Boarding Flight 227

Chapter 5

Kale and I have been getting really close. I fear falling for him because I don't know what will happen once we check out of the hospital. The thought makes me sick not only beause of Kale, but where will I go? I can't just barger into my mother's life when I am emotionally unstable. I can't go back to my father and Jane, his awful new wife. I need someone to talk to, not just left alone in my room like with them. It seems I can never please them. How would thay feel if I came back missing an arm? They surely will blame me because I ran away. I just need someone, someone I know will always be there.

That's why I am hesitant on telling Kale eveything. Now that I think about it, we don't know much about each other. Yesterday, after I told Kale everything, we woke up and Kale told me basic things like his favorite color and what he wants to be, which, by the way, he wants to be a director. But besides those things, who really is Kale Knight?

"Um, Ms. Henning?" the nurse, Eliza, repeated, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Without saying anything, I lift my head up to make eye contact, telling her to continue.

"Well, it seems the airline has gotten a hold of your father, he is waiting in the hall. Would you like me to send him in?"

My eyes widen as soon as she says that. Jane will be with him, I thought, and she's going to be pissed.

Before I can shake my head to say no, the witch herself storms in.

Without warning, she is at my left side and without hesitation, slaps me across the face. Tears treaten to fall from my eyes but not because she slapped me, but how she had no hesitation of doing it.

"What the hell?" Kale says, his voice angrier than I have ever heard, "don't touch her!"

Jane doesn't take any notice to Kale as she starts her rampage. "Why in hell were you on the plane? You are so ungrateful for everything your father and I do for you and our thanks is you running away? Well, look where it got you, in a hospital. What were you even planning to do in California?"

When I don't answer, Jane just grows angrier. "Well? Answer me!"

Silence is all I give in return as I stare at my lap.

"Answer her, Candace," my father requests calmly. But I simply stare down at my lap as one single tear falls down my cheek.

I knew they would be mad, but I thought maybe they would be happy I survived. Tears slowly fall down my cheeks and I try hard to hold back a sob.

"Don't try to get us to pity you, you deserve what you recieved," Jane hisses.

"That's enough!" Kale roars. "Candace is brave and sweet and doesn't deserve this. She's tramatized, so I'm pretty damn sure it's best if you both just leave."

Jane and my father's eyes widen in shock at the outburst, but my father quickly recovers. "Maybe you should shut the fu-"

This time I interupt. "He's right, leave. You both ignored me enough when I was with you and let Jane be a bitch to me, just leave because when I tried I ended up here."

I spare a quick glance at Kale to see him smile proudly at me before I turn back to my father.

His mouth opens and closes once before he finally decides on what to say. "I-oh. I'm so sorry that I pushed you away."

"Herold!" Jane scolds my father, "don't apoligize for her actions!"

"You know what Jane, shut the hell up!" my father shouts, taking me by surprise. "Don't you see what I have let you do? I can't believe I was so stupid!"

Jane looks taken aback by my father's outburst, kind of like me.

"Candace, I will call you soon. Jane, we have a lot to discuss." And with that, my father calmly walks out, followed by a panicked Jane.

It isn't long before Kale wraps me up in a hug with me still in my bed and him in an uncomfortsble position to hug me. I move over so he can lay beside me.

"You were so strong, Candace." Kale mumbles in my hair.

Nothing can stop the smile that spreads across my face until Eliza comes back and says something I never saw coming.

"Mr. Knight, your fiancé is here."

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