Chasing You (Terrell Clarricoates Fan Fiction)

Chapter 4

I wake up and the chair across the room is empty. My mouth frowns slightly. A small knock hits the door before it opens. It's just my nurse.

"Hey, how are you feeling this morning?" She asks with a smile.

"Uh, I guess a little better," how am I supposed to answer that. I still feel like absolute trash.

"That's good. I just sent two prescriptions to your local pharmacist. They should be filled within the hour. I'm going to sign your discharge papers and your clothes are on the chair. If you have any questions just call and ask for me," she smiles as she scribbles on a paper.

"Okay," I say quietly. I sit up fully in the bed.

"Alright I'm going to go finish your paperwork, go ahead and change and I'll be back shortly," she smiles before walking out and shutting the door behind her. I sigh and swing my legs over to the ground. I stand and my body aches for me to stop. I walk slowly over to the chair and grab my jeans. I slowly pull them up my legs while leaving the gown on. I pull my shirt right side out and hiss as pain shoots down my abdomen. I sit quickly and clench my stomach.

Just then the door opens slowly and I look up to see Terrell. My eyes soften.

"Oh shit sorry, I'll wait outside," he says quickly.

"Wait. Please, I need help," I groan. He hesitates before shutting the door and rushing over. He grabs the shirt from my hands. He looks down at my bra.

"Do you want this on?" He asks kindly.

"No, it hurts too much," I say. He nods. I scoot to the edge of the chair and he reaches behind my back and unties the gown. He pulls it off my body leaving me exposed. He doesn't even smirk or look down. He's being professional about it. Although I'm not sure what the scene looks like. He fumbles with the shirt, getting it prepared to put on. I look down at my stomach and it's dark purple. He watches me and crouches down in front of me. He looks up at me before his eyes trail down my naked torso. His eyes linger on my purple stomach. He reaches his hand up and brushes his fingers softly over the bruises. I pinch my eyes closed and let him investigate.

"Are you ready?" He asks softly. I open my eyes and nod before taking a deep breathe. I lift my arms up and he stands quickly and places my hands through the sleeves before pulling it down over my head. He's careful while he pulls it down to cover my stomach. His knuckles brush over my hips sending shivers down my body. I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. He reaches his hands out and I grab them. He lifts me off the chair and I steady myself.

"Thank you," I breathe softly and smile up at him. The nurse walks in and hands me papers. I sign where I need to quickly, I just want to go home.

"I'll stop by the pharmacy and you can stay in the car," Terrell says as we walk out the doors into the parking lot.

"Okay," I respond. He helps me in the car before walking around to the drivers side. He gets in and begins driving.

"What happened to him?" I ask to fill the silence.

"We don't have to talk about him right now-"

"Did he get arrested?" I ask. He sighs softly.

"He did, but uh- he bailed himself out. He contacted his lawyer," he says. His eyes flicker from me to the road.

"Lawyer? Wait so does that mean he's denying what he did?" I question.

"The officer I spoke to didn't have much information. They think it's going to end up in the court room and he's going to plea innocent," he says.

"Innocent? Well if he didn't do this to me then who's he gonna pin it on?" I say with frustration.

"Me," Terrell states plainly.

"What-"

"Let's just talk about this more when there's more to talk about. Let's get this off your mind for a while so you can heal," he says. I watch the road.

"And when he shows up again," I mumble quietly. I didn't think Terrell heard me but the way his driving changed made me realize he did.

"You're gonna stay with me," he states. I snap my head in his direction.

"No, Terrell. It's fine. I'm not dragging you into this," I reply.

"I kinda dragged myself into this. There's no way in hell I'm letting you go back to that dorm. It was a mess. It'll have too many memories and he knows where you'll be. He won't if you're with me. Stay with me until he's put away. I'll sleep on the couch," he says.

"It was a mess. Did you go there?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, I left early this morning before you woke up. I figured I had to take you back there to get clothes and everything. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see your blood on the floor. Plus I didn't know when your roommate planned on showing up. The police came with me and took pictures for evidence," he explains as he pulls into the parking lot.

"Thank you," I mumble. He doesn't respond he just parks the car and leaves it running as he runs inside. I feel bad for him. I mean we had a one night stand and now he's involved in all this. It isn't what he signed up for. I appreciate him for everything he's done. I hope he knows that. The idea of staying with him excites me slightly.

Terrell walks out of the store holding a little white paper bag. He gets in the car and hands the bag to me. I take it and examine it.

"Thank you Terrell," I say sincerely as I look at him. He nods his head slowly and gives a weak smile.

"I don't want to make you feel like you have to do all this. I have friends I can stay with," I explain.

"Caroline, I want you to stay with me, okay?" He says. I nod. He pulls out of the parking lot before heading to my dorm.

When we arrive he helps me up the stairs before I open the door and lead the way. I take a moment to gaze around the room. It's clean. It's like it never happened. The only proof it did, was me. I walk forward and stand by the wall where most my injuries had taken place. I glance over towards the couch where Daniel had came at me from. Terrell touches my arm making me flinch by reaction. He rips his hand away quickly. We stand quietly for a moment. I take a few steps forward and glance one last time before I head towards my room.

I grab a bag from the closet and shove it full. Terrell grabs my backpack and packs my laptop inside. I struggle with the zipper before he walks over and helps me.

"Are you ready to go?" He asks. I nod my head and reach for the bag.

"Not a chance in hell," he smirks before he grabs both bags and swings them over his shoulders.

~

I brush my wet hair as carefully as I can. I sit on the bed with socks and sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. Terrell is cooking dinner. I walk out as he glances at me and his eyes linger. I notice but he doesn't realize. He clears his throat.

"I uh- I'm making chicken and potatoes," he says.

"It smells good," I say honestly. I'm kinda shocked that he cooks. I sit at the kitchen table as he pulls dishes from the cabinets.

"Can I ask you something?" He says after a while.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Are you scared of me?" He asks as he places food on two plates.

"What?"

"Earlier, I touched you and you flinched. Are you worried that I would hurt you like he did?" He asks shyly.

"No. I'm not scared of you. I trust you," I say. He walks over to the table and sets a plate in front of me.

"I don't know why I flinched but it's not you," I say. He seems relieved by my words. I know he wouldn't hurt me physically at least. I can't help but think I might fall for this man in front of me and that is the only way I will get hurt involving Terrell.