Puppet {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 35

The couch in the entry room of Kailas' apartment was actually surprisingly comfortable, just enough for me to enjoy lying there while I read through stupid tabloid magazines from the ten years I'd been a captive. Arthur figured they would at least help me catch up with the world that no longer existed, even though the majority of the articles were probably fake or exaggerated. It killed time so I didn't really care.

I was reading People magazine when the door opened and Kailas walked in, probably seeing me with a dozen stacks of magazines before smiling like a dope. His footsteps lead behind the couch before he reached my head and leaned against the back.

"What are you doing?"

"Rotting my brain," I answered, throwing the magazine to the side before looking up at him, "How are things?"

He shrugged, "Jayden took our guest down to the cells, everything is pretty calm, I decided to come find you."

"Why?"

This brought a smile to his face, "Can't we just spend time together casually?"

I arched an eyebrow at his question, "We're a rebellion fighting against corrupt government in post war America, I didn't think hanging out was possible."

Kailas rolled his eyes at me and walked around the couch, so I sat up and let him sit down where my head had been. When he wrapped an arm around my waist I flinched and was about to protest before I reminded myself it was okay, slowly relaxing and letting him pull me onto his lap.

It was an awkward position, but I didn't argue, just wrapped my arms around his neck as he hugged me closer, "How are you feeling?" he asked me, and I hummed, playing with a few strands of his hair.

"I'm fine. Not hurting or anything."

"How are you doing around the settlement?" Kailas lifted an eyebrow in question and my lips tugged into a heavier frown.

"Fine. I don't know. I don't talk to people, but I've walked around with Dakota a little bit. It's pretty big."

"Mm, it goes to the foot of the hills leading up to the mountains," Kailas explained, and I nodded as he slipped his hand up and down my back, "You should talk to more people, Demi."

I shrugged, honestly not seeing why it mattered, "It's not like it's required," I argued, "I'm fine with just you to be honest. I talk to Dakota and Jayden, Cass, Arthur, Malachi, and Ian. That's enough, right?"

"It's a start," Kailas relented, and I leaned against his chest, lying my head on his shoulder and staring across the room towards the door.

The lock was turned. It must still be a habit. When he was younger, unlocked doors lead to bruises.

That thought made me cringe, gritting my teeth as I wrapped my arms tighter around him, "Kailas."

"Hm?"

"When I got taken, what happened with your father?"

He stopped moving, his hand wasn't massaging my back anymore, and I could hear his heart beating a little faster before slowing again, his chest rising with his inhale, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," I admitted, shrugging, "I mean.... You got shot, you were in the hospital. What happened after? Did he get mad that you got shot? Did your mom magically reappear?"

He laughed at that, but it sounded painful, "I don't know what he thought of it," he admitted, "I never saw him at the hospital. I know the police called him, but he never came to see me. Actually.... Your parents and Cass' were the ones who paid for all the bills. When they let me out there was this whole list of things I could and couldn't do, and I was.... Scared of going home. I told him what happened but I think he'd been drunk the entire time I was in the hospital. One of the things I wasn't supposed to be doing was putting stress on my body, and he.... Didn't seem to understand that. Hitting me put a lot of stress on my body. It almost sent me back to the hospital, but your mother was nice enough to let me come stay with them while I healed more.