Fire and Ice

Chapter 12

Kaden

It took all of my self control to not find and murder Brandon Silver.

I was sitting at the park when I heard a yell across the street, all the way across the parking lot. When I looked over I saw Brandon shove Alyssa violently into the wall.

Every nerve in my body lit up with anger and adrenaline at that moment and I abandoned my things, running as fast as I could.

Alyssa's screams really set me off and I only became angrier as terrible memories rushed through my head. I couldn't see someone else go through that. I couldn't let someone else be ruined in front of me. Not again.

When I helped Alyssa out of his car, she looked terrified, shaken. And then I saw her newly split lip.

If I wasn't so focused on getting her away from Brandon, I probably would have killed him. All I could see was red. There was only one good option: to leave.

I never wanted my father and Alyssa to come face to face, so I took her to Mike's apartment.

She seemed a bit dazed as she looked around the apartment while I found an ice pack and some alcohol wipes for her lip.

Luckily my anger faded in that moment as I helped her up onto the table so that I wouldn't have to bend down to treat her lip.

Her lips were soft, and I hated myself for noticing that. Alyssa was just attacked, I was helping her, not... No, I needed to focus.

I drove her home, though her car was still at the school. I promised that I would take her to school tomorrow.

Alyssa thanked me a million times, even when I told her she could stop thanking me. She had gone red and quiet after that, which made me laugh.

After she disappeared into her house, I drove away and sank into my thoughts.

After this attack, I didn't want something like that to happen again, whether it was Brandon or not. It was the only reason I agreed to train her.

But now I needed to find a good location, and good times to train her. My father kept me so busy with training, fighting, or just bossing me around. I wouldn't have much time during the week.

Then I remembered this morning. In my first class, everyone was talking about the prank someone pulled on the entire school over the weekend with the rabbits and chickens of the school. No one knew who it was, but I knew right away.

If Alyssa could get into the school that easily, the wrestling gym would be open to us. The only downside was that we would only be able to use the gym at night, when sports teams wouldn't be there after school.

But that was better than nothing.

So I messaged her.

I've got a time and place. You only have to agree with it.

Shorty: Ooo! I'm okay with whatever. So, are you going to tell me, or continue to be vague and cryptic?

The wrestling gym at the school. Eight o'clock. Mondays, Wednesdays.

Shorty: You can get into the school?

No, you can. I know you were the one that let the chickens loose.

Shorty: Okay, fine I did, but it was funny, right?

Are you going to agree with those times, or what?

Shorty: Good to me! See you in the morning, best friend!

I rolled my eyes as I put my phone in my pocket. Even after an attack she was still bubbly and goofy. I was relieved that Brandon didn't have that much of an effect on her.

Now that I had agreed to train her, I was strangely... nervous. Maybe it was because I felt like I was only passing the violence of my world over to Alyssa. Maybe it was because her fighting meant her getting hurt.

She was annoying. I had known her for a week. Even then, I still knew hardly anything about her. But for some reason, I felt extremely protective of her. Like some part of me was born to... guard her.

Maybe it was because Alyssa was so small, so... happy and pure. Something my world didn't know. Something I didn't know. Something that needed protecting.

I had failed to protect someone already, I didn't want to fail again. I couldn't.

The house was dark and silent when I got home, which meant Dad was out. Thank the heavens.

I moved through the deafening silence, but my body froze in front of one bedroom. A room I hadn't opened in three years.

My hand moved over the chipped, white paint of the door, touching a small drawing of a purple flower on the way.

A memory shot through my vision. My fifteen year old self kicking this door open in fear and desperation. "Ellie!"

I jerked away from the door, clenching my fists. That room held my worst nightmares, my worst memories.

I walked away.

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Part twelve!
Seems Kaden has a secret, painful past. Any guesses of what happened?
Hope you enjoyed it, vote if you like it 😁
Thanks for reading (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)