Stay//Poofless//discontinued

Chapter 18

Rob's POV

It's scary driving him to Lachlan's appartment. It's like I'm dropping him in the lions den and just hoping he doesn't get eaten alive. I wish I could go in there but I can't, he has to do this. How long am I supposed to wait? After maybe 20 minutes of waiting the rapid buzzing of my phone drags me back into reality. I glance at the screen to see a text notification from Preston.

Preeeston: Hey we have a lot to talk about and I might be a while, you can go home.

He wants me to leave? Twenty minutes ago he was scared as hell just to be in the same room with Lachlan and now he wants to stay and chat? Despite my confusion I reply, asking if he's really sure, but he insists. I sit in the car for a few minutes, debating whether I should really leave him there or not. Eventually I decide to do what he asked, I trust that he would only tell me to leave if he thought he was safe.

The drive back to my house is excruciating, I contemplate turning back around at every red light and stop sign. I shoudn't have left, I should've stayed in front of that damn building until he left. It's almost 4:30 now, if I don't hear from him by 6:30 at the latest I'm driving myself over there and I won't leave without him. That's the best I can do to put my mind at ease right now.

When I finally arrive home I'm restless, I try to sit and make myself watch a movie or eat dinner but I end up pacing my kitchen counting down the minutes until 6:30.

Finally, two hours after abandoning him I pick up the phone and call. And call again. And again. After three attempts with no answer I switch into panic mode. The only other person I could call is Lachlan, I would rather never speak to that piece of shit again but maybe Preston is still there? Maybe Lachlan took him home? I don't know but before I freak out I need to find out.

"Hello Rob."

"Where is Preston?" I don't want small talk I want to find my boy.

"Now Rob, don't you want to chat first? Loosen up." I can't see him but I can just hear that smug grin I know he's wearing.

"Shut up. Where the hell is Preston?"

"Calm down he's fine, but I think we should talk."

"I don't want to speak to you piece of shit more than I have to so if you don't tell me where he is I swear to god I will drive to your appartment and find him myself."

"Ooh scary. Your boy is perfectly fine, I didn't touch a hair on his pretty little head." Why is he having so much fun with this? If I could reach through the phone and strangle the answer out of him I wouldn't hesitate.

"Lachlan where the fuck is Preston."

"Oh language Robert. I drove him home half an hour ago so you can stop worrying."

"Why should I believe you?" He lies about everything else why wouldn't he lie about this?

"You wanted an answer so I gave you one. Don't believe me? See for yourself."

With that I hang up, already grabbing for my car keys. Maybe it's irrational for me to be so scared but he hit him before what stops him from doing worse? Before I let myself think too much about what he could've done or if I should even be so worried I'm on the road again. I have to check, I need to know that he's okay.

He's my best friend in the world and he means so much to me and the thought that Lachlan could hurt him eats me up. I hate myself for letting it go on for so long, I should've known. The worst part is is that Preston thought it was love, he thought Lachlan really loved him. If I had stepped in I could've shown him what love really feels like because if he gave me the chance I would never stop loving him. I want to so badly but he doesn't need that right now, right now he needs his best friend to help him and support him and I would honestly wait forever.

When I reach his house all the lights are off and the front door is unlocked. Pannicked I rush in, shouting his name. When I finally find him it takes everything in me not to vomit. He's laying on his bed, the sleeves of his shirt are stained a dark red and it leaks onto his stomach and chest.

Did Lachlan do this?

Did Preston do this?

I rush to him, shaking his shoulders as I shout his name again and again. After maybe twenty seconds that felt like an eternity his eyes flutter open.

"No... No!" He yells sitting up and shoving my hands off him. As he tries to shove my completely away he winces in obvious pain.

"Preston," I say taking his face in my hands, "Preston it's me. Look at me. It's Rob."

"Please no don't touch me. Stop." Tears run down his face and he won't look at me. I let go of his face and tilt his chin up so his eyes meet mine.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. You're safe." He looks at me for another moment before collapsing into me, sobbing. I hold him there as he sobs until I rememember all the blood. I pull away and roll up his sleeves, but there's too much. "Preston take off your shirt." It comes out almost a whisper.

"N-no. Stop." He begins backing away, fear in his eyes.

"No Preston you're hurt, you're bleeding. I need to see what happened." He's backed up on the opposite end of the bed, his back against the wall. He shakes his head over and over and he looks so damn scared. I reach forward to try and confort him but he flinches away from my outstretched arm. He's terrified of me. "You're safe Preston. You're safe. You're safe with me."

"P-Please don't hurt me," he whimpers.

"Preston I could never hurt you." After a few more seconds he scoots forward, hastily removing his shirt. He is cut up everywhere, a few across his chest and stomach but the line both of his arms entirely. He's still bleeding.

"P-Please help R-Rob." I take his hand and slowly lead him to the bathroom, sitting him down in the bathtub. Silently I begin to clean his wounds, bandaging up as many as I can. The gashes get deeper the farther down his arm, the deepest covering his wrist.

"Did...Did he do this to you?" He nods silently, tears still spilling from his eyes. I've never seen him look like this. Never in my life will I see anybody looking as broken as he does right now. I finish cleaning him up and take him back into his bedroom. Still silent I slowly undress him and put him into pajamas. I put him into his bed and pull the covers over him.

"If you can do you think you can explain this to me tomorrow?"

"I think so." He still won't look at me. He's only looked at me once.

What happened to him?

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I told you I would update soon and I did. Ha. For once. I'm going to update again soon because this shit is getting intereseting.

~Sky