It All Started With A Deal

Chapter 22.3

Chapter 22.3
I value the first five minutes before I've fully woken up, especially now, when my mind is still dysfunctional ally previous memories are jumbled into a bunch and incoherent. Because in those five minutes I could pretend my life was perfect.

I groaned, my brain foggy as I tried to wake myself up. The memories from the previous night slowly flooded in, making my headache, or perhaps that was from how hard I had hit it last night.

I struggled to sit up, taking in my surroundings.

"Morning, sunshine," Tara teased.

I stretched, finally recognizing the bland walls that were her apartment.

I sighed, remembering lasts night's dream. I had dreamt about Liam plenty of times but that had been the most vivid one. I could have sworn he was really there.

I had been changed into an old t-shirt and shorts, my arm bandages up. I poked the white bandage, noticing how neat and clean it was, clearly done with great care.

I didn't know Tara had enough patience for that in all honesty.

My cheek has also been tended to, the blood cleaned away, coated with antiseptic and covered with a bandage.

"Morning," I grumbled.

"There's an extra set of clothes on the bed you can borrow."

I nodded, "Thank you."

The entire left side of my body throbbed and when I examined myself in the mirror it was clear to tell why: a thick, purple bruise ran along my legs and I was sure it was on my arm as well, under the bandage. My hair thankfully covers the greenish-purple bruise on my forehead.

I quickly changed, combing through my hair, noticing that it had been put in a braid last night. I used to never sleep without braiding my hair, to keep from getting incredibly knotted. I smiled softly, something I hadn't done in quite a while.

I couldn't imagine how Tara would have known that but it was a sweet gesture.

"Did you braid my hair?" I questioned Tara, already knowing the answer. Who else could have done it?

She shook her head as she continued scrambling eggs, "No."

My eyebrows drew together as I stared at her.

How did I braid my own hair without realizing? Maybe I was still half asleep.

"You should stay here tonight." She offered.

I knew exactly what she was doing. She didn't want me to go back to Bradley but I didn't have a choice.

"I can't, thank you though."

She frowned, "You really should, just one night."

I shook my head, "I can't. You've done enough already."

"I haven't done anything, Sapphire,"

"Of course you have. Thank you for bandaging my arm by the way." I was really going to hate removing the bandages, knowing most of my skin was gone but what else can you expect from falling out of a moving car. I was lucky to be left in the state I was and not worse.

Tara gave me a funny look, "What are you talking about? Liam did that."

I stared at her intently.

Liam?

So it wasn't a dream? He was actually here.

And he braided my hair and tended to my wounds?

I took a deep breath to keep from tearing up, "Oh." I answered bluntly.

I don't know if I preferred thinking he was a dream, because at least when he was in my imagination I didn't have to worry about him becoming aware of Bradley. I had to keep Chase safe.

"Did you, um," I paused, not sure if I wanted to know the answer because if I did, I would have to stop it and I was practically begging for someone to get me out of this mess. I don't know how much longer I'll survive. "Did you tell Liam anything?"

She stilled, turning away from me as she pretended to look though the fridge, "Of course not. I wouldn't risk hurting your brother."

I nodded slowly, knowing that if that wasn't the reason he was here then there had to be another. "Are you two..." I trailed off, knowing I had no right to ask. It was none of my business.

"Hm?" Her eyes widened as she realized the question I was burning to ask. "Oh no! No, no we're not back together."

Back, back together. Because they had once been together, for a long time.

I had never once seen Tara as a threat, I still don't. But sometimes it slipped my mind that they had once been together. That he had once felt so strongly for her. Which had never once bothered me when we were together because I knew he wanted to be with me but now that we weren't together, it was a fact that was eating away at me.

"Do you want to be?" I whispered, unable to stop myself from asking. I needed to know, so I could accept the fact that Liam and I were over, forever.

She gave me a sympathetic smile, walking over to pull me into a hug. "You don't have to worry about me, Saph. I'm not trying to get back together with Liam. He and I are over, permanently. We weren't good for each other, we fed off each other's bad qualities and I treated him terribly. I am not the one for him, I never was, and vice versa." She assured me.

I returned the hug, relieved that they weren't back together. I knew it was wrong to feel that way but I had done so many horrible things in the past month I wasn't sure it really mattered.

I swayed, feeling myself begin to get light headed as my leg trembled.

I could feel my own body shutting down with no way to stop it. "I should get going," I tried to cover before she noticed the withdrawal symptoms.

She held onto me tighter, the worry in her voice spiking, "You really don't have to! You can stay here."

I collected my things, a very minimalistic bunch containing solely of my old clothes and shoes which had been rendered useless at this point.

Even the blisters on my feet had been taken care of and I couldn't imagine Liam willingly touching my feet after how much feet gross him out.

I said my goodbyes to Tara, her desperately trying to convince me to stay, before she drove me home. I was thankful for the ride, glad to let my feet rest after last night.

She waved me goodbye, trying one last final attempt to convince me not to go, before letting me leave.

The house was dead silent when I returned home, nobody else in sight. There was, however, a large bundle of roses on the table with 'I'm sorry' scribbled on a card. I read through the card, another meaningless apology from Bradley.

I tossed the card in the trash, grabbing a cup from the sink. Bradley would be over soon, that much was sure, he had to make sure I accepted his apology.

I sat on the stool, draining my glass as I waited. I had become a pretty good actor in all my time I've spent with Bradley.

A/N
This one is pretty short but the next one should be good so I figured I would post is separately.

You all have had such amazing guesses and prediction for what will happen next and some are spot on and others not so much but I'm amazed by how close some are or how good others are as well.

What are all of your guys' predictions before I post some more chapters?

I'm excited to see them.

Lots of love,
Rachelle <3