Chapter 105

Derek's POV

I snapped out of my thoughts as I rushed to take Clara from his arms.

I rushed back inside and laid her down on the couch. She wasn't moving; she looked like she wasn't breathing. She was covered in dirt and cold to the touch. I didn't even want to imagine what she must have gone through.

I sat on the couch and placed her head on my lap, checking her responsiveness.

"I'm... Kevin, I'm Clara's stepfather." The man explained. He followed us into the living room. He looked very nervous and jittery. He looked like someone I wouldn't otherwise have trusted, but I was thankful he had brought her here.

I chose to forget about him. Right now, I have a much bigger problem.

"Her pulse is very faint," Luke reported.

I shook her shoulder, hoping she would wake up, but she wasn't responding. At least I knew she was alive.

"What did you do to her?" I asked.

"I was trying to save her life," Kevin answered nervously.

How was he trying to save her? At the moment, she looked more dead than alive. If she stayed like this for longer, she would die.

"Luke, call the ambulance," I demanded.

Luke fumbled through his pockets for a phone.

"You can't do that right now," Kevin stopped him. "She can't know that Clara is still alive. You'll put Clara and her family in more danger. We can't do anything until she has been arrested." He rumbled.

She? Who was he referring to?

I couldn't just leave Clara like that and wait for her to die.

"She should be awake at any moment. I switched one of the drugs when they weren't looking. It's just a sedative." Kevin continued.

Drugs? This was far more serious than I could have imagined.

As luck would have it, Clara slowly began to wake up. She coughed lightly as her eyes slowly opened. Her hands moved soon after. I sighed in relief. This was a good sign, at least. I had hope again.

“Clara," I whispered, hoping she could keep her eyes open long enough.

Soon after, she regained full consciousness as she slowly sat up straight.

Luke decided to hold off calling the police or ambulance for now. We'd first find out what happened and then contact the authorities.

Clara looked around in confusion. She was only starting to register where she was.

“Clara, are you okay?" I asked, concerned. I moved closer to her.

Her confused face quickly became one filled with panic as she shifted away from me to the opposite end of the couch. "Where am I?" She asked in a panic. "Who are you?"

Luke and I stared at her, concerned.

With everything she has been through, I could understand her reaction. I just wanted her to know she was safe and alright.

"It's me, Derek. You are safe now, and you'll be alright." I tried to assure her. We tried to keep our distance, hoping it would ensure she was safe.

My words must have triggered a reaction in her because soon after, she started hyperventilating. I did what I could to help her, but she was only getting worse.

I would have maintained my distance, but it wasn't working. She needed a distraction.

"Can you keep an eye on him?"I asked Luke.

I scooped Clara into into my arms and rushed her out of the room.

The fact that she was having a panic attack made me panic even more. I skipped several steps as I rushed up the stairs.

The only thing I could think of was to place her in a cold shower. Hopefully, it would distract her from whatever was bothering her. So I did.

At first, I regretted it immediately. She gasped even more, and her breathing worsened, but then I noticed how she relaxed, her breathing slowly returning to normal. At least I hadn't done another thing wrong.

I stepped into the shower beside her, slowly rubbing her back. I nearly jumped out of the storm as the cold water hit my skin.

I hadn't realised it when she started crying. She leaned on the wall as she slowly sank to the floor. If she continued like this, she would wind up on the floor. I held her in my arms for support. She didn't push me away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me. Her head was on my chest as she continued to sob.

My blood boiled at the thought of who had done this. I would make sure they never see the outside of a prison cell again. I still couldn't help but think about what could have happened.

"I'm here now," I whispered to her.

I held onto her firmly as her grip on me tightened.

It must have taken nearly ten minutes to calm her down. I finally turned the shower off.

"Are you feeling better now?" I whispered to her.

She nodded against my chest. "Yes," she answered. She pulled away from me. Her being away from me felt colder than the shower. "You can leave now." She added. "I just need a shower." She explained.

I nodded. "You can call me if you need anything," I added.

I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel on my way out.

I walked into my walk-in closet and changed out of my clothes. I picked out one of my shirts and a sweater. She'd need something to wear until she can get back home. Was it safe for her to go back home?

I placed the clothes I'd picked out for Clara on my bed. She stepped out of the bathroom with a bathrobe tightly wrapped around her.

I handed her the clothes before she disappeared to change.She returned dressed in my shirt and sweater that looked like a dress on her. Her wet hair was loose and tucked behind her ears. She looked better in my sweater than I ever did in it. I wouldn't mind if she tried all of them. Why was I thinking about that?

"You should get some sleep. It will do you some good," I suggested. "I'm going to take care of everything." I tried to assure her.

It was best if she got some rest. I also wouldn't want her around if anything got out of hand.

She shook her head. "No," she answered sternly. "I have some questions I need answered." She spoke.

I would have argued, but I didn't think now was the time.

She walked past me and returned downstairs. I trailed behind her.

I hope this won't be a mistake.

From upstairs, I noticed how Luke paced around frantically while Kevin annoyingly tapped his foot.

Kevin stared at Clara Frightened as we descended the stairs.

Far too many conclusions ran through my mind, none of which I liked. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Kevin looked like she had been caught in a crime, while Clara was merely a ghost of herself. I'd never seen her like this. It was best if Kevin started talking.

"Are you going to explain what the heck happened?" I asked Kevin.