Master (MxB) novel Chapter 4

Corey's POV

It's been almost a week since the dinner party and I was getting very worried. First, there was the tense and cold atmosphere at home, with Father glaring at me and Mother blatantly ignoring me or casting cold looks in my direction. I overheard them talking one night and it seems like there was a high probability that they won't be getting the contract they so desperately wanted from Mr...Hayden, and guess who they felt deserved the blame? Yeah, yours truly.

The second thing that was worrying me, was the wounds caused by father's belt buckle. The day after the party I was barely able to leave my bed and Susan had to bring me food in bed the entire day. She knew what had happened and I saw her lips thin into a straight line in anger towards Father, but she never said anything. She just set my tray down and went to my bathroom, where I kept a first-aid kit and when she came back, she quietly sat next to me, cleaning all the cuts and bandaging them for me.

I kept hearing her noises of disapproval while doing it, but neither one of us said a word. It was a silent agreement between the two of us, that she would always look after me when Father did this. If she tried to do anything more, then she would get fired, which would leave me completely alone in this hellhole. As soon as she was done, she gently kissed my forehead and got up to leave the room, but I saw the silent tears running down her cheeks. I lowered my head in shame at how weak and pathetic I was, but she gently lifted it by the chin. "You are a lot stronger than you think sweetheart, don't ever doubt that." and with those words, she left the room.

I ate my breakfast in silence, my mind going back to the handsome face of Hayden. I quickly remembered his card and searched for it through my bedding and sighed in relief when I found it, clutching it to my chest. He might not be mine, but a boy could dream, couldn't he?

Now it's been almost a week, but the wounds weren't healing like they should. Between myself and Susan, we have been trying to keep them clean, but somehow, infection had set in and I didn't know what to do. Last night, during dinner, my head started aching and I felt slightly nauseous, but I pushed through and managed to finish most of my food.

I went to my room almost immediately after and took off the bandages, looking at the wounds I could see. I turned in front of the mirror in the bathroom to have a look at the ones on my back as well, and that's when I saw it. Some of the cuts on my back was really deep and now they looked angry and red, swollen and there was something leaking out of them.

There was a quiet knock on the door and I hurriedly pulled my t-shirt over my head, groaning as the wounds stretched and burned. I went to my door, dreading that it might be Father behind the door, but as I opened it, I saw Susan standing there.

"I came to help with the bandages real quick." She whispered, she probably snuck up here, not wanting Father to know she was helping me. So I quickly motion her to come in and close my door behind her. As we get back into the bathroom, I take my shirt off again, but this time Susan has to help me, because the wounds were hurting even more.

I heard Susan gasp loudly behind me and know she has seen what the cuts on my back look like. "Oh my dear boy, we need to get you proper medical care. These really don't look good at all." She cries out and I have to shush her. I didn't want Father to know what was going on. She quickly slaps a hand over her mouth and nods at me.

"I'm serious though Corey, these wounds are beyond my help. You need proper care otherwise it's only going to get worse." She whispers and I sigh, knowing that she is only telling me something I already know, but also knowing that I can't go to a doctor without my parents finding out.

"Let's just get this over and done with Susan. I'm sure they will get better on their own eventually." I tell her quietly and she just sniffles, before turning me to face the mirror, so she can work on my back.

She spends the next half hour, meticulously cleaning each cut and wrapping bandages around me, before she says goodnight and leaves my room. I went to lie on my bed, but the headache that started during dinner was getting worse and worse.

I eventually fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, but by then I was sure I was developing a fever.

This morning I woke up when my alarm went off, but the sickening headache was still throbbing away in my head and my stomach turned as I sat up, but I pushed it down and went to do my morning routine, before getting ready for school.

So far I had managed to keep my injuries from Tana, but with the way I was feeling right now, I didn't know how much longer that was going to last. I will just have to push through it and try to get some more rest when I got back from school.

This all brings me to the present, where I was at my locker with Tana, who had greeted me with the usual hug and kiss on my cheek. I had to hold in a gasp of pain when she hugged me though, that shit fucking hurt like a bitch.

"So, any more dreams of the hot hunk of flesh that is Hayden Lawson?" She asked with a sly smile on her face. I had made the mistake of telling her about Hayden coming to the dinner party at my house, and how hot I thought he was and she has been teasing me about it every chance she got.

I knew the man was quite a bit older than me, but I honestly didn't give a shit. He was hot as hell and I couldn't seem to get him out of my mind. I even carried his card around with me, even though I had absolutely no intention of calling him, which she also knew about, because she saw it fall out my book yesterday.

I blush bright red at her teasing tone and gently nudge her away with my hip. "I don't dream of him, you idiot. I just said he was hot."I scoff, trying to hide my burning face, by turning away from her to dig in my locker for my books I will be needing.

"Yeah, you don't dream about him, but I bet you that his card is in your bed with you every single night."She says sarcastically, the grin on her face letting me know she wasn't being mean about it though.

I sigh and turn back to her, looking down at my shoes. "It doesn't matter how I feel about the man Tana. He will never look at me as anything other than a child."I sigh, feeling despondent.

"Oh please, if I had a dick, I would have ripped your innocence away from you a long time ago. You're too cute for your own good Corey and I bet you that man was drooling over you the entire night." She says in a teasing tone.