Nick scooped her up into his arms and started out of the room. This way would be the easiest.
He made his way down the stairs and through the crowd of drunken partiers. People stopped and looked at him as he cradled the small woman in his arms. She had her face pressed into her shirt, her hands tucked under her chin. He ignored all of them. Not replying to any of their calls or questions. He just headed for the front door.
He had just reached it, and was waiting till whomever was making their way in to get out of his way, when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
“Nick, where you going? What’s going on?”
AJ’s voice caused Nick to stop and turn.
AJ’s eyes grew wide and he took a step back when he spotted Celeste tucked into Nick’s arms. “Whoa…what’s wrong?” His gaze swept back up to Nick’s face.
“I have to take her to the hospital. She was attacked.” Nick quickly explained.
“Attacked? What? Where?”
Nick sighed. When he’d been looking for Celeste, he’d been told people had seen her and AJ go upstairs together. And he hadn’t thought anything of it….until now that is. “In your room AJ!” He spat out. “Where’d you go?”
AJ took another step back, shocked by Nick’s sudden outburst. “What? In my room?” He slowly shook his head back and forth.
Nick nodded. “Yeah, I know you took her upstairs…what happened?”
“I…I…I thought she left.” AJ explained. “I was putting my shirts away and I heard the door open and close. I thought it was her. So I came back downstairs.” He looked down at Celeste. “What happened?”
In his arms, Celeste flinched and clutched Nick’s shirt. Nick glanced down at her. “In your room AJ. On your bed. I’ve got to get going.” He turned and pushed his way out of the house, and headed for his car.
It took him a moment to realize AJ was matching his hurried pace.
“What are you doing?” He looked down at the smaller man next to him.
“I’m coming with. It happened at my house.”
“You can’t just leave your own party.”
AJ shrugged. “It’s not going to hurt anything.”
They reached Nick’s car and AJ reached for the driver’s door.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Nick stopped and stared at him.
“I’m driving. You need to stay with her. Toss me your keys.”
“Have you been drinking?” Nick questioned as he managed to pull his keys out of his pocket.
“I’m fine, Nick. Let’s go.” He held out his hand and caught the keys Nick tossed him. Then he climbed into the Durango. Nick climbing into the back, still cradling Celeste in his arms.
The Durango was put into reverse and backed out of the makeshift parking spot in the lawn. Then it pulled onto the driveway and headed down and out into the street, to head to the Orlando General Hospital.