The maze [Chris Sturniolo]

Chapter 10 "We're here for you"

Chris's pov

Today I fucked up.

I got so angry with Alma for nothing and when Matt made me realize how I was making her feel and how irrational my anger was I felt so stupid.

And she told me it was okay, she accepted my apology like it was nothing.

And she kept defending Matt, but didn't say a word about how I treated her. It's incredible how she sees when someone is getting treated badly and knows it shouldn't be that way, but when she's the one she can't tell, because she's used to it.

I hate adding to the problem, I did all that shit with Kayla so she wouldn't bother Alma anymore just to hurt her myself, I can't fuck things up with her.

Once I came to my senses and thought about everything rationally I wanted to punch myself, so the first thing I did was apologize to her.

A very shitty apology, but I never apologize to anyone besides my family so that's what she gets.

But then everything went back to normal, we went back to our usual banter and spent the rest of the day together, thank fuck.

Now we're at the cabin, shark boy and lava girl is playing on the tv, Alma is laying her head on my chest and a blanket covers both of us just like yesterday.

Nick is sitting in the same seat he was when we watched the scream movies, and Matt is in our room, I don't know what he's doing there, but I'm sure he's not asleep because it's too early.

I feel how her breathing pattern changes as the movie plays, it goes from fast, to relaxed, to really relaxed, and that's when I know without looking that she's asleep. But I don't move her or do anything about it, I just watch the movie until it's over.

Nick sighs, then stands up and stretches, looking at us for a moment before shaking his head and heading to his room.

I turn to look at Alma and delicately tuck a piece of hair that was on her face behind her ear.

She's peacefully asleep. Her long eyelashes stay shut as her whole face is relaxed, once again, I see freckles on her nose for how close she is to me, but when you see her from a normal distance you can't tell. She sleeps smiling, I noticed that, she sleeps with her lips upwards just a little, like she's enjoying the rest she's getting.

I slowly lift my arm from her shoulders and gently lift the blanket off of us. Then I turn to her, put my arms on her back and her legs and carry her like a baby to bed.

I gently place her on her bed and tuck her in, then I go back to the living room and look for her phone. When I find it I go to her room and plug it in, just like I did yesterday.

When I'm done I look at her for a moment, thinking about everything that has happened and the impact she's had in our lives, she doesn't know how valuable she is.

"Quit staring at her kid, go to sleep" Nick suddenly says.

I roll my eyes "fuck you" I say as I get out of his room.

"Good night to you too!" He says after me.

I enter me and Matt's room, Matt is laying on his bed playing Clash of Clans. I go to the bathroom and take a quick shower, then I brush my teeth and lay down.

Matt turns his phone off and looks at me "Bro, this whole thing with Alma is so strange" he says.

I nod "I know, today was a fucking rollercoaster"

He shakes his head "no, but I'm not talking about that" he licks his lips "the whole thing with her dad... like, she doesn't seem to have any idea"

I shrug "I don't think she does"