angel baby (heavy editing)

41

          Chris's head hurt. No, that was an understatement. His head felt like it would explode. He was about to freak out that he had a sickness of some sort when he remembered he had drank last night. He had no delusions what he was experiencing was a hangover. It was the worst.  He had drank underage last night. Normally, he would have had better conviction but his curiosity got the best of him. He sat up without opening his eyes. It hurt so much. His phone suddenly rang which made him flinch. He was never drinking again. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and took his phone from where it lay. He looked at the caller ID. It was his mother. They had not spoken since the night he came to stay here. He answered the call placing the phone on his ear.
"Chris, baby, how are you?"
He wasn't fine. His head hurt so much.
"I drank last night. I have an hangover this morning"
"Oh really?"
"Are you mad at me?" He suddenly felt scared and teary. He hoped she wasn't. He couldn't lose her too. The sudden need to cry all but worsened his headache. Sorry, migraine.
"No of course not. I know you must be freaking out about drinking underage but it's fine. Don't beat yourself up any longer. I'm just glad you're trying new things"
"Okay"
"Other than that, are you okay, my love? Is the change of environment helping?"
"No, not really"
And it was the truth. His heart wasn't healing. He still thought about her every moment. The little things made him remember her.
"I can't believe she's gone", he said to her as the tears drop.
He missed her so much.
"Me too. Do you want to come and stay with me and Lena? I think it's better we stay together"
He thought about it. He missed his mother but he liked it here. He wasn't forgetting Kathy. He was sure the pain in his chest would never dwindle but he liked Oliver's company.
Oliver. He suddenly remembered something that made him gasp.
"Oliver kissed me last night", he blurted out.
There was silence on her side for the next few seconds for a while that Chris almost thought he hadn't spoken those words out loud. It happened sometimes that words meant to be spoken out loud would be spoken in his mind but his brain would tell him he had indeed spoken out loud so he tried again,
"Oliver kissed me last night"
"I know, I heard you the first time", she finally said. "Do I need to speak to Oliver? Did that make you uncomfortable?"
Did it make him uncomfortable? He wasn't sure. He didn't even remember the details.
"No, not really. I just suddenly remembered and blurted it out"
"Oh. Are you sure you're okay alone? How is Jessica treating you?"
That was another reason he didn't want to leave. Oliver's mother that the best art room in the world.
"She has the most magnificent art room in the world, mom"
He was very excited about that room. When he was older, he would get a room just like that. Maybe bigger.
"Oh that's good. I'm glad she's treating you well. If you need anything or if you change your mind, I'm only a phone call away, okay?"
He nodded. She couldn't see so he replied "yes"
"I love you so much, my love"
"I love you too"

   After the phone call with his mom, he took his bath. It helped a bit with his headache but it wasn't nearly enough. Almost immediately when he was done dressing, he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Oliver who perhaps wanted to talk about the kiss the previous night, he rushed towards it and opened. A woman he hadn't seen before stood there. He fought the urge to recoil and like close the door. He didn't handle strangers well. He guessed she was one of the maids. The family had too many maids that was deemed appropriate. His mother had raised him to hate or rather she had spoken openly about her hate for the elite. This family was nice though. He couldn't hate them.
"Good morning, young master. Mrs Borghese told me to inform you that breakfast is ready. Are you ready to go?"
He nodded slowly. If Oliver's mother demanded his presence, who was he to say no? He closed the door to the room and followed her out.
            
