Ch 13: The Center of attention

'Shit, the skin is still too red and purple for me to go out in public. The swelling also does not look like it will go down anytime soon. I cannot afford to miss school for a few days so that I will wrap my face again.'

Lisa pressed the cooling aid against her face to help the swelling go down, but even she was not foolish enough to believe it would help.

Her face would look like a tragedy for a few days, and Lisa had to accept that.

Lisa did her best to hide her wound the following day, but wrapping her face felt foolish.

Somehow, Lisa was attracting more attention to herself this way than she would have if she came here with a swollen cheek.

"I should have used make-up. It might be expensive to buy, but it would have saved me so much embarrassment of being stared at by everyone."

Lisa only used make-up on special occasions. 

All the makeup she had received was gifts from her mother, but those had been too 'cheap' for her mother's tastes and had ended up in the garbage.

Or, they would have if Lisa had not saved it all up. 

However, having make-up and knowing how to use it correctly were two different matters that Lisa did not want to get into.

As soon as Lisa reached school, her feet turned around and her body moved to run away before Lisa realized what was happening and it all happened once Lisa saw that friendly smile waving at her.

"Lisa, you are finally here! I have been waiting for you for so long! Did you think about my confession? Will you give me an answer? Your face-"

Nick Lawrence was like a hurricane that could not be stopped. He yapped and spoke fast, but his eyes looked worried when he looked at Lisa's injured face.

His red eyes were unsettling, and Lisa felt as if the man could see right through her and know her deepest secrets.

"Lisa, did someone hit you? Do you need help? You can ask me for it, and I will-"

Nick's hand reached toward Lisa's face but never touched her. He stood there, his arm stretched out with an almost longing expression.

'I want to lean up toward that hand. How weird! I never thought I wanted physical contact, but I want that hand to touch my face.'

Lisa unconsciously leaned that hand until it touched the side of her throbbing face. 

The bandages prevented the cold hand from directly touching Lisa's skin, but she could still feel the warmth seeping into her body when it was being touched.

Nick's eyes looked blown wide, and he seemed to struggle to control himself.

There was a tender expression on Nick's face that made Lisa lean more toward him and-

She was instantly yanked back. A hand gripped her shoulder hard before Lisa's back touched a solid chest.

"What do you think you are doing to Lisa in broad daylight? Do you not have any decency, you leech?"

Emma sounded beyond mad, and her words had a biting tone.

Hearing it made Lisa shiver, and she suddenly felt cold. But the arm holding Lisa's shoulder suddenly warped around her front and held her close.

Nick's smile froze, and it took a colder tone as well.

"Ah, well, I am sure I was much more respectful to Lisa than you are. I just wanted to take a look at her injured cheek. How can you call me out for it?"

Nick sounded upset, but it was impossible to tell if he was acting.

Even Emma could not tell what he was thinking and Lisa felt the older female grit her teeth before letting Lisa go.

Lisa was suddenly turned around in Emma's arms, and strong hands cupped her face to make her injured side face Emma.

"Who the fuck would dare to hit Lisa? Lisa, give me a name, and I will care for the person who harmed you. There's no need to feel scared of anything. I will protect you."

Emma promised, and Lisa felt weird hearing such earnest words from the female's mouth.

Looking at Emma, Lisa could see Emma's sincerity and respect for her. It made Lisa want to open her mouth and ask for help.

But as soon as she did that, Lisa's senses came knocking back, and she quickly stepped back.

"As much as I appreciate that offer, I am afraid that I will have to decline it. I got injured because I ran into something. It is my fault."

The lie came as naturally as breathing to Lisa. She spoke these words even before she realized what she was talking about.

That was how Lisa had gotten over the years of denying her injuries in front of strangers.

Many people would think of Lisa as a fool for not wanting to get rid of her mother. However, people did not realize that Lisa's mother was a safety net for her.

Lisa would not survive alone with no money and a half-baked education.

So, she at least needed a degree and a decent-paying job before Lisa could think about going solo.

And unfortunately, it was going to take some time before that happened.

Emma did not look disappointed by Lisa's answer. Her expression almost made it look like she expected Lisa to say such words.

"I see! If that happened, I cannot help but drop this topic."

Emma quickly realized that Lisa did not want to discuss what happened with her mother or her home condition.

But Nick did not get the notice (or if he did, he did not bother caring about it)

"Well, who cares how you got hurt? The bigger issue is that you got hurt and need to be treated. Hurry up and come with me. We need to get a look at that injury of yours."

Nick grabbed Lisa's wrist, and his grip hurt. It was too tight for Lisa to break and all she could do was get dragged along the way by him.