Feeling For You (DNF)

Chapter 26: The Whole Story

Author's note: 

Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter! 

Word count: 4, 142

⚠️TRIGGER WARNINGS: Listed at the bottom of the chapter! This chapter has a few more serious triggers, so please preview if you could be affected by reading!

For this chapter, I recommend listening to Towards the Sun by Rihanna, Happier by Marshmallow, and/or Running Out of Roses by Alan Walker & Jamie Miller.

"Dream!" I scream, cursing loudly as the mass of roots and mud trips me and scrapes my feet. Running blindly into an unfamiliar forest isn't the brightest thing I've ever done, but there's no possibility of me turning back, not now. 

Dream was upset when he ran off, and knowing Dream as well as I do...Well, I'll just say he has a tendency to be self destructive, in more ways than one. He blames himself more than necessary when forgiveness has already been granted, hold grudges against himself (like the impressively stubborn idiot that he is), and neglects his physical well being.

 I don't trust Dream to keep himself safe in some random forest, not when he's this unstable. So, I'm going after him, because I'm not going to let him do something stupid and get hurt. Sure, I'm furious that he lied, and there's a lingering sense of heartbreak, but in the end, it's not enough to drive me away from him. How could it? He's Dream. The one person who can do something like this to me and still hold my love. 

It's probably bad, I debate, that he could lie to me like this, and I'm willing to forgive him so easily. 

But when I think about it, there's not much I wouldn't do for Dream. Even now, with my fragile and scarcely granted trust broken, I'm willing to rush headlong into a tangle of bushed and trees that I have no clue how to navigate, just to keep my best friend safe. 

Best friend, boyfriend, soulmate. All just words, none of which can describe Dream, not to me.

God, this is so fucking stupid. I'm so in love with that idiot, even though he hid something this major from me. Didn't he think he could trust me? 

Dream must have had a reason for not telling me sooner. Surely, he has some excuse. 

Or maybe, I'm just a gullible and naïve idiot. 

"Wait! I'm mad, but I don't- this won't help! Come back, please," I call, panting heavily. I'm not out of shape, but running through hanging branches, muddy puddles, and who knows how many patches of poison ivy is slowing me down. I'm tempted to stop and catch my breath, but Dream had a head start on me, and he's faster to begin with. 

Inhaling sharply against the burning in my lungs, I push off against the slippery ground, speeding up.

 Dream's trail isn't exactly obvious, but it's enough to follow, as long as I don't wait to long. There, a broken branch and footprints. And there, his favorite cat-eared beanie. 

Oh, I think, slowing just enough to pick up the hat and slide it into the pocket of my cargo shorts.  He must have dropped this? But how did he not notice? It's his favorite...  

He must be really upset.

I swallow gratingly, and scan my surroundings once more. For the most part, Florida is pretty level, with no mountains or extreme hills. Here, though, the forest floor slopes down alarming steeply, at least 50 meters of sheer downhill. 

"Dream!" I yell once again, hoping against hope that he'll answer, or at least slow down upon hearing me. If he can even hear me, that is. "Wait, pl-"

And then, before I can react, my bare foot catches on a rock protruding from the mud and underbrush. A jolt of pain that adrenaline stifles arks up my leg as I fall forwards, my momentum catapulting me towards the ground. Instinctively, I throw out my hands to catch myself, but they don't do much to help me as I land off balance and collapse onto my right shoulder.