Saving Her (Taylor Caniff)

Chapter Twenty Two

* Taylor P.O.V *

I sat on the floor. The room was trashed an there were still feathers falling from the ceiling, mixed up and blown about by the fan.

With my head in my hands, I evaluated what I had just seen. The images flashed violently in my head. The mocking tone, the punches and slaps, the degrading acts. He's lucky he isn't dead.

My fists were raw and bloody, y shirt was coated in blood from where I had wiped my glassy hands. I looked over at the mirror again, large chunks were missing and there was a most satisfying circle of cracks from the last punch.

The pain felt good. It reminded me I was alive. I picked up a shard of the broken mirror and held it to my wrist. Slowly, I added more pressure, the shard now piercing my skin, blood trickled. It rolled down my arm before dropping to the floor. I felt my stress flow away with the scarlet liquid. No wonder she does it.

That thought was a slap back into reality. I had told her it was bad. I was a hypocrite. I thought about how much it hurt me to see what she was doing.

How would she feel?

I ran to the bathroom and pushed my hand under the tap. Clear from all the blood, the gash was bad. A deep welt into my wrist. Even with icy water pouring down onto it, blood still arose on my skin.

Seeing it in the sink, it... it was like a trigger. My fingers twitched. I wanted to do it again.

No.

I need to do this for my princess.

I towel dried my wrist and bandaged it up, irrelevantly tight.

The room was fucked; pillows torn, feathers coating the floor, sheets heaped in corners, the TV face down on the floor, shards of the screen mixed with fragments of the mirror. It looked like a crime scene.

I packed our bags, avoiding the mess, and walked out calm and collected.

"I believe you are aware of Courtney and I checking out early?" the receptionist smiled a toothy smile, pearly white teeth. A contrast to the orange face.

"Yeah it's a shame really. We could'a 'ad some fun" she winked.

"I have my girlfriends bag with me" her face fell as I added emphasis to the word.

"We'll thank ya' for stayin'. Hope to see you again"

---

The hospital seemed dull as I waited in the café. The room was buzzing but it was a quiet hall. As soon as I saw her I rose to my feet. She was pushed out by a kind looking nurse who smiled warmly as she approached.

"Hey cripple" I teased. She stuck out her tongue and held out her arms for a hug.

She didn't smell like her, she was cold and she didn't feel as soft as she usually does. But it was her. And that's enough for me.

"Like my wheels?" she span the chair using her good arm. I smiled warmly and she smiled back, but... there was something missing with her.

"She'll need help for a while, dressing, eating, bathing. But you should know that already. Where will you two be staying?" she asked.

"We'll be staying at her house, it's completely wheelchair friendly. I'll just move her bedroom downstairs"

"Oh okay. Well you have a flight to catch" she waved and we were off.

The flight back was quick, we watched a lame movie about zombies. I'd seen it a thousand times. She watched it with my arm around her. My eyes didn't leave her as she laughed at lame jokes ad flinched at unrealistic gore.

She lay her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. She was asleep in seconds. She looked like a real fairytale princess. Her beautiful blonde hair, a halo piled up in a neat bun. Her face was gentle and innocent, the bruises now faded. Her dusty rose lips in a natural smile. It took all I had not to wake her with a kiss.

When we arrived, she woke groggily. "Home sweet home" she groaned, covering her face from the sunlight.

We caught a cab back to her house, she stayed awake this time.

Love you all, stay amazing ♡