A Summer To Remember

Chapter Three

"Have you seen Kayden?" Dad yells from the kitchen. I accidentally poke my assassin follower and kill him. I pause my game and look at him as he walks in.
"No, why?" I ask.
"He left early this morning and hasn't been back since," Dad tells me. "Usually he'd say something but he didn't.."
"He'll be back," I assure. He sets a plate of orange slices down and some lemonade for me. I turn on the tv and smile as Jessica sits next to me.
"He worries about that boy," Jessica whispers. "Ever since we got him off the street that night, all beaten and half dead.. he's been like a son to us."
"You got him off the street?" I ask. She looks at me.
"It was two years ago." She starts. "I walked home from work one fall night and I seen him laying on the ground next to some trash cans as if he was thrown into them. His clothes were blood stained and torn and he was barely breathing. David and I nursed him back go health, and he became part of the family."
"Honey, you ready for bed?" He calls from the stairs.
"Yeah!" She yells back and jumps up. She ruffles my hair and makes her way up the stairs and to her room. I turn off all the downstairs lights and lay on the couch and watch the tv, until I end up falling asleep.

The sound of the door closing wakes me up. I sit up quickly and stare straight at the figure. Its too dark to see who it is. He turns on a light, and i see the cuts on Kayden's face. I gasp lightly and stand up.
"What happened to you?" I ask as I pull him to the upstairs bathroom. I sit him on the counter by the sink and wet a wash rag. I put it on his forehead, he winces.
"Sorry.." I mumble and let him hold it. I take his other hand and pour Peroxide on it, and his hand feels heavy in mine.
"What happened.. I got in a fight with a couple of guys at the bar and it got ugly." He says. He winces when I put my hand on his shoulder. He pulls off his shirt and I look at where he's been cut multiple times by a knife. I go to leave, but he grabs my wrist.
"Don't leave," he whispers. I look at him.
"I was just going to get my dad," I start.
"Don't leave," he says again. I nod slightly and wrap up his shoulder with hospital tape and look at his tattoos. He's got music quotes all in his chest, and then a maze on his left forearm.
After a long period of silence and me cleaning up the dried blood on him, he says "thank you."
"For what?" I ask, putting things away.
"This," he gestures to himself. "Thanks."
"You're probably just really drunk," I say. "So don't thank me. You need to take a shower."
"I just want to sleep," he says and leans back against the mirror. "Don't tell David about this."
"Fine.." I say and help him off the counter. I help him down the stairs. We make our way into the basement and down those stairs as well. He almost falls, but I catch him, and we both fall onto his bed.
"I feel weak.." he groans and just lays there. I stand up and fix myself.
"Get some sleep, it'll help." I say softly and make my way to my own room, where I seem to not sleep at all.

"Where were you?" Jessica asks Kayden. Dad hugs him for the umpteenth time and feeds him more.
"B Day n a few weeks, u stoked?" Jason texts me.
"Not as excited as u think.." I text.
"Y not?" He asks.
"Tell u later.." I put, then put my phone away and look up at the three. They're all staring at me.
"What?" I ask.
"You took care of him?" Dad asks. "How'd you know what to do?"
"Dad. I baby sit on weekends and volunteer at the hospital!" I say with a laugh. Dad takes my hand and squeezes it.
"Thank you," he says.
"I'm gonna go take a walk," Kayden says suddenly. He gets up and shuffles out the front door.
"He'll be back," Dad says and walks off.
"Boys..." Jessica says and rolls her eyes. "Come on, grab a jacket. We're going shopping."