Fallen

Chapter Forty Five

The next morning, I was woken up by shouting coming from downstairs. The bed was empty and the bedroom door ajar. Blaine's voice was the first one I heard.

"Carter, we talked about this-"

"She's not welcome here," Carter cried. "Get her out. Now."

"Stop it!"

"I mean it. Get her out!"

"No fucking way. I got her away from that sick psycho so she could be safe here."

"Are you serious?! You're putting us all in danger. He'll come and find her, you fucking idiot. Why can't you just listen for once in your life?"

Soft, but quick footsteps ran past the bedroom door and down the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" Jason asked.

"You'll never believe this, Anna's here! After everything we discussed the other night, Blaine ignored us completely and brought her here. I can't fucking believe you, Blaine!"

"It is dangerous what you've done," Jason said much calmer.

"You think I don't know that? Of course it is, I just couldn't sit here knowing she was hurting."

"But that's all you ever do! You just think about how you're feeling. You're such a selfish prick!"

"Excuse me? I've been here for you every day. I rubbed your back when you were throwing up in the toilet for weeks. I've stayed up at night to comfort you and help you out of your panic attacks, so explain to me how I'm selfish."

"For letting her into our house. She's not living here. That's final."

Before anyone else could say anything, the front door slammed shut, leaving a heavy silence downstairs. I sat in bed for a moment and felt myself slowly slip back into the numb state that I had gotten so used to whenever I felt unsafe.

"Shit," Blaine said. "That was rough."

"You know why he's really upset, don't you? It's because you didn't tell us Anna was coming here."

"I just knew you'd both say no if I asked. God, I hate this. I don't know what to do."

"Well I suggest going to speak to Anna. There was no way she slept through all that."

"You're probably right. She can't leave, Jase. This is her only place to stay, and if that boyfriend finds us then I'll kill him myself."

"No, you won't. Not after what happened the other night. You know he'll find her and when he does, there'll be hell to pay."

"I can handle it."

"I hope so, Blaine, for everyone's sake."

I heard Jason's feet pad up the stairs and back into his bedroom. Blaine, however, took his time. Maybe he was trying to find the words to tell me I had to go. He was right, I had nowhere else to stay, but how could I live here knowing I was putting everyone else in danger?

The bedroom door slowly creaked open where Blaine stood looking dishevelled and tired. Without a word, he sat on the bed beside me and took my hand in his.

"I'm so sorry," I apologised.

"It's not your fault," he said, trying to give me a smile. "Carter'll come back. He's got nowhere to go. Give it five minutes and he'll sulk back in here and into his bedroom and by the morning it'll all be over."

"We both know that's not true. Jackson's going to follow me wherever I go."

For the first time, Blaine wasn't sure what to say. He simply wrapped me up in his arms and told me we were going to be okay enough times so maybe one of us would actually believe it.

*****

After a while of simply holding each other, we heard the front door slam shut. Jason shot out of his room and down the stairs first to try and calm down a stressed-sounding Carter. Blaine's smile fell and he glanced at the door.

"Go," I insisted. "Make sure he's okay."

He squeezed my hand particularly tight just for a moment before bounding down the stairs. I couldn't help quietly stepping over to the door to get a closer listen. The voices were stern and loud downstairs.

"Don't be so stupid. You can't move out," Jason said.

"What? Carter, come on," Blaine joined in. "This is ridiculous."

"It's me," he said, "or her."

"For God sake!" Blaine yelled.

"I mean it. Either she goes, or I do."

With my heart heavy in my chest, I slowly crept out of the bedroom to see the three men in the hallway downstairs. Jason and Blaine huddled round Carter, trying to reason with him. I could tell by the way they held and cared for each other that they were close. I couldn't stay here and change that.

"We promised that we'd stick together," Blaine said. "What would Kieran say if he saw us like this now?"

Carter stared across at him for a long while, but when he finally turned away, he saw me at the top of the stairs. His face instantly fell into a scowl and suddenly he was bounding up the stairs towards me. I stepped back in fright until my back hit the wall. Jason and Blaine both grabbed Carter from behind just as he reached the top of the stairs to lunge at me, spit spraying from his mouth and tears brimming in his eyes. His face was bloated, similarly to the way Ellie's got when she started drinking again.

"You're just as bad as them!" he screamed. "Get out! Just get out!"

He cried out in agony and so much pain. I watched in shock as he collapsed to his knees and burst into a fit of screams and tears. Jason and Blaine followed him to the floor where all three men held each other so tight. Carter tried to struggle out of their grips, but Blaine closed his arms around his friend.

"I... I want her back," he whimpered. "I want...I want to say goodbye."

I couldn't bear to watch him crying in their arms. Like a coward, I stumbled into Blaine's room and shut the door behind me. Before I could even reach the bed, my knees buckled and I sunk down the door and onto the floor. Carter's pain was so deep that I didn't know what I could do to ease it. Soon, I realised I was crying too and let my head fall to my bent knees, wondering where I could go to make sure they were all safe.