had seen what looked like his father and mother get into the ambulance before it pulled away, but she wasn’t sure. God, please let him be alright.
Daylen ran upstairs to her bedroom. Even though it was freezing outside, she lifted her window a crack to let Chase know he could come in if he wanted to. Something she had done for the last four years, since they’d gotten too big to meet in the treehouse. Daylen then grabbed her pajamas and went into her bathroom to take a shower before bed.
She tied up her braids in a bun on top of her head and showered quickly, not wanting to waste too much time, just in case Chase did come over. He usually did when he got into fights with his dad.
Daylen got out of the shower, dried off, and quickly rubbed some lotion on her arms and legs. She pulled on her pink musical note print, fleece pajama bottoms, and a pink tank. She wondered if her pajamas were too childish for an eighteen-year-old, but then just shrugged it off. She slid her feet into her pink fuzzy slippers and padded quietly to her room.
She opened the door and stopped in her tracks. A very battered and bruised Chase sat on her frilly, white virginal daybed with his duffel bag next to him. Daylen instinctively ran towards him but stopped short once she was in front of him. Afraid to touch him, for fear of hurting him. Chase didn’t say a word. He just reached out a hand with bruised and bloodied knuckles and grasped the material of her tank, pulling her towards him.
Chase buried his face in her chest, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Daylen wrapped her arms around his head and let him cry it out.
“Shh…it’s okay. It’s okay.” She cooed and soothed.
Daylen stroked her hand through his hair. The gelled spikes soften as she continued to run her fingers through his blond locks.
Chase finally calmed down and pulled away from her. He wiped at his eyes and then looked at the front of her tank. His face flushed with color.
“Uh…sorry,” Chase said, embarrassed.
Daylen looked down at herself and realized that her tank was almost completely transparent from his tears. She quickly covered her breasts with her arms.
“Um…it’s alright.” Daylen looked around for her high school sweatshirt.
She walked over to her desk chair, where it was hanging and threw it on.
“Hold tight. I’ll be right back, okay?” She said, before slipping out of her room.
Daylen crept quietly to her mother’s bathroom, grabbed a towel and found the first aid kit. Then she went downstairs and grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. Once she’d collected all the things she needed, Day swiftly made her way back to her room. Chase hadn’t moved an inch. He just stared off into space.
Day walked over to him and placed the kit on the bed next to him. She dug through the contents to find what she needed. She opened up some antiseptic wipes and cleaned the cut on his eyebrow and handed him the ice pack wrapped in the towel to hold against his swollen face. Daylen then moved to the cut marring his beautiful bottom lip.
Chase just sat and let her tend to him. He stared up at her quietly. Day’s heart pounded in her chest, but she ignored it while she took care of him. She held up his hands and cleaned each knuckle.
“What happened, Chase?” Daylen finally asked.
“The usual.” He shrugged. “But this time I sent him to the hospital. Great way to start Christmas, right?” Chase laughed mirthlessly.
Daylen shook her head sadly and worked on his other hand.
“Anywhere else?” She asked.
Chase placed the ice pack down and reached back to grab the material of his sweater and pulled till it and his undershirt cleared his torso and head. Daylen gasped as she took in the bruises along his ribcage. Then she looked behind him and saw matching bruises across his back. Her eyes filled with the tears she’d been holding back since she saw him sitting on her bed.
A silent tear fell to her cheek and ran down her face. Chase pulled
Jade Lee
Helena Hunting
Sophia Johnson
Adam LeBor
Kate Avery Ellison
Keeley Bates
Melody Johnson
Elizabeth Musser
Lauren Groff
Colin Evans