"That fucking hurts." I wince under Koleton's touch as he attempts to help my bruised face.
I'm currently sitting on the counter as he stands in between my legs.
"Yeah, I know. Now please let me help it hurt a little bit less." He tilts my chin up with his pointer finger as his thumb rests on my chin. "Thank you."
I watch him as he pays close attention to what he's doing, slightly biting down on his lip as he concentrates.
"Do you have to do this a lot?" I ask quietly, not wanting to bother him anymore than I already have.
"Do what?" He furrows his eyebrows and looks up at me, his pupils never staying the same size.
"Help mend wounds. I know you were in the military, but I mean outside that." I explain my question and he sighs.
"When I was younger, yeah. Ever since my family-" As soon as he decides to open up to me about more of his personal life, the door swings open to reveal a very shaken up Noelle.
"Are you okay? Oh my gosh you look terrible. Do you need anything?" She begins shooting questions out left and right as she pushes Koleton away from me and takes his spot.
I pull away from her and look at him, only wanting him to come back. Wanting to go back in time to three seconds ago.
"I heard what happened and I came here as soon as I could. I don't know who all is here, but the police were leaving as I pulled in. God, I thought you were hurt." She completely ignores my attempts to get out of her grasp and begins crying.
"I am hurt. I have a broken nose that is definitely going to bruise and I just had to fucking stab my own father." I angrily snap, causing her to back up. "Now will you please leave me alone so Koleton can help me?"
She seems shocked at my sudden outburst as she shifts her glance between me and Koleton. She nods and begins to leave the bathroom before she turns around again.
"Let me know if you need anything, please."
———
After around half an hour of Koleton helping me with my bruises, we leave the bathroom to hear talking downstairs. I give him a silent look of confusion and he shrugs in response.
As we walk further down the stairs, the voices are easier to recognize. I hear Jeff, Noelle, Matt and...
Oh no.
I quicken my pace and turn the corner to enter the living room as everyone turns to look at me. I look around at everyone as an attempt to piece everything together.
Jeff, Noelle, Matt and Abe...
"What is he doing here?" I furrow my eyebrows and Jeff lets out a sigh as he roses from his seat.
"We've taken it upon ourselves to discuss tonight's events." Jeff speaks in a calm tone as he approaches me. "We've realized that you've gotten hurt more times under Koleton's protection than you ever did under Abe's protection."
"That's bull-shit! Are you forgetting the part where Abe killed someone and then he was participating in illegal business with my dad?! Or did that just so happen to cross everyone's minds?" I yell, shoving him away as I back up against Koleton. "Koleton has done more for me than Abe ever will."
"That's not true." Jeff shakes his head, as he looks around the room. "Ask anyone in here and they'll explain that Abe dedicated so much time from his life to helping you."
"The years that he was lying to me don't count. After taking those away, how much time does he really have on Koleton?" I raise my eyebrows, my head spinning. "Huh?! Tell me, Jeff! How many?"
"I don't-"
"You don't know? Well I can promise you that it's not as many as you think. Koleton has constantly made sure that I'm okay and probably checked on me more times that Abe ever did." I feel anger coursing through my veins as Koleton speaks up from behind me.
"Margo, if this is what has to happen then-"
"No! I'm not a kid anymore! I'm nineteen years old! I get to call the fucking shots." I turn back around to face Jeff. "You keep ripping people away from me as soon as I get close to them! I finally felt that I had a stable person in my life and here you are to mess it up, again."
"I have been losing people since I was a fucking infant! I'm so fucking tired of everyone leaving. So no, Koleton isn't leaving. Noelle isn't leaving. Hell, even the fucking band isn't leaving despite the fact that I don't talk to them anymore." I'm practically screaming at this point, and I don't doubt that the neighbourhood can hear me. "Anyone else is free to go, but if you even think about making them leave then I will fucking kill you. And I mean that from the deepest parts of my soul."
"Koleton was there when I was at my lowest point, doing drugs as if I needed them like I need air to breathe. He was there when I didn't leave bed for weeks because Calum broke my fucking heart. And you'll have to see me dead before you see him leave my life just as fast as he came in."
The room falls silent as i back away from Jeff, who is now cowering away. I look around and lock eyes with Abe who seems to be filled with shock, betrayal, confusion, all mixed with a sense of pride.
"I'm going next door. If I come back and find out that Noelle and Koleton aren't the only ones still in here then I'm going to start using the knife strapped to my leg."
I leave the house and make my way towards Calum's house, not able to wrap my mind around what just happened. The cold wind mixing with the thin dress and the drying blood is not helping.
