Burn It Down

I lay in the hotel room curled up under the blankets, everyone had been in and out of the room all night trying to get me to talk to them. To explain what I was thinking, what I was feeling.
“Ember? You awake?” His gentle voice made me open my eyes, looking up to find concern filling his hazel eyes. He gently stroked my hair, “Hey sweetheart.”
“Hi Matty,” I whispered, barely audible.
“Can I join you?” Matt asked tilting his head as he gently stroked my cheek. I nodded and scooted over to the middle of the bed. Matt got under the covers looking at me and opened his arms and pulled me close. We laid there for about fifteen minutes before I decided I needed to talk.
“Matty, I can’t do it anymore,” I whispered, tears filling my vision.
“What do you mean Em?” He gently kissed my forehead.
“You guys getting in fights all the time, Scott stalking me…” My voice cracked from the tears. “I just….he’s never going to stop. I’m never going to be worth more than a lay. I’m noone’s idea of happily ever after.”
Matt pulled me closer and wrapped both arms around me, “Shhh…” He kissed my forehead. “We will make him stop, do you hear me Ember? We will make him stokp and you’re worth more than you realize. Do you realize that Brian hasn’t stopped pacing outside the door? It kills him to see you this way. To know that Scott’s still walking free, that he’s still harassing you even after being told that we will saddle up an attorney. You’re Brian’s happily ever after.”
I shook my head and sobbed into Matt’s chest, “I don’t know Matt. I just don’t. I want to quit causing problems, I don’t want any more drama for you guys because of me.”
“Shhh,” Matt whispered softly. “Just relax sweetheart, we will get this sorted out. Larry’s gonna be here in a few hours. Just breathe.” He gently rubbed my back, trying to get me to calm down. I nodded and cuddled closer, closing my eyes listening to his breathing. Before I knew it I had fallen asleep.

The next time I woke up, I was alone in the bed, Brian sat by the bedside, resting his head next to my hand, softly snoring. I reached out, gently stroking his hair, wondering what would make a man like him love me so much. He stirred slightly and woke up, lifting his head slightly, “Hey,” he said groggily.
“Hey,” I whispered back, his brown eyes still sleepy but there was a hint of worry.
He gently reached forward and stroked my hair, “How’d you sleep?”
“I slept okay, you?” I asked looking up at him.
“For what I was able to get, I….slept alright” He slowly replied, his eyes searching mine.
“Do you love me?” I asked abruptly.
Brian crinkled his brow in confusion, “What?”
“Do you love me?” I repeated looking into his chocolate brown eyes.
“Of course I love you,” Brian looked in my eyes and I swear I saw a flash of hurt flow through them but then a wall went up. I couldn’t read him anymore.
“Why do you love me?” I asked softly and looked away guiltily.
“Em, what’s this about?” Brian asked as he moved to sit on the bed clasping my hand. I shook my head, looking at our hands. Brian gently lifted my chin with 2 fingers making me look at him. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
I looked in his eyes, my own filling with tears, “Bri, do you see a future with me? Or am I just someone to have fun with for the time being?”
Brian looked taken aback by the questioning, “Em, I-“ a knock at the door interrupted us.
I got up out of the bed, and walked over to the door, dressed in one of Matt’s t-shirts and a pair of Brian’s shorts. I opened the door and came face to face with Scott. He grabbed me by my shoulders and pinned me to the wall, pushing his way past the door.
“Em?” Brian asked as he got up from the bed and walked over.
“You stupid, stupid bitch,” Scott growled and slammed me harder into the wall, my head bouncing off of the drywall. “You called the fucking cops on me? For something YOU did?”
“Get the fuck away from her!” Brian grabbed Scott by the shoulders and threw him across the room, into the dresser.
I slumped to the floor barely awake, Brian kneeling in front of me. He pulled out his phone and called Matt. “Scott’s here, get the fuck over here. Use the spare key.”
Scott laughed getting up from the floor, his pocket knife in his hand, the blade popping out. “Always so quick to come to her defense, when you and I both know she’s no more than a piece of ass.”
Brian growled and got up looking at Scott, his arms up in somewhat of a defensive gesture. “She’s not a piece of ass to me. I love her, I want to be with her. I see a future with her. You need to leave her the fuck alone.”
“I’ll leave her the fuck alone when I’m dead, or when she is,” Scott laughed with a malicious tone.
I growled, “You’ll be dead before you lay another hand on her.”
“Bring it on asswipe,” Scott growled in return, moving closer to Brian.
Brian made to grab his arm with the knife, only to get swiped across the arm. Scott laughed as the blade swiped and was now dripping with blood. He then made a stab towards Brian’s abdomen which Brian narrowly dodged. Scott slammed a lamp into Brian’s head and then moved towards me as Brian collapsed to the floor.
I tried to get away from him, to get into the bathroom, but he caught me. He straddled my waist looking into my eyes as he drove the knife into my chest. I gasped as I heard a click and the hotel room door opened.
Before the blackness took over, I saw Matt and the guys rush into the room, Matt saw me and took off after Scott beating the crap out of him, I heard bones crunch as Zacky and Jimmy raced to my side, Johnny and Matt B took off to Brian’s side. Jason trying to pull Matt back, to avoid any more trouble.
“Em, stay with us,” Zacky whispered before pulling out his phone and dialing 911. “Yes, I need an ambulance and police to the Seabrook Hotel room 313. Hurry, we have a stab wound victim, she’s only 21. Okay, Thank-you.”
“Hold on, Little Fire. We have help on the way,” Jimmy said gently cradling my head in his lap. Grabbing a towel and keeping pressure around the wound.
Matt came in the doorway, looking at me and dropped to his knees. His eyes seeing all the blood and the knife sticking out of my chest. Matt made a move to pull the knife out but Zacky grabbed his wrist before he could reach it. “Don’t.” he warned and Matt glared daggers at Zacky.
“She’s bleeding, the knife needs to come out,” Matt argued.
“Matt, we need to leave it in for right now. It is currently keeping her from bleeding out. Don’t take it out, let the doctors do it when we get to the hospital,” Zacky said calmly, soothingly to my brother.
I slowly closed my eyes…right as the paramedics knocked on the door. I felt peace. Finally.

Notes

Where do we go from here?? Stay tuned to find out