Bandaged & Damaged {BoyxBoy & FIN & EDITING}

chapter twenty three

My parents stood in front Miles and I. Ma was chewing on her bottom lip and Pa had his arm around her shoulders. The tension was heavy that it suffocated me. I glanced at Miles and he had a blank expression but underneath his blankness was worry. He was worried about me.

"Are you sure you want to come back?" Ma whispered. She was directly asking me.

I nodded. "He's gone."

And I needed space...again. I didn't want to deal with my parents and Dakota, knowing that I didn't tell Ma that I told Dakota that I'll think about living with her. I did say no but let's see what happens. Ma nodded and continued to chew on her lip. Pa was silent. He furrowed his eyebrows and sighed deeply. Pa doesn't get upset easily but once he is, it takes him a while to calm down. "I don't feel comfortable with this."

Miles sighed. "Dad, look, I'll watch Jasper, okay?"

"How's that helped?" Ma snapped. "He was being abus—"

"Florence!" Pa said shockingly. Ma took a deep breath and let it slowly. Miles didn't look hurt though, more like guilty. "It's not Miles fault that he wasn't watching Jasper."

"Can I just go inside?" I said and looked at all of them. I didn't want to make it awkward than it already was. It was bad enough that my parents knew what happened. I hated how they treated me like I was different, like I was fragile. I wanted to forget about everything and move on.

"You can't quickly move on from that."

"I don't think about it too much. I'm not going to let it eat me alive."

Ma gulped and nodded. Her and Pa wrapped their arms around me and squeezed me. I felt another pair of arms hug me and I looked to my right to see Miles hugging me. A few people looked at us with curiosity in their eyes. I didn't pay attention to them. We haven't had a group hug in a long time and I guessed needed one. Unconsciously, I instantly relaxed and closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth and remembering that Ma's hug was home, Pa's hug was protection, and Miles's hug was unexpected. The least I could do was hug them back.

~~~~

Miles walked me to my room. It was an awkward silence between us. A few people looked at us as if they couldn't believe that Miles, the popular Senior, was walking with a freshmen. I could care less though. It's not like we were in High School, though I never went to school until now.

"Jesus can they stop looking at us?" Miles muttered. When we got to my door I realized what was happening.

"It's not you they're looking at. It's me," I told him and shook my head. I opened the door and a chill went to my spine. The windows wasn't open. Miles was the first to step inside the room and I followed him. I placed my bag on my bed and looked around the room. His side was empty. There wasn't even a mattress. It was supposed to make me feel relieved that he wasn't here anymore but it felt like he was watching me.

"I was this close asking for a new room."

"Why didn't you?"

"I need to face my problems."

"Miles," I said tiredly. He turned to look at me. I looked around the half empty room and felt like I was in a hospital. The white walls was too bright for my eyes. "Can you sleep here?" Miles eyes widened and the question instantly woke me up from my sleepiness. "Unless you don't want to."

"You were being undoubtedly nice to him."

"I was vulnerable at the time, sue me."