HEALED

X: home

JULIUS

Sometimes, she's quiet and just listens attentively.

Sometimes, she's talkative and doesn't stop until she realizes how much she's talking.

That's just one thing I like about her, I could go all day or even more talk about her.

Watching her as she is nervous around me makes me feel like I am some girl whose crush just texted her for the first time. I mean, I am probably blushing like a motherfucker and I am holding back some giggles.

I am not lying.

She yawns and an idea comes up in my mind. She's getting a little sleepy and she does need to sleep, I also should go home.

Yeah, I should go home.

But before that, I must do something bold.

And I am feeling really bold right now.

I put an arm around Lane and she turns to me, confused. I lay her down with me on the bed, then hug her. I feel her tense up under my hold.

"Julius?" How much I love it when she says my name.

"Let's stay like this please. If you want to." I say and she loosens up and hugs me back. I smile and get her closer to me, my head in the crook of her neck.

Now she can fall asleep in my arms.

Something I want to do with her.

I take her hand that rests on my arm, placing it on my hair. I love it when she plays with it, it's so comforting.

I know we're doing something friends opposite gender don't do. But who the fuck cares? There's no one here to object this. And I don't mind.

I wish we could stay like this forever.

***

"Thank you for staying with her. We're sorry for coming back so late." Amayah, Lane's friend apologizes. I shake my head while I leave the room where I put Lane in bed.

"No, it's okay, I didn't mind staying with her." She and her friends, Izabel, smirk looking at each other.

"You surely look like you didn't mind how she was holding you while she's asleep." Amayah chuckles and I look away embarrassed.

"Shut up." They both start laughing really hard, Izabel literally falls on the floor. Amayah leans herself on the wall avoiding to end up like Izabel. "I am just gonna leave." I sprint outside, going home.

After a good walk of twenty minutes I arrive home, I see the lights on and take a deep breath. Maybe he fell asleep, if not I am just going to be quiet.

I slowly open the door and enter the house. I see him in the living room, on the couch watching some old TV show.

I quickly rush to the stairs to lock myself in the room before he notices me, but I fail miserably as I accidentally hit my foot.

Should have climbed up to my window.

But it was closed.

He turns around quickly surprised but his face turns dark when he sees me. I freeze as he stands up and walking towards me.

"Where the fuck were you at this time?" His breath smells like alcohol. It makes me grimace and before I wipe the look of my face he notices it and slaps me. " I asked you something." He says as he pushes me but I stay silent.

"Answer me!"

"Not your fucking business."

He kicks me in the stomach, resulting me dropping down on the floor and my phone out of my pocket. I groan, hugging my stomach. "I am your father don't talk to me like I am one of your shitty friends." He spits out.

"You don't act like my dad, why should I not talk to you like that?" He kicks me in the stomach again. Then he picks up my phone from the floor and smashes it to the wall.

"Shut the hell up." He whispers as he walks away. I look around, my eyes stopping on the second floor and see mom watching me with tears in her eyes and hands trembling. She shakes her head and runs back into her room.

I sigh and slowly try to stand up. I keep my balance by putting a hand on the wall. Then crouch down to take my phone.

The screen is cracked and I can't turn it on.

Great.

Taking a deep breath, I help myself walk up the stairs to my room. It feels like hours walking there.

When I arrive in my room I fall on the bed and immediately fall asleep.

Birds chirping and a bright light wake me up. And when I open my eyes, I see a little figure in my arms, sleeping.

I hear a faint snoring sound and I bite back a smile. She's so adorable.

Shit, it felt so good waking up like this.

I retract my hold away from her then slowly hers from me, trying to nit wake her up. I pull my body away from her and sit up. She doesn't wake up and I just watch her for a little while before I leave.

I should have gone home hours ago, but I guess I fell asleep too. It's nice that we live close by and it doesn't take me long to get to my house but I wish we didn't.

I don't really want to go home.

Why do I even call it home?

Lane is my home.

"Lately, you've been sneaking out." My mother says after I walk inside, taking my shoes off. I look at her, where she is in the kitchen, sat down at a table eating.

I shrug, not really wanting to talk about it, because she knows the fucking reason. I walk in the kitchen and open the fridge finding myself something to eat.

"Where have you been staying?" She asks me.

"At Nicholas."

"Okay." She nods and I sit down to eat.

We stay in silence the whole time. We used to talk about everything when me and her were eating together, now we grew distant.

I finish my food and take a glance at her, she looks down at the table. I stand up to wash the dishes.

She still hasn't moved after I am done and I sigh. Walking up to her, I put my hand on her shoulder and she turns to me. "I love you, mom." I hug her, she hugs me back and I hear a sob.

"I love you, darling." She says before we pull away, I smile at her then walk away up to my room, locking myself in there.