The Hurt Game

❧ sixteen

One of my legs bounced up and down, my heel never touching the floor. My fingers were tangled, untangled. They picked at my nails. I chewed on my bottom lip as my heartbeat was pounding against my chest, loudly in my ears.

My phone lay next to me. Every two minutes I checked it for any messages, but nothing had shown up. It had been ten minutes since Royden texted me saying he would be heading my way, and ever since I was a nervous wreck.

I wanted to make things go back to normal. I wanted things to be okay between us, because as awful as it may seem, I had become to rely on him. I trusted him. I enjoyed spending my time with him and I had become dependent on believing nothing would break that pattern apart. A foolish thought.

The sound of a car became louder. My heart skipped a beat and I perked up, waiting to see the lights die out. But they didn't. I jumped from my bed and rushed towards the window to see a white car pass through the street.

A soft sigh escaped my lips. Maybe he had talked himself out of it as soon as he sent the message and didn't bother informing me, a sort of revenge on making him leave like I had. I turned from the window and headed over to my bed, falling face forward. A thud echoed through my room.

My phone.

My hair was all sprawled out around my head. I shifted my head, so I could look at the wall. I blew my hair out of my face.

This sucked. Waiting, desperately waiting, was a pain in the ass and I wondered how I had let it happen to become so attached to a person who could easily vanish from the world. He had appeared out of nowhere, so he could disappear as fast as appearing.

Don't turn away from me like everyone else.

A ringing broke through the silence, but I didn't move. It might have been in my ears, something in my head or something happening on the street. At least something that wasn't worth getting up for and investigate.

Not a minute later, a ringing cut through the silence. This time, however, I perked up. After processing the ringing, and associating it with the bell, I flew from my bed and stumbled to get to the window.

A black figure leaned against the porch. My heart jumped in my throat and as fast as I could, I grabbed my phone and raced down the stairs. I slid in my shoes, tied them and threw a jacket on.

As expected, Royden was at the other side of the door. He was facing away from me, head bowed to the ground and he ran a hand through his hair. He was clad in his familiar leather jacket.

He was here.

"Royden, hey," I breathed in the chilly autumn weather. He turned around to face me. A small smile pulled at the corners of my lips until my eyes scanned his face and spotted the darkened spot underneath his eye.

Even in the dim light of the porch, it was clear he had gotten in some kind of fight. A bruise, as huge as a Ping-Pong ball, was colouring his cheekbone and part of his cheek. There was no way he could have gotten that by training and boxing. This must have been something serious, and yet, he acted like nothing was wrong.

"What happened?" I questioned him. I stepped towards him, closing the door behind me, but his expression remained stoic.

"Shall we be going?" Royden said as he took a step back. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, shaking my head. He raised an eyebrow.

"Your eye..." I trailed off.

"Is fine."

I scoffed, but he didn't give me any time to say something. His fingers wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me with him. I rolled my eyes at him, deciding to ask him later, and let myself be led to his car.