Squeeze the Day

🍋T W E N T Y - F I V E🍋

"OH, MY GOD!" Cher sprinted towards me, pulling me into her embrace despite the fact that I was sobbing, sweaty, and bloody. "Are you okay? What happened to you? Why were you walking alone? Why didn't you call me sooner?"

I had absolutely no energy to answer or even comprehend her questions. My silence must have been answer enough because Cher dragged me to the backseat of the car. When I let out a pained groan, she noticed my leg and screeched.

"Max, your leg's covered in blood!" She paused. "And purple! Oh, my God, we have to take you to a doctor."

"I want to sleep," I murmured.

Cher gawked at me and was about to refuse, but she studied my tear soaked face more carefully before silently obliging. Once she had me secured in the backseat, she sat in the front and began to drive home.

"I know you're tired, and I couldn't even imagine what you went through, but why the hell were you walking home?" she bellowed. "Who knows what could've happened to you!"

"It's a long story," I quietly replied.

"Max..." Cher sighed. "Fine, you can tell me later. Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"I don't know," I murmured. The truth was I didn't want to be a bother because I knew how exhausted Cher got after work, but if I said that she would've just yelled at me.

"Why didn't you call Shane?"

Hearing his name made a fresh set of tears well up in my eyes. "He didn't pick up."

"When I get my hands on that idiot..." Cher growled as she continued driving.

~*~

"Shane," Cher yelled as she pulled me inside the house. "Get your butt here right now!"

"Mom, it's past your bedtime," Shane groaned as came down the stairs. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before looking at us. "Why are you shout..." Any ounce of sleepiness was now gone. With his eyes wide, Shane ran to us. "What the hell happened?"

"Maybe you'd know if you answered any of Max's calls," Cher sneered. "Now help me bring her up."

Shane looked at me but I avoided his gaze before we could make eye contact. The one time I really needed him and he didn't think twice about blocking me. He stepped to the other side of me, and both, mother and son threw my arms over their shoulders as they carried me up the stairs. We had only taken a few steps when I grimaced in pain. Cher didn't seem to notice, but Shane's eyes flickered to me immediately.

"Let me carry you," he said, but I didn't respond. I had already cried enough, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get out a sentence without breaking down. Ignoring my silence, Shane placed one hand at the small of my back, and the other under my knee as he lifted me.

"I'll get you a change of clothes, Max." Cher walked past us and up to my room, leaving me alone with Shane.

I mentally breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't try to start conversation. Instead, Shane quietly carried me to my bedroom. We entered the room and he placed me on the bed, where Cher had left a pair of pyjamas for me.

"Want me to run you a bath?" she asked.

"I just want to sleep," I declined.

She frowned. "But your leg..."

"I can take care of it," Shane offered.

I could tell Cher didn't like the suggestion, but she didn't argue. "I'll get you an iced pack." She turned to look at her son. "We're going to have a talk later." I could tell by her tone that there was nothing good coming out of that talk.