I Made a Promise

Chapter 10

I nodded my head and grabbed a photo from one of tables besides the couch. It was of me and Cameron on our 17th birthday.
"His name was Cameron... he was my bestest friend... one day we decided to skip school for the day... we had a great time. Then it was time to pick up our younger siblings... and...." I was explaining, but my voice was shaking so much that I couldn't talk anymore.

"It's ok... just breathe..." Daniel told me, stroking my hair.
"We walk to the car, before we got in, we heard someone shout something and next thing you know, we were both grabbed and blacked out..." I said.

Now that I was telling him, all the flashbacks were hitting me like a train.
"We were... in this cage... beaten..tortured... for 5 days straight... we were always bleeding, hurting, and had bruises all over our bodies... our clothes were stained with our dry blood... on the 5th day... I was grabbed out of the cage and taken to this little room... all there was on that room was a mattress and just some junk... next thing you know I'm thrown onto the mattress... and this guy is just... he rubs my back and smells my hair, then he started taking my taking off my pants and then he was..." I said, but I couldn't continue.

Daniel nodded his head and wiped my tears.
"Yea I-I understand..." he told me.
"On the 5th day... we were finally found and we were both clinging onto life... Cam died of his injuries almost immediately after he got there... and I was in slightly better shape, and had a broken leg... like 2 days after his funeral... I was just in so much pain mentally and physically..." I said.

I showed him my arms. I had very faded scars.
He looked at them, then looked back up at me, moving the hair out of my face and put my face in his hand.
Then I kept explaining.

"I went to our shared bathroom and downed like 6 bottles of pills... I woke up in the hospital and I remember being so upset... I looked at my parents, so happy that I was awake, while I was there, trying to find a way to try and leave again... I asked my friend who's a doctor there... I begged him to help me... he put a ton of medication in me and I fell asleep... then I woke up and saw Cameron I don't know if this was even real... but he kept telling me to stay alive... I begged him to just let me stay with him... but he told me that we could have a symbol between us..." I explained.

"What.. um... what was that symbol?" He asked me.
"Sunflowers..." I said, showing my necklace.
He nodded his head and smiled.
"So that's why you love Sunflowers.." he smiled.

I chuckled and nodded my head as I wiped my tears.
"Yea... they were our favorite flower, he had a chain with a sunflower on it, and I have this one... he made me promise that I would try and find a purpose to stay alive and live my life." I explained.

Daniel stroked my hair.
"Have you find it yet?" He asked me.
"Well... I have this city, my dreams... and you.." I smiled.
He smiled at me and gave me a kiss.

"I thought I heard you say something about a flight?" He asked me. I nodded my head.
"Yea... I gotta find a flight now... I need to go home.. see my family.. see him..." I sighed and rubbed my face.

He grabbed my hands.
"I wanna come with you. I don't have any classes for the next week, and I can call out for some vacation at my job." He said. He works as a bartender at a bar his father owns. I've never met any of his family, and he hasn't met any of mine.

"What? No, Danny I can't ask you to do that..." I said.
"No, I'm not asking, I wanna be there for you... Sky... I know we've only been officially dating for only 2 weeks, but I love you and I wanna be here for you... no matter what it is.." he smiled at me.

"Are you sure?" I asked him.
"Yes, I'll even take my class off today. I can make it up when we get back." He told me.
"No... no... I can't let you... being a police officer means so much to you..." I told him.

He chuckled and picked up my chin.
"It's ok... it's one class I'm missing. I care about you." He gave me a kiss.
I pulled away from him and accepted it.
"Ok... how about I find a flight for early tomorrow? That way you can still go to your class?" I asked him.

He thought about it, and knew I wasn't gonna take no for an answer.
"Ok... my class is only 2 hours today. I'll do my class, then I'll pack a bag and come back here." He said.

I nodded my head.
"Ok, remember, we're going to Chicago... in January.. pack really warm." I told him.
He chuckled.
"Ok. Will do. Let me know if anything changes." He told me.

Then he headed out.
I called Melinda to let her know that I wouldn't be in work.
Melinda: Hello?
Skylar: Hi, Melinda.. um listen... I have a family emergency and I'm gonna have to call out for the next week and a half.
Melinda: ok, no problem, I hope everything is well.

I hung up the phone and grabbed my laptop to go and check the flights to fly back to Chicago.
It took me an hour, but I found a good, cheap round trip flight for me and Daniel. The thing is, we would only be there for 3 days.

I remember what the Chicago winters are like. I packed all warm clothes.
It was a little hard for me. It's been two years. 2 years since the scariest week of my life.

At 7pm, I got a call from Daniel.
Daniel: hey, did you get a flight?
Skylar: Yea, tomorrow at 7am. So I think we should be at the airport at... 4:30-5." I said.

Daniel: ok, I'll head by your place at...?
Skylar: maybe 4? 4:15? I'll order an Uber that we can take to the airport.
Daniel: ok, sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow Sky.
Skylar: see you.

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