FORCE | topper thornton

SEVENTEEN

I finally pulled myself from the group at the chateau, I needed to get away from them for a while, I needed to get my mind off things, so I drove to the only place I knew to do that, Topper's house. I smiled in relief when I saw his car outside, and an even bigger smile when I could hear music playing in the back yard, I walked around and saw him swimming in the pool, it looked as if Rafe or Kelce had been here, but have since left, or at least left for the time being. He swam back to the other side of the pool, gasping in shock when he saw me standing there watching. "God, Kenzie! You scared me." He laughed, but then taking in the look on my face and the way I threw my phone into the grass, kicking my sneakers off and jumping into the pool fully clothed, he could tell something was wrong. Even more so when I wrapped myself around him, kissing him urgently before he could speak. He reciprocated for a moment before pulling away, "baby, what's wrong?" He knew me to well, I never throw myself on him like this, so sloppily, so publicly. "Nothing." I lied, kissing down his jaw before moving to his neck, he let a small moan passed his lips when I sucked a bite to the base of his neck. "As much as I want to do this," he motioned between us, pushing me back, "you're not in the mood, you just want a distraction." He raised an eyebrow at me, silently asking if he was right. "JJ's dad is one of the guys who robbed my house," I looked for his reaction, his eyes went wide, he was about to speak when I put my hand up, "and JJ thinks he might've been the one to kill my mom." I don't know how I spoke the words so calmly, when on the inside I was breaking into a million pieces. "Baby girl." Topper sighed, allowing me to wrap around him again, this time in comfort and support, not sexually, he hardly used the pet name on me, unless I was really hurting, because it always seemed to bring a smile to my face, or if he wanted something from me, but we all know the reason he was using it in this instance. "I'm so sorry, Kenz." He muttered in my hair as I began to cry for who knows what amount today. I cried into his neck, feeling one of his hands go underneath my wet shirt, rubbing my back softly, the other under neath my butt to hold me up. "Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?" I sobbed against him, I could feel the pain coming off of him, just at the site of me like that. I hadn't even realized he started making his way to get out of the pool until I felt the water disappear from around me.

"I don't know, baby, it shouldn't have, you deserve the world, and the fact that you're struggling so much is killing me." He sat on one of the lounge chairs, I stayed straddling him as he gently moved my face back to hold it in his hands. I closed my eyes as he gently moved his thumbs under my eyes, wiping away the smeared mascara and tears. "I love you." He told me, I nodded in his hold, "I love you." I repeated the words, meeting his eyes, they looked pained like mine. "You're going to get through this, okay? I'll make sure of it." He pressed a gentle, tender kiss to my lips, I smiled softly against him, although I was still a little tearful, I was glad to be here in this moment with him. "Rafe?" He mumbled, I turned and saw him walking towards us, blood smeared on his shirt. I jumped up, "what happened?" Topper asked him, slowly approaching him, I heard a dirt bike in the distance, I had a knot growing in the bottom of my stomach, something bad was going to happen. Yet again. I rushed to pick my phone up from the ground as I heard the bike quickly approaching, "Barry." Rafe muttered and Topper's eyes went wide, "who's Barry?" I asked. "No one you want to know." Rafe snapped, running a hand through his hair, I grimaced, it was bloody. "Yo country club! You think you can fuck with me like that and just leave!" I heard a gruff voice, I furrowed my eyebrows as Topper backed away from Rafe, shoving me behind him.

"Listen, dude whatever he owes you I'm sure he can pay it." Topper assured, trying to calm the long haired boy down, he looked furious, a few gashes and blood on his face, Rafe did that. I cringed at the sight, "you and princess over there better stay the fuck outta this!" He snapped, approaching Rafe who had his hands up. "Come on man, I'll pay you back, with interest!" Rafe tried to plead, but we all knew he was lying, it was blatantly obvious. "You've said that before, now I want my damn money." Barry shouted, waiving a gun around, I glanced back as I heard a noise, damn it, Topper's mom was walking out the back door. I went wide eyed when I took in her appearance, she looked like she was in pain, she took in the scene before falling over. Instantly I didn't care about Barry or the gun, I began hauling ass over to her. "Mrs. Thornton! Cynthia! Can you hear me?" I started shouting before I even reached her, Topper hadn't noticed I took off until he heard me shouting. "Mom!" He yelled running after me, I fell on my knees to the ground, instantly I started patting her cheeks, she didn't wake. I had taken many CPR courses over the years combined with the horrible sights I've witnessed lately, I immediately knew what to do. Topper was frozen much like I was when we found Logan, the yelling in the background tuned out as I checked for a pulse, not finding one. "Call 911." I spoke, beginning to push into her chest, I counted up to thirty before pinching her nose and blowing into her mouth. It didn't even bother me, because I was doing anything I could to help her, "Topper, call 911!" I shouted when he was still frozen, he let a string of curse words out of his mouth as he rapidly dialed on the phone. "Fuck this I'm out!" Barry shouted at Rafe as sirens could be heard in the difference, I knew Rafe was still there because I could hear him cursing to himself. "Rafe fucking leave you're covered in blood!" I shouted, continuing my pushes into her chest. "Leave!" Topper snapped, finally I heard Rafe running off to his car. "Kenzie, what's wrong? What happened?" Topper asked falling to the ground, he tried to take over for me but I refused, "you're to emotional, let me do it." I whisper shouted, he nodded hesitantly, he grabbed his moms hand and I saw him talking under his breath but I couldn't hear him. I saw a single tear run down his cheek, I heard many sets of footsteps coming behind us, paramedics, finally.