Living Again

Chapter Three

Hey! So I really expected this to be put sooner but I was so sick after my surgery that I did not. I have been terribly miserable and just ugh. So I'm better-ish now that I can write. And by that I did this entire chapter on my phone. Skills 😉. Anyway, enjoy!

Lunch was long forgotten as I lay next to Gunner, stroking his hair. He was still silent, his mind racing on his family problems. I have never seen him cry, he was always so strong and so solid. But seeing him like this crushed me. He was so broken. I kissed his head, breaking him out of his train of thought. I smiled at him. "Hi." He gave me a weak smile back. "You want to talk about that?" He shook his head snuggling his head into my shoulder. The anger I felt multiplied as the broken man in front of me clutched me for comforter.
I have done this so many times to him but I never expected him to need it from me. I don't know how long before he pulled back to look at me. "Thank you." He sighed putting his hand on my cheek.
"For what?" I smiled as Aspen walked over him and laid on this legs.
"Being here for me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here." He ran his hand down my side, not meeting my eyes.
"Good thing I was then." I smiled at him. "But Gunner, you need to tell your brother that what he did hurt you." He shook his head.
"No." He sat up.
"Please Gunner, don't let him just walk over you." He shook his head.
"Amira, please. Don't." I sighed as he snuggled his head back into my neck. I stroked the back of his head thoughtfully, processing how I could figure out how to fix this. I had to fix it. I have never seen Gunner like this and now it's scaring me. I kissed his head as he pulled back to look at me. "I'm fine, Amira."
"I have to go soon, I have to be back for practice." I nodded at him.
"Did you meet your future roommate yet?" He nodded yawning.
"Yeah, he's alright. He's from Denver." he closed his eyes tired.
"That's nice." he peaked an eye open at me.
"Not everyone gets to room with their best friend." He gave me a smile. Arabelle ended up deciding to come to Michigan with us, saying it would be better for me to have a 'familiar' face. I didn't mind, I've gotten used to her having my back and vise versa.
"You just have to be open about it, Gunner." He gave a grunt. "Please at least try to be nice to him. You never know. You guys could become the best of friends." I felt him release a big sigh before nodding.
"I promise. For you." I beamed at him making him laugh.
"Thank you." He looked at the clock and laid on his back letting me go.
"You don't want to be late, Gunner." I said getting up to look for my phone.
"I don't want to have to leave you alone again." he said reluctantly sat up.
"Jessa said she would be here soon." He pouted at me not wanting to go.
"Go!" I laughed as he got up and grabbed his packed back pack.
"Call if you anything." He kissed me. "I can stay with you." I shook my head smiling at him. "Fine. I'll go." He pouted. "But I'll miss you the whole time." He kissed me one last time before he closed the door and leaving. I sat there for a moment before grabbing my cell phone. Jessa would be here in a couple of hours. I sat there for a couple of minutes before getting up from the bed and taking a long shower. When I came out and changed Aspen alerted me to a knock on the door. I opened it to a smiling Jessa.
"You're here early." I smiled hugging her.
"I might have lied a little bit about where I was. I wanted to surprise you." I raised my eye brow at her. "Can't a mother be excited to be with her child?" She asked making me roll my eyes.
"I guess." She smiled at me as she helped me with my hair.
"Come on, I got reservations at this lovely restaurant I've heard so much about." She patted my shoulders and walked out of the bathroom to her bag.
"I'm ready." I grabbed my phone from the bed.....
We walked down the street when we stopped at a news stand. "Look, Amira they have an article on your father." I looked over at the magazine in her hands, open to a picture of Noah's face on it.
"Wow, look at him." I smiled skimming the article about him and a new one of his ventures into some new fashion line. I looked over to Jessa to ask her about it when I saw how pale she was looking at a newspaper.
"Jessa?" I asked putting my hand on her shoulder. She closed the paper quickly and looked at me. "You okay?" She nodded handing the man enough for the two magazines.
"Yeah, fine. Come here." she pulled me into the restaurant across from the stand. "Table for two, please." I watched her biting nervously on her lip.
"Are you sure that you are okay?" She clutched the papers in her hands and gave me a weak smile. Something was very very wrong. We sat down at the table, me watching her as she put the paper on the table.
"Amira you know I love you, right?" She said putting her hands on my top of mine. I nodded at her.
"Of course I do. You took me in and gave me a family." Her eyes watered a little, getting chocked up.
"And you know that we will always support you and love you?" I nodded at her, scared for what what was happening. She opened up the paper and slid it towards me turning it around at me showing me the headlines....

13 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FATAL MURDER SUICIDE OF YOUNG FAMILY

13 years ago today a vicious murder suicide happened in Sandy, Oregon, not too far out of Portland. Charles James, 35 at the time, in a fit of rage shot and killed his wife, Emily James, 34, in the house they shared with their 5 year old daughter, before turning the gun on himself. With a known history of alcohol, many of his old neighbors were surprised that his wife was still with him. 'They used to fight day in and day out. She was just such a lovely women and I cannot believe that she stayed with that man. If she didn't, she would probably still be here,' a neighbor told us. 'Such a shame what happened to the girl though. Lost both parents in one night. I'm surprised she even survived that night.' After James shot his wife he then turned the gun on his daughter, Amira. She was in rough condition after the incident and was rushed via helicopter to Oregon Health & Science University Level 1 trauma center in Portland, Oregon. No condition was ever reported after and the now 17 year old Amira is no where to be found.