Overexposed

Ch. 25 Progress

Grabbing the stupid ball of foil tight in his hand, he launched his fist into the side of the building. Waves of pain went up his arm, but it felt good. At least he could feel something other than the immense emotional pain tearing him apart. He hit the wall again a couple of times before leaning against it and sinking down to the floor. His knuckles were bleeding, but he didn't give a shit. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to breathe, to calm down. He'd figure something out. Find a way to force his Ma to stay. Whether she liked it or not.

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Chloe had just pulled into the parking lot of St. Thomas when she saw Happy smash his fist into the wall. She sat frozen in her car while she watched him do it over and over again until his knuckles bled. Then he just sunk down to the floor, his long legs bent, arms draped over them as his head hung. She got out of her car and careful made her way over to him on her crutches. She didn't say anything as she clumsily lowered herself beside him. She wanted to put her hand on his arm, check out his knuckles and make sure he was okay, but she wasn't sure he'd let her touch him. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to keep them from reaching for him.

If he noticed she was there, he didn't say anything; he was probably so angry, he didn't know how to express it without potentially hurting her. She had a feeling she knew exactly what he was upset about. "She told you she wants to go home, huh?" she asked softly.

She saw his body tense, his hands form fists. "Your idea?" he asked, so much hate and bitterness in his words she recoiled a bit.

"No, actually," she said, deciding to ignore his tone. "I told her she should stay."

His head lifted this time, dark eyes going to her face as his brow creased in confusion as if urging her to explain. She'd never met a man who could communicate so much with minor facial expressions and looks. Or maybe she'd just never met a man she could read so well. She sighed heavily, fidgeting a bit with her ponytail as she tried to come up with the right words. "I um...my family's real shitty. You know that. My parents are gone, and I have two siblings who, after hearing about what happened, just texted me to check in. That's it. No phone call, no visit...nada. I could've died, and they wouldn't have even cared," she explained on a frown. It'd hurt like hell when she'd gotten those texts. She almost would've rather they didn't contact her at all that way she could at least pretend they didn't know. "Ang and your Ma...they're the closest thing I've had to family in a very long time. I know what'll happen if Elena goes home 'n' I...I don't want that either."

He didn't know why, but hearing her say that made him feel relieved. He wasn't the crazy one. It was Angela and his Ma who were wrong. "Kid is okay with her going home."

"She's more comfortable with death than most. Still talks to the people she's lost like they're alive."

He nodded slowly, shrugging a shoulder. "Thought I was."

You're comfortable killing people, she corrected in her head. "You're more comfortable with a different kind of death," she said instead. "This is personal." 

He swallowed hard, extending his fingers and looking at his bruised knuckles. "Guess so."

"Let her go home, Hap. Her staying here...it's not going to help her very much. I want to say it will, because I want it to, but...medically speaking, I know it won't, and she'll die here uncomfortable and unhappy," she said, hating the way he flinched at her blunt words. "You don't want that, do you?"

Happy shook his head, letting out a long sigh. "This fuckin' sucks."

Chloe nodded solemnly in agreement. "Couldn't agree more."