"Good morning." I smiled to Brad as he began stirring, I wasn't going to admit it, but I had been watching him sleep for a while, just wondering how he can still look so troubled in a place I find so peaceful. I couldn't comprehend my demons following me into the only place I deemed safe, and yet, from the look on the brunets face, it appeared the only safe place, away from thinking too much was outside of the world.
"Morning." He whispered quietly, stretching as he opened his eyes "How'd you sleep?"
"Very well." I nodded, sitting up a little and grabbing my shirt off of the floor, pulling it over my head "You?"
"Yeah." He nodded "Alright."
"You sure?" I asked, Brad nodding again, brushing my concern away.
"Yeah, woke up around three when my painkillers wore off, but other than that, good." He nodded.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" I questioned.
"I didn't want to annoy you, I fell back asleep not long after that anyway." He shrugged, turning to look at me sincerely.
I shrugged it off and reminded him that he shouldn't have to worry about annoying me at all, I didn't mind.
Shortly after we both woke up and began moving around, I heard my phone ringing, James' contact flashing on the screen.
"Tris!" James cried down the phone "Tris, you've gotta help me!"
"What's up? What's happened?! Are you okay?!" I panicked, making Brad flinch and cower in the corner.
"I-it's Con!" James sobbed "He's gone! Ryan!"
"What about him?" I asked quickly, shooting quick comforting eyes at Brad, attempting to reassure him that everything was okay.
"He's been taken by Ryan." James explained, In more of a state than I could ever imagine him being in "There's a note and everything."
"Have you called the police?!" I asked quickly "Shit. Jamesy, I'm sorry."
"No! What if he's dead Tris? How am I gonna live without him?" James panicked.
"He's not gonna be dead." I attempted to reassure him "Call the police, I'll be over in twenty."
"...Okay." James hummed "I'll call you back when I get off the phone."
"Alright James. Love you."
"Not the time." James flailed, hanging up.
"What's happening?" Brad asked me, his brown eyes staring into my soul.
"Don't panic." I started, sitting on the edge of the bed, the boy curled in the corner "But Connor has disappeared and Ryan has something to do with it-Well, a lot to do with it."
"...fuck." Brad whispered, tears in his eyes. "You can take me back. It's okay. I know Connor is much more important than I am. He's gonna have a fami-" Brad begun but cut himself off "Ignore me."
My heart sunk. I knew there was something James was hiding from me, and I know this wasn't a time I should've been worrying about why my best friend lied to me, but I couldn't help it.
"...It's alright Brad, I'm not letting you go anywhere near Ryan." I promised "I'd rather die myself than let you go through anything else, Alright?"
"You don't have to." Brad whispered "I at least know I can take it, I've taken it for long enough..."
"I'm not letting you." I shook my head, swallowing all my doubts "Can you come with me to James'? I don't want you on your own, especially not now."
"B-but what if he sees me?" Brad whispered quietly. My phone ringing in my pocket, flashing James' name.
"-Tris, I've been told to get out of my house. You're not on the way to mine already are you?" He asked frantically.
"Not yet." I shook my head "You coming here?"
"Yeah. And so are the police." He sniffed "I have the note in my pocket. You can read it."
"Alright James, you have you key don't you?"
"Yeah." James hummed, hanging up without a goodbye in any attempt.
"So, we're not leaving anymore." I whispered, walking towards the slightly drawn curtain and closing it fully, attempting to give the illusion of safety.
"Okay." Brad whispered with a small nod, holding his knees up to his chest, breathing slow and shaky. "...Please don't give me back to him tris."
"I won't." I reassured him "I promise on my life, you won't ever have to stay in the same house or room as him again. You'll never have to feel his arms around you or his fist on you ever again. You're safe with me."
"Thank you." Brad whispered "...I hope Cons okay. I'm being so selfish- I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise. Con's gonna be alright." I nodded, the sound of the front door making both of us seize in panic before we heard James call out that it was him, quickly relieving us both.
"Tris." James sobbed, throwing himself around me in a mess of tears, crying it all out on my shoulder. This was the first time I'd seen him cry like this since the first time I'd attempted suicide.
"My fiancé, my fucking fiancé." He sobbed, making my heart drop. They were getting married and they hadn't told me. Suddenly the move made a whole lot more sense.
"It's gonna be alright Jamesy." I reassured him "It's all gonna be alright."
"You don't know that." James snapped harshly "Where's your drink? I know you keep it in here." He sobbed.
"We're not drinking this away." I shook my head "We both know where that ends up. You know that isn't the answer to this."
"And hey, you're going to do it in secret anyway." James sniffed. He knew me too well.
"I am not." I defended, crossing my arms over my chest. "Anyway, show me this note."
"Oh...right, Yeah. Sorry." James shook his head, getting the note out his pocket, passing it to me.
"You know the drill. Return Bradley to me, Connor doesn't get hurt. I know you have him. By 5pm Thursday, or else."
"Well, that's not pleasant." I swallowed hard, turning to Brad who was reading over my shoulder, I saw the colour drain from his face. I knew he was panicking. "...It's gonna be alright, Brad."
"Take me back." He whispered hoarsely, looking up at me with those sad brown eyes of his. The same eyes I fell in love with the first time I met him.
YOU ARE READING
Knuckles // Tradley AU
Fanfiction"I loved the boy that hated my guts" - The one where Tristan has no sense of purpose and no reason to leave his bedroom. Or The one where Brad feels worthless and can't bare to leave the man that's destroying him. (This is a re-write of a story I a...
