Cabin Fever | ✓

(16) Armour

A lil disclaimer: I write my chapters early and then revise and go back and revise...hence the previews I add at the end of every update.

I do try to get new chapters out ASAP [even twice a week is super often in comparison to the books I have in my Wattpad library atm] but I'm a perfectionist and I really want to do Marley and Aiden's story justice :)

Rant over, continue to chapter 16 lmao

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Seven years ago, Marley's brother and mother disappeared without a trace. And after a thorough police investigation, by choice.

They both left her behind with her constantly drunk rowdy father, who could hardly keep a mediocre factory job and the roof over their heads.

Marley has been through hell and back. She's spent nights crying herself to sleep, alone and empty. Holiday's wondering what they would be like if she had a family to celebrate with.

Her birthday ruined forever, because the one thing she's always wanted was something she'd never, ever receive.

Marley has been through hell and back.

And when you go through something terrible, the first thing you think beyond the grief is that 'I've peaked'.

That 'it's only up from here'. You cry and suffer and ache and genuinely believe that you've reached the lowest of lows, the cold hard ground and that there is nothing, absolutely nothing that could be more painful.

You think it can't get any worse.

And then one day, it just...does.

There was no comparison to what Marley was feeling right now. This made losing her mother and brother feel like a walk in the park on a sunny day, a cool swim in the summer.

Losing Aiden - in any capacity - Marley decided was the worst thing she had ever experienced.

Beyond their relationship, Aiden is her best friend, her rock, her protector and her breath of fresh air. He makes her laugh on her darkest days, and makes her best ones so much better than she ever imagined was possible.

Now, her sun was gone.

And it was so, so dark without it.

The night after Aiden drove away, the night he let her go - was a night when a streak was broken.

It had been months since Marley had cried herself to sleep.

And last night, she did.

After the others had fallen asleep, she slipped from her bed and snatched his hoodie from its hiding place, slipping it on and curling up in a ball, allowing it to swallow her as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

Maybe it was the dam breaking more than anything else. Marley had to go inside the diner and put on a brave face and tell Jason, Leo, Ian and Dylan that Aiden needed to be alone right now. She had to smile through the pain, while they all shared glances as if they knew.

Without a single word out of her mouth, they all knew.

And it seemed as though word travelled fast, because when Tristan, Kelly and Gabby retired to their rooms for the night, it was with sad expressions and a remorseful slump to their shoulders.

Gabby brought her a chicken sandwich that she ate two bites of before she was turning away from the world, facing the wall of her bunk and wanting nothing more than warm muscular arms circling around her torso, chest rumbling against her back in laughter at something she said or because he teased her.