The Girl Who Woke Up

Chapter 14 Into the Woods

 "Don't touch me! I hate you!", Cristine angrily uttered.

Clint was stunned. Even with his hateful personality, no one dared to directly utter those words to him. He always knew many people hated him and he expected it.

But hearing it now being directly said to him, he felt a sudden stab at his heart.

"Okay. Let's go", Clint softly said. He tried to help Cristine stand up. But she still resisted. Clint sighed, "What' wrong?" He squatted down to level his sight to hers.

Cristine sniffed and once again repeated, "It's your fault."

Clint touched her cheek and softly caressed it. He then lifted her jaw to make her look at him in the eyes. "What did I do?", he asked in a soft warm voice.

Cristine didn't reply and stared back at him. Her stare was fierce at the beginning, but it suddenly softened up. Tears suddenly went down her cheeks. Clint leaned closer to her, "Don't cry. Tell me what happened?"

Cristine sobbed, "Huwaa~ T-they s-said I am old. Huwaa~".

"Who?", Clint asked.

She hiccupped, "T-them."

Clint doesn't know who she was talking about, so he persuaded her to go home, "Okay. I understand. But let's go home first. It's cold out here."

Cristine shook her head, "N-no. I-it's all your f-fault." Her pitiful gaze suddenly once again turned into a glare.

"Tsk, tsk. Young man, what did you do that she doesn't want to go with you? You should call somebody else to take her home", the old lady, who was watching them quietly, intervened. "We are already closing."

Clint nodded in apology. He grabbed Cristine's shoes and forcefully carried her princess style. She struggled, wanting to get down but Clint didn't let her. Once outside the tent, she struggled more, and Clint couldn't keep her in her arms so he gently let her down.

Cristine sat on the cold cement and cried loudly, "Why don't you understand that I don't want to go with you! It's all your fault they rejected me. If I went to that interview last time, I might have reached my dream by now." She bawled and tears kept running down her eyes. She touched her chest area, "I—I was doing well. But why? Why? Why was I there at that time?" She clenched her fist and hit the area she was touching a moment ago. She hit once... and then twice... and thrice.

Clint squatted down and stopped her fist. Cristine lifted her other fist and hit herself with it once more. Clint grabbed it, too. Now that her hands were both caught, she cried louder, "Let go!" She resisted the man's hold and kept trying to release herself from him.

Clint pulled her to his side and hugged her. She was still struggling in his arms, so he tightened his hold. With all the struggles, he held her still.

After much struggling, Cristine's energy depleted, and she finally stopped moving in the man's arms. She let the man hug her as she cried on his chest. She clutched at the man's clothe tightly. She cried and cried until she fell asleep.

Noticing that the girl on his arm fell asleep, he loosened his hold and carried her to the car.

Clint always despised the smell of alcohol. He doesn't drink due to this. And the incident five years ago only deepened his hatred towards it. He parked the car and went to the passenger's side. She opened the car door and stared at the sleeping girl. The stench of alcohol made him wrinkle his nose.

He removed the girl's seatbelt and carried him to her bedroom. After putting her on the bed, he left the room but later came back carrying a box of medicine and a basin of water. He wiped her feet and softly applied medicine to the wounds. He went outside again, getting rid of the dirty water and once again came back. He rummaged the contents of the medicine box and found the box of band aids. He once again sat at the foot of the bed and lifted her legs. He carefully covered the wounds.