A Stupid, Hopeless Crush

Chapter-8 Memories Relived

"What the- what is up with you, Brandon?!" I ask him. He just turns around with a look of sheer anger in his eyes. I gulp as he walks quickly towards me. "I told you not to go!" he shouts.

I look up at him, feeling afraid of this side of him.

I stumble backwards and fall down on the floor, tripping over the hem of my gown. He quickly grabs my arm and pulls me up on my feet. "You should've listened to me! What if that mother-effer had done something to you?! What would I say to Mrs Jackson?! To Kris?!" he shouts again. 

I would've told him to stop yelling at me if I wouldn't have felt so shocked and frightened, or if he wouldn't be holding me so close to himself. His piercing gold-flecked brown eyes shift from my own to my whole body. At one point he looks surprised and examines my arms. "What's this?" he asks, his voice back to normal now. I look down at my arms, and sure enough, there are red marks where Aaron held me tight. No wonder it has started hurting. That part on both my arms has gone sore, and there's a gash made on my left arm by his ring.

"He held me in his grip. Maybe that's why there are marks," I say. He looks furious but nods. "Come on," he says, taking my hand gently. He leads me up the stairs and to a guestroom.

"Thanks, but I've gotta go home," I say. He sighs and takes me inside. "Kris is with Ethan. Your mom had a double-shift, so she's at the hospital. Kris has the spare house-keys, so you're gonna have to stay at my place tonight," he tells me, though warily.

Normally I would've argued with anyone who'd tell me this, but I'm too tired to speak, so I just nod. He nods too. "Wait a second, I'll get you some clothes. Be right back," says he, and walks out of the room.

I sit on the bed, thinking about the event. I was so stupid! Now that I think about it, I only went because I was pissed out at Brandon.

By the way, why were you pissed out at Brandon?

I don't know.

"Who're you talking to?" asks Brandon, a t-shirt in one hand and a first-aid box in the other. He walks in.

Damn, thought out loud again.

"You think out loud?" he asks, setting the t-shirt and first-aid box on the bed.

How did he find out?!

"Because you just said it," he says, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Wait, I did?!

"Yes. Twice now," he says, trying to suppress a laugh.

I really really need to control this.

"Yes, you do need to," he says, laughing out loud this time. I glare at him and mentally slap myself, before swearing not to think at all until he leaves.

I glance down at the t-shirt, and pick it up. "Is this yours?"

He nods. "Apparently Mom has gone to see her brother, who lives in the next town. Lilly's with her, and Dad's on a business trip to London. So you can't have any of their clothes, 'cause Mom locks her bedroom door in case I try to 'vandalize' it," he says, making air-quotes. I realize that my dad's on a business-trip to London too. I think about telling him that, but he talks before me. "Do you think you can apply this by yourself?" He takes out an ointment from the first-aid box and hands it to me. 

I give him a look, and unscrewing the tube cap, I try to apply the ointment, but as soon as it touches my wound - the gash made by Aaron's ring - I wince. It burns like hell.

"Evidently not," Brandon concludes, and comes and sits beside me, taking the ointment from my hand. He takes a bit of it on his fingers, and applies it on the sore spot first. Then he does the other arm, and then takes out from the first-aid box, some gauze and some cotton soaked in iodine.