Why Me | Book 1

Chapter 7

Tucker is fast, if he's trying to catch up and he definitely will try to get me back inside, so I can't run away like I used to before I was at the rehab, I better be around the corner already the time he starts his sprints to come after me. Fucking Runningback.

Maybe I'm lucky and he tries to track my phone before he notices that I left it on my bed and I have a few extra seconds.

I'm not slow though. I used to run every morning with mom back then and sometimes we had a little challenge who's faster down the street. I stopped that after she passed away, but I still go for a run on some mornings when I feel like it.

I reach the end of the street with a lot more speed than I thought and have to grab the streetlamp to get around the corner. Not slowing down I continue pacing down the streets, rounding corner after corner and run past my favorite cafe, sprinting down a small alley and end up in front of lots of backyards.

I slow down, panting. I should go for runs more often. That shit was exhausting. I stop at the white wooden fence, I try to breath normal again, putting my arms on top of the fence, resting my forehead on my wrists to calm down. His yard isn't that hard to find. It's the last wooden fence when I come from the other side and the first from the side I came now. All the fences from before are metal ones.

I climb onto the little brick wall and swing my legs over the wooden fence. His terrace door is open and I can see him standing in the kitchen.

His garden is full with greenery. Margot loves her flowers so I have to be careful not to step on them when I walk through the flower bed to get to the back of the small house. I don't get how you can be so sensible when it comes to greenery, but hey, she's happy with them so I'll respect that.

I softly knock at the window next to the door and wait for him to turn around.

He jumps, which makes me jump and he carefully turns. He's tense before he spots me. I'm still breathing a little heavy and I probably look like an idiot standing there, but he puts his mug down on the counter in front of him and opens his arms for me to give me a hug as soon as he sees me.

He knows what's wrong. He can see it. "Come here, Snoopy."

I quickly walk inside and bury my face in his chest. "You wanna talk about it?" his hands run up and down my back in attempt to calm me down.

He carefully pulls me back by my shoulders and I look at him. "I don't know." I really don't know if I want to talk about it, all I know is, that I can't cry anymore.

"Did Tucker say anything wrong?"

"It wasn't Tucker actually. Well, somehow too, but there is this guy, Cole, I think he was the reason."

His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "Who's Cole?" is that jealousy? I grin in amusement, I just love him for shit like that. "Don't worry about it, Troy. He's a friend of Tucker and he first started speaking about his mom, which was my fault because I asked why he moved here, then he had to witness one of my nightmares because I fell asleep and he woke me up, and then Tucker started the topic." Short and easy, all important details, nothing left out. That should be enough for him.

"Oh Snoopy...are you okay?" he puts a strand of hair behind my ear and I smile. "I think so. I can't even cry anymore." I chuckle but he gives me a serious look. "Be honest," he warns and my smile fades. "Okay fine. Yes, I wanted to do drugs right after that."

I fix the wall behind him and bite the inside of my cheek when I see his disapproving look on his face in the corner of my eye. "Emily. Please tell me you didn't take anything."

I shake my head and hear him sigh in relief. "You know I hate when you do drugs." I nod, "I know, I'm sorry you couldn't help me."

"Do you want to stay here overnight?

I look at him again. "I can't. I left my phone at home, Tucker would freak out, but I would like to stay here as long as I can. I want to be home before nine so he's not going to freak out that much." Troy nods and smiles. "You mean before he starts ripping out his hair like a bird his feathers." We both laugh and start joking around.

He makes me a hot chocolate and I take a seat on the couch. When I turn around I see him typing on his phone. "Traitor," I state quietly and narrow my eyes at him. I know who he's texting. "He texted me first."

"That's your attempt to defend yourself?" he nods and pouts, making me smile in return.

He joins me on the couch and I rest my head on his shoulder. Troy is like my second big brother. I turn my head a little to study his features while we watch TV.

His brown hair is all over the place and his chocolate brown eyes have a little shimmer of caramel when the sun hits them. His full lips are drawn to a hard line and his jaw is clenched, making his muscle pop out while he follows the WWE fight.

"Stop staring, I know I'm good looking." He turns his head and smirks devilishly at me. I smack his arm, hard and glare at him.

"Don't even try to stay serious, Snoopy."

He turns his body and challenges me with a similar look that I give him. He suddenly grabs me by my waist and lifts me up and I squeal in surprise. I expected him to tickle me like he always does, but he throws me back onto the couch after I landed a hit with my foot against his leg.

I laugh and try to get away from him by crawling back on the couch, but I have no chance at all. He gets a hold of my foot and starts to tickle it. I kick out like a horse in reflex and kick his stomach. My heel collides with his six pack and I slam my hands over my mouth. I kicked out with a lot more force than I wanted to. "I'm sorry," I quickly apologize but his feature don't change. "Did it even affect you?" I laugh now and he shakes his head with a grin.

I reach out to tickle him but he blocks my hands and puts them behind my back in one quick move. "Not today Snoops!" his laugh makes his dimple pop out and he starts to tickle me until I can't breathe anymore.

"Smackdown!" he shouts, grabs me by my ankles, lifts me in the air so I'm facing the floor head first and starts walking. I scream, scared he could drop me and try to reach the ground with my hand, but he lifts me even higher. Now only my fingertips are able to touch the floor and I hear him laugh.

"Chin to your chest." I do what he says and am thrown onto the huge fluffy bean bag in the corner of the room.

"You scared the fuck out of me." I laugh when I look up at him. He gives me a mischievous grin and my eyes widen when he jumps up, flying into my direction. He's going to crush me!

I roll over to the right and feel the bean bag sink next to me and I roll back over to face Troy. "You're crazy!" I giggle and he nods proudly. "I know that."

His eyes wander over to the clock on the wall that is hanging in the kitchen and starts getting up. "Is it nine already?" I ask and take his hand, letting him pull me up. "No," he carefully starts and I check the time. "He asked you to bring me home around eight, didn't he?" I roll my eyes, of course he did. "Well, yes. He already hates me for whatever reason, so I don't wanna end up dead."

I laugh, he's scared of my brother.

Troy sighs and walks towards the front door. I collect my things and follow him outside. "It's not funny, Snoopy." He presses the button to open the garage and I wait outside for him to drive out onto the driveway with his Audi A1.

I open the passenger door and get in. "Matt black? Since when?" he looks over at me and smirks. "Thought it looks better and because my mom's new car is black too, so I wanted it a little different." I shake my head in amusement and look out the window.

We keep the ride to my house in a comfortable silence and my heart stops when I see dad standing in the driveway. I'm screwed.