The Most Dangerous Kind of Love

Chapter Twenty-One

Not edited.  Sorry.

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The next time I woke up was when my dad started yelling again.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” 

Because he was so loud, I jumped awake.  Let me just say that it strained my stomach from the sudden movement, and only started the process of making me mad.

Noticing right away that Jason was still asleep next to me, I involuntarily glared at my dad.  

“Don’t wake him up,” I snapped.

He looked taken aback for a second before his scowl returned.  

“Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice,” he growled, clearly mad at something.  Why is he mad?

“Please, just don’t wake him up,” I pleaded, deciding to try to be nice.  Looking down at Jason, a small smile came to my lips.  His head had fallen to the side and was now resting on my shoulder.  I had never seen him look more relaxed.  His eyes were shut softly, his lips were parted slightly, and even his breathing was somehow calming to me.  A chunk of hair had fallen in his eyes, so without thinking, I gently brushed it so it was out of his face.  When I did that, Jason sighed contently and squeezed my other hand that I had only just now realized he was holding.  When I saw that, I couldn’t help but have another smile fall upon my lips.

“Let me ask again,” my dad asked again.  His tone was short and sharp, so it was obvious he wasn’t happy.  “What do you think you’re doing?”

The only good part of that question was that he had lowered his voice, which I was thankful for.

“What do you mean?” I asked, not knowing why he was so mad.

“Why is he in bed with you?”  The look on my dads face told me that he was about to blow a fuse or something.  Not only that, but the way he referred to Jason as ‘him’ told me straight away that this was not the only thing he was mad about, and that pissed me off more.

“Because I told him to,” I snapped.  “He was tired, and he needs to sleep.”

“Not in the same bed as you, he doesn’t!” my dad yelled, making me flinch again.

“Please,” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut.  “Don’t yell.”

My dad let out an aggravated sigh and sat down angrily in one of the chairs near the bed.

The silence that followed was unbearable.  My dad had a glare fixed on Jason, and that made me want to say something, but I didn’t know what.  He was so mad that his face had turned red, and I could almost see him shaking with anger.

“Dad?” I asked when I couldn’t take any more of the glaring and silence.  

His eyes snapped to me, and thankfully softened a little.  

“Yes, sweetheart?”  

Before I could stop myself, my big mouth opened.  “Why don’t you like Jason?”

Dad’s expression hardened again immediately, and he sent yet another hateful look at the sleeping boy next to me.  

“I just want what’s best for you,” he said through clenched teeth.  

“What if Jason is what’s best for me?” I countered, growing angry again.  Does he not think Jason is good enough for me?

“You have been hurt twice since you have been hanging around him!  Both times something happened, he just so happened to be there!  How do I know he wasn’t the one to try to hurt you?!”  

“He would never!  Dad, Jason is the one who has saved me both times!  He’s the one who brought me to the hospital both times!  If he didn’t do that when I was stabbed, I would be dead!  So instead of blaming him for something that he didn’t do, you should be thanking him!”

“I’m not going to thank him,” dad spat.  “I have nothing to thank him for.”

My jaw dropped open.  “Oh, so saving your oldest daughter’s life doesn’t count as anything.  Got it.”

“No, Channing.  I didn’t mean-”

“Just leave,” I snapped.  “If you can’t understand what Jason has done for me, and that he put his life on the line twice for me, then just leave.”

“Channing-”

“Leave!” I shouted.  “I don’t want you here!”

“Fine!  Then when you get out of here, don’t bother coming home!  I can find someone else to watch Zane and Ava!”

“Fine!”

Without another word, dad picked up a still-sleeping Ava and dragged a stunned-looking Zane out of the hospital room.  It hit me that my little brother had watched my dad and I fight like that, and I immediately felt awful.  He didn’t need to see that.  There was no reason for it.  Then I realized I had bigger problems.

My mind was spinning.  My dad just kicked me out.  Where was I going to go?

Right as tears welled up in my eyes, I felt arms around my shoulders and lips on my cheek.  

“How much did you hear?” I sniffed, willing the tears not to spill.

“All of it,” Jason replied in a soft voice.  It was a sympathetic tone, and I realized that he knew that my dad just kicked me out of my own home.  

Letting out a sob, I buried my head into Jason’s shoulder.  Tears that I hadn’t plan on letting out spilled over my eyelids, soaking his shirt.

“He kicked me out . . .” I trailed off, another sob racking through my body, straining my stomach and the wound that was still very much present.  

“Please don’t cry,” he whispered.  “You’ll reopen your stab wound.  They’ll have to put more stitches in.”

I  tried to stop, but I couldn’t help it.  As I continued to cry, I started to feel something wet on my stomach.  I ignored it, thinking it was sweat.  My stomach hurt like hell, but I pushed it out of my mind.

“Hey, shh,” Jason said, positioning himself so that he was holding me more or less.  

“W-where will I go?” I sobbed.  “I-I don’t-”

“Stay with me,” he interrupted.

I shook my head.  “I can’t intrude on you like that.”

“Yes, you can.  And you will.  You will stay with me.  I would love for you to live with me for a little while,” Jason smiled.  “I can take care of you and help you get better.”

A small smile came to my lips, but instantly vanished when a sharp pain shot through my stomach.

Crying out in pain- literally crying but also as a yelp of pain- I grabbed around where my wound was.  It felt wet, and when I pulled my hand away to see what it was, I wanted to be sick.

My hand was covered in blood.

The last thing I remember before losing consciousness again was Jason freaking out and shouting for help.