Into The Unknown

24

Raegan's POV

It has been weeks since I last saw Chris. He left with nothing. His room remains untouched and I still wake up as if he's going to come back home. I felt bad for what happened and the way it happened. I should have been more careful but I didn't think about it at the time. He left suddenly. No shoes, no shirt. I found myself calling his phone after a few days just to hear it ring from his bedroom.

"Babe?" Ty spoke, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Huh?"

He reached up and wiped my eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, baby..." I trailed off.

He kissed my shoulders gently before rubbing my back in small circles.

"Lay back down and sleep with me a little longer, Rae."

I followed his orders and wrapped myself around his body. With his face tucked away in my neck, I slowly began to doze off.

Chris's POV

I sat in an alley with my hands in my face. It was cold and raining and I was starving. I haven't seen Raegan since I saw her up under Michael. I looked down at my now blistered feet and wiggled my toes a little. It hurt to move, my body was sore, and I was thinning more and more each day. I rubbed my dirty hands together and touched my face. I was a mess. I was a complete mess all over again.

I groaned lowly as I stood up. I clenched my jaw with each step to ease the pain in my feet. I roamed the streets of New York City and looked up at the city clock. It was now 11 pm and I shoved my hands in my pockets. My pants were starting to tear and I needed somewhere to go. I walked into the local grocery store quietly as people turned their noses up at me. I walked towards the bathroom so I could relieve myself and drink a little water. A worker stepped in front of me.

"Sir, you can't come in here without shoes on. No shoes, no shirt, no service."

I sighed a little before nodding slowly and turning back towards the front door. I sat down against the front window of the store and buried my face in my chest. A small voice spoke to me and I looked up and squinted at her figure. Carmen.

"Chris..?" she spoke.

I looked down and chewed my lip before she spoke again.

"Chris..." she trailed off before touching my weather battered face.

I flinched away from her and turned away. I could hear her voice cracking as she spoke to me. Slowly, I got up and limped away from her but she followed after me.

"Chris, come home with me and I'll clean you up..." she spoke to me quietly.

I looked up at her and found myself following her back to her car.

She rolled her windows down just to confirm to me that I smelled bad. I wiggled my toe against the carpet in her car and laid my head back. We pulled up to her house a few minutes later and she got out. I sat in the car for a while before she came and opened my door.

"Come in..."

I got out and walked barefoot across the gravel in her yard. I walked into her house and stood by the door.

"Come with me, Chris. We need to get you cleaned up," she spoke to me.

I followed her to the bathroom and she turned on the shower.

"Take your clothes off. I have something you can wear," she mumbled to me as she reached up to grab soap and a towel. I stripped out of my clothes and kept my head down as she opened the shower curtain.

"Step in..."

I shivered and stepped into the shower. The hot water hit my raw skin causing me to hiss in pain. She pulled up the stool, I'm guessing the one she uses for Marlie-Rae, and lathered the wash cloth in her hands. I was too weak to take it from her so I stood with my face against the tile in the shower.

Her little hands pressed the cloth against my chest. She scrubbed at it hard and I watched as the brown substance ran down my legs into the drain. I closed my eyes at the feeling of being clean. It had been a total of eight weeks since I had showered.

"Turn around" she murmured after finishing my front side. I obeyed her and she gasped loudly.

"Oh my God..." she croaked at my mangled back. She scrubbed at it lightly. I would flinch away when she would hit a tender spot on my skin. She touched my lower back with the soap.

"Ughhhh!" I groaned out loudly.

"I'm sorry. I need to clean it."

She cleaned the cut in my back before washing down my legs. She washed my butt and private gently and I closed my eyes as she turned the water up a little hotter.

"Sit down so I can get your feet and wash your hair."

I sat down as she scrubbed at my blistered feet. I hissed lowly as she washed them quickly.

"I'm almost done Chris," she lathered her hands with her shampoo, "I'm sorry it smells like vanilla, it's all I have."

I closed my eyes as she lathered my hair quickly and rinsed it with the shower head. She repeated it twice before cutting the water off. I stood up slowly and she dried my body off.

"Come on, baby boy."

I followed behind her with my hands wrapped around my body. I shivered as she sifted through her drawers to hand me an unopened bag of boxers and Hanes white t-shirts. She lotioned my body and helped me put on the clothes she provided me. She cupped my face and looked into my eyes and I dropped my head. Her lips touched my cheek gently.

"I'm going to make you something to eat," she spoke grabbing my hand, "Come sit in the living room and hold Marlie for me."

I walked to her front room and sat down with her baby girl in my hands. She smiled up at me and babbled her baby language at me and gigged. I held her tightly as she drooled onto my hand. I wiped it with her bib as the food Carmen was preparing hit my nose. My stomach cramped and I rubbed my head gently. Marlie-Rae latched to my neck and giggle as I tickled her sides.

"The food is ready, Christopher," Carmen smiled. I stood up with her daughter on my hip and sat at the table. Carmen tried to take Marlie from me but she squealed to stay with me. I sat her on my lap and stared at the plate of food in front of me. Carmen prayed and I devoured the plate. I looked up at her with low eyes.

"You want some more..?"

I nodded slightly and she fixed another heaping plate for me. And once again, I devoured it.

"Slow down, Chris"

I stopped eating and blushed. I finished the third plate slowly and rubbed my face. She washed the dishes for me and I sat at the table quietly.

"Chris, what's going on with you? I've never seen you like that. How long have you been on the streets?"

Here we go...

Raegan's POV

I sat in Ty's lap while we watched the movie. His hands gripped my waist and my face was tucked into the crook of his neck. Occasionally, he would rub my spine and my legs to soothe my breathing.

"I love you," he mumbled into my hair.

"I love you more," I kissed his lips gently.

He smiled and turned his attention back to the television. My mind shifted towards Chris again when I noticed his favorite bracelet on the kitchen table. I sighed and stuffed my face back into Ty's neck. He knew something was wrong but didn't bother to ask me about it. I was worried sick to my stomach about Chris and his whereabouts but I shrugged it off and kissed Ty's neck softly. He rubbed his hands up my back as I dozed off into his skin once again...