Breathe (Bondi rescue fanfic)

Chapter 27

"Ok Tiff" He replied, a sympathetic smile across his face. I gave him a grateful smile and went back to tidying the cabinet.

The rest of the day was a lot less eventful than I thought it would be. A few surfers with gashes and as I had predicted a number of flat rock victims.

Chappo was waiting for me outside when I had finished my shift. "Wanna go out for a meal?" He asked, and I readily agreed, famished. We made our way to a small restaurant up the town, and as Chappo opened the restaurant door for me, I saw him. The guy I had treated earlier, working. He was front of house, showing people to their tables. I turned and looked to Chappo, I needed to quickly come up with an excuse. "Chappo, I'm feeling really unwell all of a sudden." I say to him, hating that I have to lie, and again cause him to worry. "Do you feel too sick for dinner?" He asked, and nodded. "Tiff, that's ok, we can go for dinner another day" He replied, letting go of the door and letting it shut. I went to spin my chair around, but Chappo quickly stopped me. He went behind and began to push my chair. Just then I heard the door behind us open, and who was there but the guy from earlier. He gave me a look that absolutely terrified me and actually did make me feel sick to my stomach. "Hello Sir, Madam, are you ok, I saw you outside here for quite some time." I looked at him, not believing he really cared at all. "We are fine thanks, just having a look" Chappo replied, I think sensing my eagerness to leave. "Oh, ok" He said turning to go back inside, but not before giving me another look that made me so scared that I felt unsafe, I was terrified of this man. I felt like he wanted to hurt me.

We had barely rounded the corner before I made Chappo stop. I was hyperventilating I was so shaken. I leaned forward in my chair and proceeded to vomit onto the sidewalk. I began to cry and shake, it may have sounded like nothing but you should have seen that mans face, it would sent chills through you. I sighed, well Chappo would definitely believe the "I don't feel well story now."

When I had calmed back down, Chappo got me home as quick as possible. He carried me over to the couch and put some blankets on me. he sat down at my feet and placed them on top of his legs, and started to rub them. "How you feeling now, darlin'" He asked. "Better, I think I was just overtired from work or something" I explained, lying through my teeth. "That's a relief, glad you're feeling better"

When Chappo got up to go to the bathroom I pulled out my phone and texted Azza. I needed to get what happened off my chest. I said something along the lines of:
"Hey Azza
Remember the guy from the tower today that I told you not to tell Chappo about, well Chappo brought me out for dinner but the dude worked in the place we went so I faked being sick so we could go home instead. The guy came out to talk to us and I don't know but the look he gave me terrified me."
It was a relief to even type out how I was feeling. I hit send just before Chappo came back in. "Hey!" I chirped, feeling so much better. "Hey, who ya texting?" Chappo said, going over to the kitchen to get a drink. "Oh just Azza." I replied. "You seem much better babe, wanna just cuddle up and watch a movie?" He asked. "That sounds great. Your turn to pick." We took turns picking movies, even though we had similar tastes. We were both opposed to romance films. Action and thriller were so much better.

Chappo came back over and started looking through the DVDs. "I don't know what I want to watch" He moaned. "I don't care what we watch" I said, "I'm going to the bathroom, have something picked when I get back." I shuffled myself from the couch onto my wheelchair.

When I got back from the bathroom there was no movie playing and Chappo was just standing in the middle of the living room. "What's up babe?" I asked, getting back onto the couch from my chair. "No, actually, I'm not" He grumbled angrily. I looked up at him, had I done something to cause this? "I want an upfront honest answer, ok?" He instructed. I nodded, "Honey of course I'll tell you the truth." He turned his head to the side and cleared his throat, he was trying to keep cool but gosh he was angry. "Are you, or are you not seeing someone else?" I looked at him, gobsmacked, "What the heck Chappo! No I am not!" I said, raising my voice, annoyed. "Then why are you texting Azza about a guy from today!" Chappo yelled. I was taken aback. Chappo had never yelled at me before. I felt tears welling in my eyes. I shook my head. "No Chappo, no." I began to cry quietly. "Then what Tiff? I'm fed up with your secrets" He replied, still fuming. "Well, if you must know, it was the exact opposite of liking someone. He came to the tower today, injured in the surf, and he wouldn't let me treat him. And you know why? Because I'm in a wheelchair Chappo. He made me feel like shit. Azza was there when it happened and I just needed to vent to someone about outside the restaurant. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be worrying about me again." I took a breath, I had finally stopped crying.

"I'm fed up Tiff!" He yelled, "would you quit keeping secrets! I feel like I don't know you at all! I hate it! I'm freaking furious Tiff! Furious!" He kicked my wheelchair away in anger, it rolling behind the couch. I looked at him, beginning to cry again, and he was crying too. I opened my mouth to speak but Chappo interrupted. "Don't, just don't!" He turned, opened the front door and stepped outside, slamming the door behind him.

I sat stunned for what felt like an age. I was raging too, I get where he was coming from, but gosh he overreacted. I decided I wasn't going to sit on the couch all alone, sad. I was going to go out and look for Chappo, we could just sit on the beach together, watch the waves, and not talk. I would love that. I turned my head to see where my wheelchair had stopped after Chappo kicked it. I reckoned if I stretched over the back of the couch I could reach it. It was still too far for me to take the couple steps to get it.

I turned myself around completely, my front hanging over the back of the couch reaching out. I stretched and finally got hold of one of the handles. I started to try and pull it round when the couch suddenly flipped over. I hit my head off the wheelchair before landing on the floor, and the couch landed on top of me. "Eurrghh!" I shouted angrily, "Can nothing go right for me tonight!" Then I noticed my left arm was pinned under the couch, and no way could I get the couch off me with just one hand. I was stuck till Chappo came back. If he came back at all tonight.

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Thanks for almost 22k reads!!!!!
Sorry about not updating.
I can't update as frequently at the moment, I'm hoping to get back on track in the next few months :)

-Niamhxoxo