LewRice Chronicles

Damsel in Distress (2)

"Thanks Bails!" The kind man shouted after his best friend. He gestured to his dining room table for Kaycee to sit at, which she reluctantly obliged. His home had the fresh scent of lavender and linen. Sean hated it as he found the aroma overbearing and annoying, but Kaycee enjoyed most scents as long as it wasn't of cigarette smoke and cherry blossom perfume.

"Your girlfriend is really nice." She said with a light chuckle. Sean settled by leaning against the back of his couch with crossed arms, not wanting to suffocate his guest. He laughed awkwardly at her compliment. "Thank you, but Bailey isn't my girlfriend. She is the best though. We grew up like siblings." He informed her.

"Incest is a thing, you know." She teased, causing him to grimace. A strained giggle left her lips before they welcomed the silence that seemed to consume them easily. Sean didn't know why it was his deepest desire to help her. He was one to believe that everything happened for a reason, but he wasn't sure how far their story was meant to go.

"Alrighty! Here are your clothes. They may fit a bit weird since I'm a bit taller, but I'm sure you'll still be comfortable." Bailey said with a reassuring smile. Kaycee silently thanked her before following Bailey's instructions of how to get to the bathroom.

Once the door shut, Bailey flopped onto the couch. The tension they had previously settled in the room once again since their distraction was nowhere in sight. Neither party had the intention of arguing more, but too many buttons were pushed to continue on with anything.

Sean busied himself by making two small plates of his leftovers from earlier. He thought the frail woman hadn't eaten a home cooked meal in a while. Her haggard skin gave the illusion that she was a dead girl walking.

After heating them up, Sean sat one plate on the table with a fork beside it and settled the other in the hands of his best friend. "You should eat too." Bailey expressed in a concerned manner. The man fell gently onto the cushion beside her, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I already did." He deadpanned. Bailey felt a ball of guilt in her chest at how she made the former feel. She knew her form of expressing her feelings could be smothering or excessive and the last thing she wanted was to make her best friend feel trapped in her care. His tone when speaking to her normally was gentle or filled with humor, never aggressive. It was easy to tell she overstepped.

"Look, I'm sorry. Ever since we lost Julian it's been..." Bailey started to say, but was cut off by her friend's embrace. "I know, Bails. I didn't mean to blow up at you. I'm sorry." The latter leaned into his embrace, cherishing it. His lips lingered on her temple before he let her return to her dinner.

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Her eyelashes were long and full, a loose lash resting on her smooth, rosy cheeks. The thick brows that adorned her face were slightly furrowed as her thin pink lips were slightly agape. Her head is probably filled with all the worries and nightmares of the cruel world.

How could someone so beautiful go through so much pain?

These are the thoughts that went through Sean's head as he watched Kaycee's sleeping figure on his bed. He sat on his futon, his favorite book in hand. He had been reading it to her, which she politely asked for, as she dozed off into slumber. She wore a black crop top, which exposed, to Sean's surprise, deep scars and a few almost fully healed bruises. Her hair was tied back in a low messy bun, causing a few of her baby hairs to fall onto her forehead.

He would've tucked them behind her ear but he was afraid to wake her and he could only guess how much sleep she needed.

Bailey took her normal space in the guest room, however, it was a battle since she insisted on taking the couch so that he could also sleep in a comfortable bed. Eventually, Sean came out content as he got what he wanted.

The sleep deprived man was knocked out of his imaginative trance when he heard light whimpers coming from a certain figure. Tears streamed out of the broken girl's eyes quickly as she started to scream in terror. It was the most heart wrenching sound Sean ever heard. Rushing over to her, he grabbed his blanket and swung it over his shoulders.

"Hey. Kayc, it's just a dream. You're safe." He whispered as he gently sat the girl up. Kaycee gasped for air as her eyes popped wide open. It took her a bit to comprehend the new scenery as well as the chocolate orbs that stared into hers. Sean's gentle rub on her shoulders made her come to her senses, panting softly.

He reached for her unopened water bottle, which she gladly took. She began to chug it quickly, Sean looking on with concerned eyes. Once she sat her bottle on the floor, she put her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. "Sorry about that." Kaycee mumbled quietly.

Impulsively, the man brought her into his arms and hugged her. It wasn't tight, but comforting. He desperately wanted to ask her if it happened a lot but he knew she probably wouldn't want to talk about it. Never had he meant someone so terrifyingly dejected. It was almost like his world wasn't worth being upset about anymore. As the girl broke down his arms, Sean knew he wanted to help her. If that meant her staying with him, then so be it.

Kaycee found his soothing voice and grasp on her strangely helpful. The way he rocked gently as she cuddled into him, humming a tune foreign to her ears, brought a soft smile to her lips. She knew it couldn't last forever but it was the safest she felt in a long time.

It was absolutely puzzling how a stranger could make her sorrows turn into a temporary bliss. "I didn't wake Bailey, did I?" Kaycee asked, looking up at Sean with a slight pout. Weirdly, Sean felt his eyes soften as they met hers. They were filled with tears and threatening to spill more.

"Of course not. Don't you worry about that." He said, wiping her falling tears. She pulled away to his dismay, but he didn't voice it. "I'll be gone by morning. You've already done loads by letting me stay here tonight." She expressed, her gratitude shining.

"That's nonsense. Look, I know we barely know each other, but why don't we get to know each other? How don't I know once I let you walk out that door, you break our deal?" Sean asked, a disappointed look on his face. He was skeptical of his thoughts. Why was he so adamant on helping a stranger? Maybe he was lonely. Maybe he wanted a sense of importance in this world he, to a certain degree, wanted to leave.

Kaycee let out a heavy sigh, understanding his point. She didn't know why she trusted him. After all, she'd only spent a few hours with him. She only knew two things for certain: One was that he wouldn't hurt her. Two was that she didn't want to let him down.

"Then I'll come back." She paused, Sean looking at her with a wide smile dancing on his lips. This caused Kaycee to blush, giggling to herself. "You just have to give me a day to figure some things out. But I will come back. Deal?"

Sean smirked and nodded, kissing her forehead. "Call me if you need me. I put my number in your phone while you were sleeping."

"What a stalker!" Kaycee exclaimed, flopping back on the bed dramatically. They laughed together, genuine smiles all around. They spent the hours remaining until sunrise talking about anything, learning more about each other just through the things they mentioned or referred to. All until the moment she had to leave, Sean was content.

Now he'd wait.

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Here's your part 2 that, surprisingly, many of you were blowing me up for. I'm almost done with exams, meaning I can finally write more for you guys. Thank you for reading!