Byron's Secret (Slenderman Romance)

Chapter 41. Discussion

There's a typhoon, so we don't have classes later (it's 3:30am rn). My school announced that our exams are also postponed and I got a chance to update.

NEW CHAP

Thursday

I awoke to the stillness of the air.

I'm in my room.

I stared at nothing, waiting for my blurry vision to clear up. It is already morning. The sun is shining through the window－why is the window wide open? Come to think of it, it's too bright in here, the lights are on . . .

I perceived the presence beside me as my consciousness completely returned. I could see Dylan sitting upright as he hunched back in his sleep. The squirrel－Chester－suddenly came into view as he climbed my bed and went over to Dylan's lap.

Ew.

"Dylan . . ." I tried to wake him up, so he could take the rodent off of my bed, but my throat is dry, I ended up coughing.

I felt him shift and take a deep breath, ". . . Joy?" He said in a daze, "Thank God . . . How are you feeling?" He sighed in relief.

I slowly moved my head to the side and saw the red spots on the towel he held in his hand. Only then did I remember the events last night, "What happened . . ?"

I immediately sat up as Dylan got off the bed with Chester in hand and turned the lights off, "I forgot the lights. I was taking care of you last night, I guess I fell asleep." He placed Chester back in the box on the ground.

"Dylan, what ha－" As I spoke in a louder tone, I felt the muscles on my face start to hurt. By reflex, I placed a hand on the spot and immediately regretted it, "Ow!"

"Don't touch it." Dylan warned, sitting at the edge of the bed, "You hit your head on the bedframe when you fell. I don't know how you got that gash on your face though, it was bleeding." He went straight to the point, holding up the bloody towel.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Worry about yourself." He gave me a short glare.

"But you got hit on the－"

"It doesn't hurt, really." He assured, "Your situation's worse."

Dazed, I got up and carefully walked to the bathroom, my head is pounding and it feels like the floor is moving. As I got in the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror to see that my left cheek is bruised up and is purple in shade. On the right side of my face was a deep gash and dried blood, the wound still seems a little fresh though.

Feeling a prickling pain on top of my head, I parted the hair on the same side as the gash and saw another bruise similar to my left cheek, it looked like it bled, but the wound had closed already since it was small. This must be the part that hit the bed and caused me to faint . . . At least I can hide it under my hair when I go out.

"Sorry, I don't know where's the nearest clinic or hospital and my car isn't nearby, so I called Darwin last night and he told me what to do with you." Dylan－who I didn't notice－said as he leaned on the doorframe, staring at the floor.

"You told Darwin?!" I turned my attention to him, "You told him?" I said in a quieter tone once I saw how tired he looked.