run away. // dan smith

chapter three

sorry its been so long, ive been so bUsy with school and shit. i hate myself plZ forgive me. (this isnt edited because im a lazy bitch thats been watching cupcake wars and ghost adventures for 12 hours straight and i cant be bothered with reading it back)

~

I bubbled up from the grips of sleep, my incredibly sore throat immediately catching my attention. My ears were completely stuffed, my nose as well. Other than that, -and the pounding in my head- I woke up feeling warm and comfortable.

A pair of arms tightened around me and I felt somebody nuzzle their face into my neck. My lips curved into a small smile.

I felt Dan stur next to me, "Mmm, what time is it?" He asked in my hair.

I glanced at the clock before responding, "11 AM," I said, "Weird," He mumbled.

"How are you feeling?" Dan asked as he lifted his hands to feel my forehead. I took his hand and put it back under the sheets, "I'm fine, Dan. There's nothing to worry about," I replied, only to be followed by a hacking cough. He cocked an eyebrow up, "You don't sound fine"

I rolled my eyes and burried my face in the pillow, "My head is pounding, I can't breathe through my nose, I want to scratch my throat out, and I'm so sore," I admitted as Dan rubbed my back, "Maybe you should-" My phone buzzed. I groaned as I tried to inch my way out from the warm covers, "I'll get it," Dan says and gently pushed me back into bed.

"It's your Aunt Josephine...," He told me

Shit

"Hello?" He answered. I could faintly hear talking coming from the tiny speaker. It progressively got louder until it turned into shouting. Dan cowared away from the phone. He shot a panicked look at me before saying, "It sounds like she wants to speak to you."

I motioned him to come over and he handed me the phone.

"Sammantha? Sammantha! I expect you to be at my house at 3 o'clock sharp. Bring your boyfriend if you like," My cheeks turned scarlet as Dan's neck did, "I will have Brendon at your hotel in time for you to get here."

"Dan isn't my boyfriend," I mumbled.

"Oh well, boyfriend, best friend, friends with benefits? I couldn't care less! I will see you soon," With that the line went dead. I sighed and threw my phone on the bed, rubbing my eyes.

"I talked to your brother last night. He told me a lot," Dan spoke, his voice soft against the buzzing in my brain, "I don't want what happened to your cousins affect your happiness. None of this is your fault." I looked down as he pulled me to his chest. He buried his face in my hair and hummed soothingly.

"I just remember the way Coco looked when she stayed with us. I was only nine at the time but it still broke me. It was eerie actually. She was only 11 and she new what cutting and starving yourself was. No 11 year old should have to experience that," I mumbled. I found Dan running his fingers up and down my forearm tracing the little pale lines that have accumulated there, "Nobody, period, should have to experience that."

Dan rested his forehead against mine. He kept looking down at my harms tracing each and every scar I had made. My eyes started to tear up. I felt him kiss the top of my hair. "It's okay, It's okay. You're okay, Sammy."

I wiped my cheeks, "Im gonna go get dressed," I mumbled. He nodded and squeezed my shoulders once more before he let go. I trudged to my bag and grabbed a pair of leggings and a plain white t-shirt. Still wiping away tears, I walked to the bathroom and shut the door.

~

"It's 2:25, we should go and wait for them," Dan said. I nodded and walked out along with him. It takes a considerable amount of time to get from Seattle to Mercer Island anyways.

We took the elevator down to the lobby, they were already there.

"Sammantha!" Coco yelled as she ran to hug me. I smiled and embraced her all the same while Dan and Brendon did that hand shake/hug that guys always do. Brendon soon wrapped his arms around me, slightly lifting my feet off the ground.

"Its so good to see you guys! We've missed you so much! Where's Oliver?" Coco asked.

Um

"Oh he was busy, you know, graduating from Uni and all," Dan answered her question a little too quickly. Coco was convinced to question anything.

"So, Sammantha, how've you been?" Coco asked. Dan squeezed my hand, he knew that I haven't been well.

"Oh, I've been good, I'm almost done with online school. I don't really know if I'll be going to Uni, it all really depends on my grades this semester. How have you been, Charlotte?" I know she hates her full name.

I held back giggles when her narrow and she clenched her jaw, "I've been good."

I let go of Dan's hand as we climbed into the car. A feeling of anxiety came over me as I realized who I was on my way to see. The woman that called my brother a faggot, the woman that laughed when her fiancé hit us, the woman that called me a slut for hanging out with only guys.

I fucking hated that woman.

I look out the window for the rest of the ride, all the memories of the family reunion coming back. I take a couple deep breaths to calm myself down.

We pull up to a mansion-looking type house. If suburbia was a neighborhood, it would be this one. Across the road is a middle aged soccer mom walking with her two genetically modified laberdoodles, I see a couple of landscapers trying to make a elderly couple's lawn perfect.

I sigh and walk up to the large double doors. I ring the doorbell and knock three times, it gets harder to breathe as I hear a german shepards bark and the pitter-patter of bare feet walking up to the door. The door opens and Dan and I are greeted with what would seem to be a mellow womans face, but the devil is inside of her.