            Chris felt like a stranger sitting at the table with the Borghese family. The father was  present today and Chris didn't know how to feel about his presence. The dining table they were eating on was smaller than the one they ate at the day he visited here with his mother and Kathy. He felt his throat close up. He wouldn't cry though. He wouldn't. It doesn't matter how much he wanted to. He caught Emilia's eyes. She smiled at him. He managed a smile, at least he hoped he did.
"So let's eat", Jessica announced a bit too happily. It was ten in the morning.
Chris looked down at his plate. Yesterday, he had had burritos for breakfast but the meal on his plate was something he had never eaten before. It looked fancy. One of the things on the bucket list he created with Kathy was to make enough money to eat whatever fancy food they want and didn't get to eat growing up. He felt guilty for wanting to eat this without her. He couldn't do it without her. His lungs felt right and the hands that held the cutleries were shaking. What was happening to him? He felt shortness of breath and it was getting difficult to breathe. He dropped his cutleries startling everyone.
He didn't know what to do. He couldn't do this without her. There was no way she was dead.
He heard someone calling his name and that was when he came to the full realization that he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. Was he going to die?
He heard a thud from behind. What was happening?
"Oh my God, he's having a panic attack" he heard someone say.
Panic attack?
"I can't-", he tried to say. Even speaking was difficult.
Then he felt a presence behind him.
"I've got you, I've got you. You're alright. I've got you", the voice whispered in his ear.
"Try to breathe with me. In. Out"
"I can't"
"Yes, you can. I believe in you. Come on. In. Out. Follow me"
Chris did as he was told. In. Out. It didn't seem to be working at first until it did. Slowly, he felt his breathing return to normal.
"I'm so proud of you"
The tears came from nowhere. He turned and hugged Oliver who held him close tightly.
"You're so strong", Oliver whispered to him.
"No I'm not" he whispered back. He wasn't. He didn't know what to do.
"I'm going to take him to his room" , he heard him say.
"Should we- what can we do?"
"Nothing, just- he'll be fine. Come on", Oliver Saud the last words directed to him and then he was pulling away from the hug but Chris felt if he did, his whole existence would come crashing down so he shook his head, still holding on to him tight.
Oliver moved and carried him bridal style and then he was walking away. Chris closed his eyes and rendered all his trust to Oliver as he led him somewhere. He soon discovered it was his room. Oliver carefully dropped him on the bed. Chris immediately grabbed his hand in case he had any thoughts of leaving.
"Please don't go. I don't want to be alone right now"
"I wasn't going to. Can I lie next to you?"
Chris eagerly nodded and felt his face heat up when Oliver smiled at him.
Oliver laid next him keeping his distance but he shifted closer placing his arms on his chest. 
Oliver laid next to him like a statue but he finally relaxed seconds later adjusting and pulling him closer to make Chris's head lie on his chest.
It was silent for a while between them and Chris thought about anything and everything. He had surrounded his whole life around Kathy. Due to his art programme, they were going to graduate at the same time and had planned to move to a new city and start a new life. They were then going to explore the world together. What would he do without Kathy?
"Chris". Oliver's voice startled him a bit.
"Yeah?"
"I think seeing a therapist would really help"
"I can't afford a therapist"
"I can. If you think seeing a therapist would help, then we'll find one who can help you"
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
Oliver pulled back and Chris looked up to meet his eyes. He had really pretty eyes.
"Because you deserve kindness"
"Why do you think so?"
"It sounds like you're fishing for compliments but you're not, are you? You're just curious"
It felt odd to answer yes so he kept silent.
"To answer your question, you're honest. Not many people like you exists in this world, well in my world. I wish more people were like you"
"Therapists would make lots of money"
Oliver chuckled above him. He just made a joke, didn't he?
"You're also funny when you want to be"
Oliver looked down at him again. His eyes truly were pretty.
"I want to take you somewhere. I think you'll like it. And it might help. Are you comfortable with that?"
Chris nodded. He trusted Oliver. Oliver wouldn't hurt him.
They returned to their cuddling position and stayed like that throughout the day.

(A/N: first of all, thank you for 5k reads!!!! Screaming!!! And second of all, I'll be taking a week long break BUT I'll be writing this story during that time since I'm free most of those days. I'm still experiencing some writer's block but hopefully, the next time I post, I would have completed writing this book, perhaps. Thank you!!!!)