The Blood Lake

The War Is Over

When I get home I run straight to the shower, It is 7:00 pm already, it took forever to do paperwork and then another eternity to drive home, I am pretty sure I just laid on Miles and half-napped the whole way back. But I have never been more grateful in my life to be home. I just want to get clean, get in my clothes, and get snuggled up on the couch with Miles. I will never be the same as I was before, but I can't help but try to be. I just want to be in his arms. The past few weeks have been torture without him, I could never do that again. I jump out of the shower just as quickly as I jumped in. I put on an oversized tee shirt and gym shorts, I then brush my hair and run downstairs to find Miles. I scan the living room with no luck then bolt to his room, I find him lying on his bed and jump on top of him. "Hi," I say in an excited but hushed tone.
"Hi, Angel." He smiles and squeezes me. "How is it to be back?"
"Amazing, I missed you so very much," I answer and bury my face in his chest.
"I missed you too." He kisses my forehead and lets out a sigh. "I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" I lift my head in response.
"Well, it's about my Mom." He trails.
"It was hard for her today."
"Yes, and when she saw that footage she forgave you, but also me..." He starts to play with my hair and then tilts my head upward so I'm facing him. "She wants me to come home Delly." He blurts.
"No, you can't!" I sit up and start to tear up.
"Hey, hey, hey don't freak out yet ok?" He pulls me in to try and console me. "I didn't tell her yes, I told her I need time to think about it." He resumes playing with my hair. "I said to give me a while to sort things out and weigh all my options, and that it wouldn't be fair to uproot our new normal because you just got released." He pecks my cheek and waits for my response.
"ok..." I say meekly and try to calm myself down.
"Ok." He repeats and changes the subject. "Guess what." He says deviously.
"What."
"I know who made that false claim." He smiles
"Really? Who?" I ask suddenly intrigued.
"Avalon."
"That nasty bitch! I will kill her!" I am outraged, she knows nothing about me and here she is spreading shit and landing me in prison!
"She told the cops you, Mel, and Marcus were fighting for days before the incident and went on the trip to sort things out."
"You are kidding."
"Nope, but it doesn't matter now."
"I guess." I am so angry I could go on a murder spree for real this time, but I am not cut out for the slammer, so I let it pass.
"Hey on the upside I convinced your parents to let you sleep with me tonight so I could keep an eye on you in case there are any panic attacks or night terrors, that way they can get some sleep."
"I love you, Miles Hart, you are a genius." I smile and kiss his neck, ugh I missed this so much.
"I love you too, feeling a little frisky tonight, are we?" He laughs
"I just really missed you." He flips me onto my back and looms over me.
"I missed you more." He smiles and kisses down my neck to my collarbone.
"Hey, as much as I want this, my parents are right upstairs." I let out a sigh.
"The same parents that I can hear snoring as if they took a whole jar of melatonin gummies?" He probes.
"Ok, fair point." With that, he resumes kissing me and places his hand on my hips to pin me in place. Butterflies start to swarm in my stomach just as they did the night of the party, I feel my cheeks glow red and I can hear my heart thumping in my chest. "Go lock the door."

In the morning I wake up sore and with the weight of Miles on my chest, everything is right with the world. I kiss his forehead and escape from under him, after I clean myself up in the guest bathroom I go to the fridge to find something to eat. Everyone is asleep still and when I look at the stove it reads 8:00 am. How is everyone still sleeping? More importantly, is it even healthy to sleep for 13 hours? Miles and I didn't end up going to bed until around 10:00 pm so he gets a pass, but I am starting to think he drugged my parents. I grab a bowl of the most sugary, teeth-rotting cereal I could find and sit on the island. I am about halfway through when I hear Miles exit his room and enter the bathroom, shortly after he comes up behind me and kisses my shoulder, and moves up my neck until he reaches my cheek. And that's when I realize I am wearing only a sports bra and my gym shorts. "Fuck." I say under my breath.
"Good morning to you too Gorgeous." Miles laughs. I run to his room and my shirt is nowhere to be found so I grab a random Navy blue T-shirt from a pile of folded laundry on his chair and run back out to the kitchen to resume eating my diabetes Infested breakfast. "What was that about?" Miles grins and pours himself a bowl.
"I was in my bra. What if my dad came down?" I sneer.
"Well now you are in my shirt, so what is worst?" He asks.
"If he asks I spilled hot tea on mine." I quip
"Ok, angel." He smiles and kisses me. "Hey, I told my Mom I am going to stay here to finish off high school.
"Really?" I run up and hug him. "That's great!"
"Well I can't just leave you here, I've gotten used to you."
"Good, cus I am not going anywhere." I smile and sit back down after one last squeeze.
"You wanna go to school today?" He asks.
"No, we are already late and the court gave us school off today to get resettled. I want to enjoy it."
"Ok, so movie day, and school tomorrow." He takes a bite of his cereal.
"It's a date." I get up and wash my bowl. After I am done I curl up on the couch and claim the remote, when I turn on the TV the news comes on and instead of a weather report, I see my face and the word Hero written in big letters. I turn the volume up and start to listen.

Local Teen Girl: Dellah Anne Everdeen is labeled a hero after footage of the massacre that ensued mere months ago is released to the public. The footage is censored due to legal reasons and the wishes of loved ones, but it is clear that Dellah put an end to the chainsaw killing spree when it hit way too close to home. Adrenaline, anguish, and grief gave her the will to use her primitive instincts to put an end to this man's streak and save her life and bring justice to the victimized families. We applaud you Dellah Anne Everdeen.

I flip the channel and Miles plops down next to me. "Pretty popular, huh Delly." He puts his arm around me and squeezes me.
"I guess, but I don't want to be." I lean into him.
"Well there isn't much you can do, just keep your head high and accept the praise."
"Okay, well I am not facing the world quite yet so can we save this conversation for another time?"
"What conversation?" He grins and kisses my cheek. I put on Lifetime and start to relax. It is so good to be home