Trouble Times Two

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Sunday

I wake up before Donovan this time, he was crying so much that he could barely even sleep but I guess me holding him through the night probably helped.

I get off the bed and wash my face but when I see my face, I'm horrified. It's still red and puffy and I splash some cold water on my face to depuff but it's not working.

I go to my room and do my makeup again before going back to the Shepherd's home.

I go downstairs to the freezer and get an ice pack and put it on my face.

I lie down on the booth and just think about what the hell went on last night. That was such a shit show.

I go to the cupboard and grab a teabag and then make some tea before drinking it while putting the ice pack on my face between each sip.

"Oh good grief." Donovan says as he walks in and opens the fridge and I don't greet him as I'm too busy nursing my own ailments.

He starts singing 'Eye of the Tiger' and I try not to piss myself laughing, especially when he starts singing 'Silent Whisper' and then 'Collard Greens.'

I love Kendrick Lamar so hearing Donovan butchering a song he's featured on is weird but also weirdly endearing but I shake that thought from my head.

I finish my tea and just sit there with the ice pack on my face.

Him comforting me once won't just undo all the shit he's put me through. Although a lot of it was superficial. I've been through worse and I sure as hell can cope.

All of a sudden Donovan screams and I take the ice pack off and look at him. He's looking right at me.

"What?" I ask and he clutches his chest.

"How long were you there?" He asks and I shrug.

"Longer than you have." I respond before putting the ice pack on my face again.

"I'm surprised you're not making fun of me for my singing." He says as he clearly gets back ti whatever he's doing.

"I don't put much value in making other peoples lives uncomfortable." I say starkly.

"That felt targeted." He says.

"It was." I respond.

All of a sudden he yelps and I take the ice pack off and I see that he's burnt himself on his hand.

I stand up immediately and inspect the injury. I drag it over to the sink and run his hand under cold water while I go and grab some bandage from the first aid kit and some Vaseline.

I sit on the counter next to the sink while he holds his hand under the cold water and after a good couple of minutes, I get the ice pack and put it on his hand, checking it every so often. I then take his hand from underneath it and tap it dry. I apply the baseline and then wrap his hand up.

I don't want anything to get in it.

"There you go." I say before getting down and putting my Vaseline back in my bag upstairs and I text Paisley saying that the bandages need to be replenished.

I go back downstairs and sit back down where I was sitting and read some newspaper articles to practise reading while Donovan cooks.

"Fucking hell!" He shouts and I look at him. "When did you get back here?"

"I've been here for like a good five minutes at least, you really need to be more aware." I say as I move onto the next article.

"Well thank you." I look at him and he looks sort of sheepish. "For tending to my wound."

"No biggie. Just keeping you safe." Why would I even say that? That's so fucking odd. I keep a laser sharp focus on my phone after that.

He sets a plate down in front of me. It's eggs and some toast.

"What's this?" I ask.

"Breakfast. I know you didn't eat. The dishes have been done and if you'd have had something other than tea this morning, you'd either have the plate in front of you or you'd have put it in the sink or dishwasher." He says and I laugh.

"I didn't need the massive overstatement. You could've just said breakfast. Thanks." I start eating, slowly.

"I haven't poisoned it." He says and I shake my head.

"I'm a slow eater." I say and continue to eat but I start to feel full pretty quickly. I stop eating after a bit.

"What's wrong? Is it not good?" He asks me.

"It's not that. It really does taste good. I'm full." I really am.

"Already? You've barely eaten." He says and I shrug.

"I guess I'm just not that hungry." I get a message from an unknown number, a different one to the ones from the calls I got and I unlock my phone to read it.

"Die in a whole you piece of shit!"
"Go fucking kill yourself."
"Whore."

I screenshot the message and number and then block it.

I'd been recording all my calls and messages so that if they were from my siblings trying to harass me, or anyone else, I could use this as proof of harassment.

I guess I thought I'd be fine but I start sniffling all of a sudden and a tear falls from my eye onto the table.

I wipe my eyes furiously but the tears just start to spill out more even though I'm doing everything I can to stop them.

I try taking deep breaths but it doesn't work and Donovan eventually noticed something is up.

"Are you crying...? Again...?" He scoots up right next to me and hugs me tight and I cry. "What's wrong?"

I just cry some more.

He just holds me right and for a minute, I think maybe that this could work, maybe he and I could be something and then I realise that he's just being hospitable.

This is just how he's raised. I've seen their mother and father comfort people and this is how they do it.

How stupid was I?

I manage to calm down and wipe my tears.

I stand up abruptly.

"Sorry, I think it was just period hormones." What a lie.

I go back upstairs to his room and lie down.