I begin pulling the countless pins out of my hair as I walk up their porch steps and knock on the door.
"Margo, come in." Ashton opens the door sooner than I expect him to and lets me inside as I begin ranting.
"Guess what Jeff did? He tried to fucking get rid of Koleton like my life is some sort of yard sale." I walk into the kitchen and set the pins onto the counter as I begin taking off my jewelry. "Then Abe showed up at my house as if he has some fucking right to do so."
I turn to face him as I set my bracelets on the counter next to the pins as he fills a glass with ice water and slides it across the counter to me.
I take a few sips from it before going back to my rant as he silently watches me. "Then, before all of this, Koleton was helping me with my broken nose and bruises because he's smart or whatever. Listen to this though, as he was about to open up to me about another part of his life, Noelle walked through the door."
Before I can explain further, Calum walks into the kitchen followed by Hailey. His eyes widen at the sight as Ashton presses his lips together.
"I'm so sorry Margo, I didn't know you were going to come over." Calum quickly apologizes, but I shake my head.
"Don't apologize, it's your house. I just came over to talk to Ashton. You two can continue on with your night." I shake off his apology and he seems shocked by my lack of reaction.
I turn back to Ashton who has remained silent since I entered the house and I continue with my rant.
"Anyway, did you know that I stabbed my dad? Speaking of which, I need one of you guys to clean these." I lift up my dress and pull the knives out of the strap on my leg. "And this."
I pull the gun out of the strap on my opposite leg and set it beside the knives on the counter.
"She brought weapons in the house? You know how I feel about weapons." Hailey backs away from the counter and cowers behind Calum.
"Hailey, do us all a favour and shut the fuck up before I use these on you. Because I think after tonight, it's no question that I'm not afraid to use these." I pick up the gun and aim it at her which causes Calum to reach for it.
"Okay, I'll go clean these. You just stay right here, alright?" He pulls the weapons away from me and I roll my eyes.
"Whatever, but if your girlfriend says something else then I'm stabbing her." I take a sip of my water as Calum leaves the room.
"They're my friends, I don't even know why you're here. Besides, Calum doesn't let people touch his gun." She crosses her arms over her chest and I laugh softly at her stupidity.
"Baby, they're my friends too, so don't think you're all big and bad just because you wear Calum's shirts and sleep in his bed. Also, if he doesn't let people touch his gun then why was I able to grab it multiple times, one of which he placed it into my hand himself?" I raise my eyebrows and she scoffs. "Exactly, now sit down and keep my pretty ass name out of your mouth."
Ashton gives me a look of amusement as I finish my drink and slide the cup towards him.
"Can you fill this with alcohol? Or do you have coke or something, I need to feel something."
"They don't have soda, they haven't gone to the store yet." Hailey pipes up and I give her a false sympathetic smile.
"Oh baby, I wasn't talking about the drink."
———
"You know she's scared of you, right?" Ashton asks, referring to Hailey as I place everything I took off into a bag he's letting me borrow.
"Good." I reply in a monotone voice, not taking my eyes off the bag. "I get bad vibes from her, so I promise she won't be around for long."
"Calum has started smoking again, Margo. Don't you care about him at all?" Ashton furrows his eyebrows as if he has something to be upset with me for.
I drop the bag and turn to him, no emotion present on my face.
"I do, Ashton. I care about him so much that I'm praying to a God I'm not sure even exists that he's safe and happy." I explain to him, tired of him plowing me with questions. "I'm just tired of people walking all over me and looking at me like I'm some sort of door-mat. I can't let him come around if it means that I can't take care of myself. I have to put myself first, no matter who I lose."
"So that means you get to hook up with your bodyguard?"
"I haven't 'hooked up' with my bodyguard. Shut your mouth if you don't know what you're talking about." I shake my head and it causes Ashton to fall silent.
"He doesn't love her." Ashton whispers as if that knowledge wasn't already known.
"Yeah, well he doesn't love himself either so we need to take this thing one step at a time." I zip up the bag and toss it over my shoulder before shoving past him and trudging towards the door.
"He loves you though. I don't know many things, but I know that for a fact. He misses you too, like a lot." Ashton follows me towards the door as I unlock it and pull it open.
"You want to know what's crazy?" I turn around to face him and he stares at me as if he's silently waiting for the answer. "I miss myself just as much as the next person, and until I find her, I doubt I'll stop looking for an escape in the substances around me."
"We just want things to be how they used to."
"Yeah, well they can't."