Hold Me Close

Chapter Eight.

"I'm going to need that coat soon, I know it sounds disgusting but I need to put it on before I walk home or ill get stopped for not having covers on", he rubbed his arm in an awkward manner while looking at his white coat that was now covered in blood.

"It's covered in blood, I can get you a different coat if you want, I only live around the corner?",

"Yeah sure, thanks" he smiled, I nodded and began to walk away with him a step behind me.

"What will happen if Chris doesn't leave town?" I was a little panicked,

"I'm not entirely sure, but they will come for him, they came back for my mother, we escaped in just enough time", I could hear the regret in his voice, "my father stayed behind though",

I nodded not wanting him to feel like he needed to go on.

We walked in silence, I wanted to speak to him or ask him something but I didn't know what, I didn't really know him and here I was taking him to my home, but on the plus side of the situation his name finally came back to me, I remembered calling him Chris, and him replying that he was Derek.

I opened the hall door, the house was silent, "mam, dad?" I shouted, there was no reply, "come in" I waved my hand to him and watched as he nervously walked into my house, I walked up the stairs and surprisingly he followed.

"I like your posters" he smiled, nodding towards the over crowed walls, "thanks, they all belong to my favourite books", he nodded and continued to look around the room while I ransacked my wardrobe, I pulled out a black hoodie and handed it to him, he slipped his arms into in and I couldn't help but laugh. The sleeves ended a few inches above his wrists and was too tight around his biceps.

He looked down at him self and soon his laughter joined mine, "two seconds, I should have something else", and I did.

I pulled out a dark blue coat, Chris's coat.

"Here" I whispered while handing it to him, I watched as he slowly slipped his arms into it, it fitted him perfectly, he turned around and god how he looked like Chris from the back with his chocolate brown hair and the coat.

I wiped away the few tears that managed to escape.

"Is your arm hurting?" he questioned, looking really concerned,

"No, it's fine" I smiled,

"I can clean it for you, the cuts",

I nodded and walked him to the kitchen to get the first aid kit.

I sat at the island and held my arm out to him, he leaned down on one knee and slowly unwrapped the coat from my arm, the blood had dried and went crusty around the cuts.

Gently he wiped all the blood away with a disinfection wipe, I pulled my arm away when it started to sting, he slowly moved his hands to my arm and moved it towards him. Once all the blood was wiped away he pulled out creams and began to apply them to the cuts, and boy did that hurt

As he was applying the cream to the last few cuts my mother and father walked into the kitchen.

"Mam, dad, I didn't hear you come in", I pulled my arm away from Derek who was still on one knee looking awfully embarrassed at my parents.

"Ann" my mother said sounding shocked, "where's your covering?" my fathers wide eyes went to my arms and then to Derek's, neither of us wearing any covering.

"I fell off of the swings, it ripped, so Derek here in helping me clean the cuts", I rubbed the back of my neck, an awkward trait I picked up as a kid.

"Ann you know the law, and you" my father said pointing to Derek, "this is the second time I've seen you, and both times you haven't been wearing the covers, your putting yourself and my daughter in danger" .

"I'm immune sir " Derek cleared his throat and looked to me and then back to my parents, "I didn't mean to just come into your home, I was helping Ann with her cuts and just needed my coat back",

"Well you might as well stay for dinner so" My mother said it as if it was the most normal thing to say after finding us both without covers, "I think it would be better if I went" Derek began to put all the first aid contents back into the red box, "I'll do it", he nodded and turned on his heel,

"It was nice meeting you both, but I really cant stay, I've to be home before it starts to get dark" he started to leave the kitchen and turned with a serious face,

"remember what I told you Ann",

and with that he was gone, leaving his blood stained coat behind.

"And who is he?" My father questioned, resting his elbows on the island and looking straight at me, "just someone I met the day of the funeral", my dad nodded and looked straight to my mother, and that's when she spoke.

"So did you see Chris?" her voice was nervous,

"yeah, it was hard" I sighed,

"that's why we wanted you to wait a while, to see if things turned around before you seen him again, it's hard on everyone honey"

"don't I know, lives a bitch sometimes "I groaned,

"language Anastasia" my father pointed his finger at me before smirking,

"don't call me that, it's just Ann".