Loving the Fighter

58

The outside of Boyd's cabin looked just like mine but they kept their blinds down where Ryder insists on keeping ours up all the time.

Determination found it's way onto Kyle's face when he approached the door. His hand reached for the knob as was about to turn it when I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back.

"What in the hell are you doing?" I asked as I pulled his hand off the handle.

"Going to go check on Boyd," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We are trying to stay out of a fight. Barging into someone else's cabin is a good way to get your teethed knocked in," I say harshly, causing Kyle to frown while I knock on the door.

Someone on the other side cussed loudly which was followed by some banging around and finally ended with the door opening just a crack.

The boy with the scar that I hit on my first day stared at me tensely before sighing in relief and letting his shoulders sag.

"Oh thank god, it's just you," he said as he opened the door a bit more. "I thought you were an officer," he chuckled before looking at me a bit closer. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Maybe," I say with a shrug. "I beat you up a while ago for scaring my friend," I said as if it wasn't a big deal.

His friendly nature was gone in an instant and was replaced with a cold mask, similar to the one I was used to wearing.

"What makes you think you can come here and start shit with me? Last I heard, I was supposed to stay away from you," he glared at me but I remained unphased, so much for a friendly visit.

"We're here to check on Boyd," I say. For the first time since he opened the door, his eyes slide over to Kyle. He looked him up and down for a moment, as if to size him up but something flashed in his eyes as he looked.

"Boyd's fine," he said as he went to close the door but Kyle pushed past me and shoved his foot in the doorway, keeping the door from closing.

"We'd like to talk him," he said with his standard cold voice, as much as I hated to say it, his voice and glare was nearly just as bad as mine.

The boy grumbled a 'stay here' and left the door opened just a crack as he stalked inside the cabin. Kyle didn't seem happy but stayed put anyway and waited for Boyd to appear.

Whispered escaped through the crack in the door but I couldn't pick up the whole conversation.

"Want me to send them away," the boy asked with a harsh tone, which made my blood boil. I had already warned him about speaking to Boyd like that.

I couldn't hear Boyd's response but a few seconds later more shuffling happened and Boyd's small form appeared in the doorway.

He looked different now. His cheeks were pink and his hair was better maintained. He was gaining weight and he seemed to be a bit taller too now, he was nearly looking Kyle in the eyes now. He wore the black hoodie that Patrick had bought all of us when we were in jail and it seemed to fit him a lot better now, only coming down to his thighs; not his knees.

His body language hadn't changed a bit though. He was still tense and his eyes showed that he was scared but the second he looked up at me, all of that changed.

A smile immediately replaced his scared expression and joy shown in his eyes as he all but launched himself at me. I tense as he jumps into my arms and wraps me in a hug.

"I missed you so much," he admitted as he continued to hug me while I just stood there as still as possible, hoping I wouldn't lash out on him.

"Well if you would come to lunch every now and then you wouldn't have to miss us," Kyle said as he pulled Boyd off of me and pulled him into a hug of his own.