Like a Tattoo (Raura)

Chapter 28

Laura's POV

"Damiano, are you sure you don't want to use the cane for support?" my mom asks my dad while she and I both warily help him step out of the car.

"Yes," he responds slowly, "I'll only u-use it if I... need it."

I frown inside at hearing my dad speak in that way. The stroke took a toll on some of his motor skills, including walking at an even pace and talking, "Here, Dad, let me..." I hunch down so he can support his weight by heaving his arm over my shoulders. My mom does the same on his other side as we slowly make the trek into the house.

We help my dad into his easy chair in front of the TV in the living room, allowing him to adjust himself on his own, "I'll get the rest of the stuff from the car," my mom speaks up and rushes away.

I watch my dad settle into his chair and pull off his glasses so he can shut his eyes. More than anything, I want to help him recover, but I have no idea how I can. I don't know anyone who's been through a stroke before, not even from friends with older family members, "Can I get you something, Dad? Maybe water or a blanket?"

He turns his head lethargically with half-closed eyes, "Sure, c-can you get me a larger pillow? You know, one that can support m-my head."

I nod and make a dash for the stairs leading to my room. When I get there, I run to my closet to find clothes and pillows collected into a mess on the closet floor, which I don't think I've ever rummaged through until now.

"Laura!" a male voice calls. I turn to scold my dad because he's not supposed to yell in his state, but turns out he wasn't the one who called me.

I look to the window to spot a familiar face, "Oh, Ross!" I sigh with relief at seeing him for the first time in what feels like forever, "I'm so glad to see you. Listen, I can't talk right now. I need to make sure my dad is okay first."

Ross frowns, "No," he says in a rather harsh tone, "I need answers now."

"Huh? What's the problem?" I can't think of anything I could've done wrong.

Ross firmly plants his hands down on the window sill, "Um, hello! You left me the morning after we slept together and didn't even tell me where you went!" he shouts angrily, not even bothering to lower his voice in case my parents might hear, "Where the hell did you go?"

I feel my brows furrow in disbelief, beyond mortified at Ross's behavior, "Um, excuse me? What are you talking about? I left a note on the bedside table."

Ross shakes his head dismissively, trying to make sense of what I'm saying, "What are you talking about? I never saw any note."

What?

"Do you have any idea of how embarrassing it was for me to wake up in an empty bed on Sunday morning?" Ross demands, "I trusted you and you completely betrayed me, again," he emphasizes.

What the hell? How dare he be so insensitive to my situation!

"You don't have any right to say that to me," I speak evenly, enunciating on every word to make it stick while trying in vain to keep my emotions in check.

Last Saturday night, Ross showed me that he forgave me for deceiving him, and that his feelings for me never completely went away. I've always hated to think about how I forced him to move on from me, as resulting from my repeatedly shoving his emotions away. Especially when I began having feelings for Ross and thought he didn't have any for me anymore, I was crushed knowing I'd rejected all his affection for me.

I faked every one of my emotions when we were dating which, after the fact, made Ross believe I wanted nothing to do with him. It must have hurt him so bad after we broke up since I gave him no indication that I would ever let him back in my life, romantically.

Furthermore, there's no doubt that the impending possibility of my betrayal and lies as from before was in the back of his mind on Saturday night.

This time, however, I see no justification whatsoever for his antagonism. I gave up more than he knows for that night. We freaking slept together, and he somehow has the audacity to accuse me of straight-up leaving him in the morning with no trace of where I went. I wrote him a note before I left on Sunday, and it's not my fault he didn't find it; if Ross can't at least agree to disagree, I don't see a point to this.

"Whatever," Ross huffs, "I don't see why you couldn't have at least called or texted me sometime this week to tell me why you left."

I scoff and shake my head in disbelief at him, "You really have no idea, do you?"

Ross furrows his brow towards me and raises his arms in a shrugging motion, "What are you talking about?"

I guess he didn't even see my mom and me helping my dad crutch into the house, "The reason I was gone was because I was at the hospital. I was there for five days so I could be with my family—with my dad," I nearly choke on the words in a difficult attempt to get them out, "He had a freaking stroke, Ross."

***

ooooh bad move ross

also just a little fyi this fanfic is probably gonna go til about chapter 33 or so that's all I've written out for the ending

and heyyy caos pt2 is out ayyy I'm gonna watch it next week or something and also F YES the perfect date comes out on fri!! so gonna binge it once it's out like omg the ally and dallas glow up like how can you not love it

peace out

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Steph (yesifeelgoodr5)