Apologies

Kyley stared at the wooden ceiling beams that added a rustic feel to the room's aesthetics, while still deep in thought about what had happened earlier.

" Show me your wounds!" Darren's stern face appeared in her mind as he yelled at her over and over again. Her pain had significantly reduced after Darren had attended to her wounds. However, Kyley still didn't know how to feel about it. The fear and anxiety in her heart still remained, and her body would shudder every now and then.

Her trauma had kicked in.

Kyley felt like a trapped mouse, waiting to be slaughtered. She was wounded and had nowhere to go. She couldn't help but curse her ill-fate.

' Why do I always have to go through this?' Tears threatened to break out of her eyes. Kyley was hurt, in pain, and was mentally exhausted- she's collapsing.

She could barely hold on to the last bit of sanity left within her, Kyley believed she would soon lose it. And Darren was probably the last straw.

' Darren...' Kyley didn't know just what he was trying to do. She wasn't certain just what he intends with her. There were so many questions and doubts in Kyley's mind about him.

At first, she'd thought that he was a predator like any other man and would finally reveal his true self after learning that she'd tried to escape after seeing through his 'kind-gentlemanly' attempts.

Kyley had this thought about him ever since the first time she met him. That was why she'd tried to submit to whatever ill-will he had towards her so as to buy herself a chance to escape.

She had thought that Darren was some sort of hunter at first. Buthe denied being one.

Remembering his ragged appearance from earlier with the needle holder, Kyley couldn't help but shudder once again. Kyley felt that he must be some sort of psychopath. After all, what normal person lives in the depths of the woods?

However, now that she's calmed down and given much thought about it, she started doubting if it really was what it seemed.

' If he truly was like that, why did he wait till it was morning before he made a move. Besides, he treated my wounds ...' Kyley was confused. She could swear that Darren would have at least heard her crash down the staircase the night before, so why did he wait till morning? He should have rushed out the very same night to prevent her from escaping, right? Did he sleep that much that he didn't hear her crash down the stairs?

' Nonetheless...' Kyley looked towards the door, she was sure it wasn't locked from outside, and the windows were wide open; and neither was she tied down. Although she wouldn't try neither of these 'escape routes' due to obvious reasons, it still left her baffled. However, if she was really threatened, Kyley wouldn't mind jumping out the window just to escape.

Kyley knew Darren had rushed into the room this morning after having probably seen the blood stains on the floor. And that was enough fo him to realize that she'd left her room, which meant that she tried to escape.

Kyley had thought he'd realized this and that it was why Darren had raged with fury earlier and yelled at her. But the way he stormed off after treating her made Kyley feel that wasn't it.

' Could it be that he is...'

Knock! Knock!

' Here?' Kyley jumped in fright when she heard the door being knocked amidst her thought.

Of course, it could only be him. There was no one else in the house, not to Kyley's knowledge.

" C-come in" Kyley informed in staccato.

Creak!

The door was pushed open right after, and Darren's figure stepped into the room. Kyley felt her heart beat at a faster rate as she grew nervous and anxious at the sight of him, despite the fact that he'd changed into a better clothing and didn't look as he did earlier.

Darren smiled wryly at Kyley as he walked in with a wooden bucket that had a mop stick immersed in it. He placed the bucket down gently and walked to sit on the stool by the table in the corner of the room.

Darren shot Kyley a glance, opened his mouth to speak but only pursed his lips tight and lowered his head as he clasped his arms around his knees. He was clearly at a loss of word.

Kyley silently watched him, her heart thumping right in her throat. Scared that he would lunge at her any moment now, Kyley didn't take her eyes of off him for even a split second. She watched every bit of his move cautiously while slowly sitting up in bed.

" Look..." Darren raised his gaze and was about to say something, but he paused seeing Kyley sitting up in bed. " I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's better that you lay down in bed for now... Until your wounds heal at least" he reminded.

Kyley, hearing this, ceased and slowly lay back down in bed.

" Look Kyley, I'm sorry I treated you like that earlier. You left me no choice back there..." Darren apologized, his gaze fixated on the floor. He pondered his words for a while before continuing.

" I had found blood stains on the stairs this morning and I recognized the blood to be yours. I- I thought someone had broke in to harm you so I was worried. Hence, why I was frustrated as to my negligence" Darren shot his gaze up to meet Kyley's as he sincerely narrated how he felt.

Kyley's eyes widened in surprise when she heard this. ' Th-that really was it?' She couldn't believe it. Darren's words made her realize something she hadn't thought of before ' More importantly, he was worried for my safety?!'

Although Kyley wasn't willing to believe for some reason, Darren's statement actually made sense. It explained why he didn't tie her down nor try to keep her from escaping like any psychotic person would. It's because he cares!