Page 1 of Save Her

Chapter 1

Chapter One

If I could pinpoint the moment in time when my life went from hell to bearable, it would be when this raven-haired beauty walked into it. She lit up my life like a a flashlight in the darkest of shadows. Alayna Morgan gave me a reason to fight, a reason to live, again. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that.

That doesn’t mean I ever wanted to meet her in this house of hell. I would rather have spent my whole life never knowing her, than subject her to this torture. I would give up everything to get her out of here so she never again has to experience the pain that the people in this house love to bestow upon us. Alayna is my breath of fresh air, but every day she’s trapped in this house with me, her oxygen depletes little by little. Her light dims and I refuse to watch it go out completely.

Finding new ways to make her smile and keep her safe are the only things that fill my thoughts most days. Some may say planning my every move around Alayna is unhealthy, and at seventeen I’m far too young to be so caught up in one girl. Those people don’t know the life we live, they don’t know this girl. Alayna is more than worth this level of devotion. She’s worth everything.

Looking down the hall to where evil incarnate is sleeping soundly, thanks to a pill I slipped in his beer earlier, I push the door open and step inside the dimly lit room that Alayna sleeps in.

“Allie cat,” I whisper softly, tip-toeing into Alayna’s bedroom at two in the morning. “Allie cat, wake up.”

“No,” she mumbles cutely, her eyes sleepily watching my every move. She was awake the moment I stepped into the room, a necessity we’ve both been conditioned to do. She likes to play with me, never letting me get her up that easily even though we both know she’s going to get up.

“I have a surprise for you, though. You know you want it,” I singsong, brushing the dark locks of hair out of her face. “It involves the roof!”

A smile plays on Alayna’s lips, her cheeks blushing red as her excitement takes over. The roof is our safe haven in this hell, our sanctuary if you will. It’s the one place that no one can find us or hurt us. We go there every single moment that we can get away, usually in the middle of the night after the asshole has gone to sleep. If we’re missing in action, there’s only two places to find us; the roof and the dock by the river.

Alayna moves to get up, her long black, wavy hair falling down her back like silk. My fingers itch to touch it, to feel the softness run between my fingers as I hold her in my arms. After the life I’ve lived, moving from bad foster home to bad foster home, I never imagined I would be worthy enough to love someone like Alayna. My heart was a shrivelled black mess of nothingness before she walked in and shined her light on it.

We’ve been stuck in this foster home together for a while now and every single day my infatuation with her grows. It started the moment she walked through the door of this place. Alayna was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her stormy grey eyes were cautious and wary, her black hair braided down her back, reminding me of a fierce warrior.

Unfortunately, Mr. Jennings also noticed her beauty. Something that was surely inevitable, but made my stomach twist with panic all the same. It never went well when he focused his attention on you. Those blue, bloodshot eyes of his followed her every move and I knew he had found a favourite, someone new to focus his punishments on.

A protectiveness that I never knew I had in me, flared to life with her. From that moment on, I strived to do whatever I could to keep her safe. If that meant putting myself in harm's way then that's what I would do. To this world, I'm nothing, just another worthless loser. I'm a nuisance and a strain on the system. When I age out of the system, I'll be worth nothing more than the ground I inevitably sleep on. Not Alayna though, she's different. People are drawn to her, like moths to her burning flame of strength. Allie will be going places, I have no doubt about that.

Alayna is meant for so much more in this world. She has the strength, resilience, light, and spirit to do whatever she puts her mind to. Compared to the empty shell of a person that I am, she's overflowing with life. That's something that needs to be protected, especially in the life we're forced to live. I'm not a fighter, but for her I'll take on the world.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Her grey eyes are focused on me, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Are you going to keep staring into space or take me to this surprise?”

“Come with me,” I murmur, taking her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom window.

We push the window open silently, the screen already missing since we do this often enough. Placing my hand on Alayna’s lower back, I support her as she climbs out, pulling herself up on the flat ledge just above the window. Following behind her, I slide the window shut behind me, placing a single blue wooden block to keep it from closing all the way.

"This better be good, Dec. I need my beauty sleep," Allie jokes, giving me a mock glare.

"Nah. You're always stunning." I wink, giving her a lopsided smile. "And isn't any time in our special place worth it?"

"You've got me there." She throws her head back with a quiet laugh that makes my heart skip a beat. Staring at her, my eyes take in every beautiful line of her face in the bright moonlight. The amount of songs I write about this girl in front of me should be illegal. She's forever my greatest muse and every minute with her changes me in ways I never expected.

Allie's eyes meet mine after a minute, one eyebrow raising in question. "So? What's the surprise?"

"Close your eyes," I murmur, a mischievous smile in place. "Come on, close 'em and hold out your hand."

"You're not going to put a bug or some other dumb shit in my hand, are you?" Allie eyes me skeptically, checking out my hands and pants to see what I'm hiding.

"Pfft, no faith! That hurts, Allie Cat. That hurts a lot." Dramatically, I place my hand over my heart, throwing myself backwards to lay on the slanted part of the roof. "I don't think you deserve the surprise now."

"Declan! Don't do that," Allie gasps, smacking my arm playfully. "I take it back!"

"No takesie backsies! You dug your hole," I admonish her with a teasing tone, propping myself up on my elbows. Looking into her sad eyes, I sigh loudly. "Will you close your eyes and hold out your hands nicely?"

Nodding furiously, Allie does just that. Closing her eyes, she thrusts her hands in my direction so forcefully she hits me directly in the sternum, temporarily knocking my breath away.

"Oops! Shit! I'm sorry, Dec." Allie bites her lip, looking at me anxiously as she holds her hands in her lap, away from me.

"Hey, it's okay. Accidents happen," I assure her. Taking her hands in mine, I hold them out between us. My other hand brushes her eyelids softly, closing them so I can finally give her the gift burning a hole in my pocket. "Are you ready?"

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