A L W A Y S
Thomas
Pain surges through every point of my body as my breath wheezes against the material that's stuffed into my mouth. The knife against my throat tightens and I feel a drop of hot blood trickle down my neck.
"Stop it!" Isabelle screams out desperately. Her face is soaking wet from crying, her eyes wide with fear. She's shaking the gun out in front of herself, pointing it at us. She looks insane. "Stop it!"
"Tell me you're mine." Nate shouts from behind me. My vision blurs as my head starts to feel light but so heavy at the same time.
"Let him go Nate. Please." She pleads with him. "Let him go and I'm yours." My face creases into a frown and my stomach clenches which only leads me to wince in even more pain.
"I'm yours. Now, please. Drop the knife."
My throat is released and the knife clatters to the ground before he slides it across the floor with his boot. She stops it with her high heel.
"Whatever happens, you won't hurt him ever again." She demands. I blink the blood out of my eyelashes.
"I won't." Nate moves out from behind me, stretching her arms out for her.
"You'll let him go."
"I'll let him go." He hisses in agreement.
I fall back onto the back of my legs, still managing to hold the top half of my body up with my arms still tied behind my back.
"Good." She bends down, holding the knife out threateningly in her free hand, as she stands back up.
After assessing our surroundings, she finally looks down to me. Her mind is working overtime. I watch her thinking behind her eyes, the cogs turning in her head. In one swift motion, she swaps the gun to it's against her head.
"No. What are you doing?" Nate blubbers.
I struggle, trying to break my wrists out of the rope. Every single time I move, searing hot pain shoots through my body.
She was bargaining. My life for hers.
"Put the gun down Princess."
"Is?" Despite every burning, fighting nerve to get to her or scream out I can only murmur her name. She prepares herself with a hard gulp, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"There's no other way." She shakes her head at me with a low, soft voice. She sounds calm, almost as if she's at peace.
"Is." I try again but it's nothing but a whisper.
"I love you." Her lips curl up into a sad smile and she gives me a struggling nod.
She lets our a sharp, short breath and her eyes close. I squint my eyes together when there's a deafening bang. My yell echoes around the room when I hear a thud against the floor.
There's a whole load of sudden movement and when I open my eyes to see Nate on the floor in front of me and security surging into the room. Isabelle is still stood up, shaking, the gun clicking, out of ammo.
There were only two bullets. One for me and one for her.
The room swarms with people and Isabelle almost gets pushed to the ground as they bustle in to grab the other guys. Our eyes lock and she hurtles towards me, bending down into the pool of blood in front of me.
She desperately scratches the material out of my mouth and starts stroking my wet face.
"Are you crazy! Why would you do that?!" I cry. The both of us are crying.
Men are seizing Nate who's rolling around, struggling. Everything is like white noise behind us, we can only focus on each other. Her touch is like a pain killer because I can only feel her.
She's panting, searching my eyes. For the first time, it looks like she's actually able to breathe.
Suddenly, I yell out at a shooting pain, collapsing on my side. With my arms still tied around my back, I can't do anything. She rushes beside me, putting pressure on where I was stabbed. Instantly, her hands are soaked and stained red.
"Help! Someone help! He's hurt!" Isabelle calls out to anyone in the room that's listening, her voice cracking with panic.
A man comes over, kneeling down beside me. He assists Isabelle in holding the wound and then speaks into his radio that they need a stretcher.
Looking back at Isabelle, there's two of her now. Both of them are saying my name, asking if I'm okay but it sounds like as if they're in a whole other room. My heart beat thumps in my ears and my head rolls round and round as I get lifted to sit up.
The next time I open my eyes, I'm being wheeled out of the garage, Isabelle at my side and David Wayne behind her with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
The cold air of the night brushes against my body. The stretcher tilts as I get lifted up. There's sudden bright lights and people rushing around, ripping things out of bags and all saying things to each other.
I can only focus on Isabelle who is squeezing onto my hand, her thumb rubbing against my skin. She's now sat on a seat beside me and I go to turn to look at her but everything darkens.
**
With a sniff and a grunt, my eyes slowly peel open three or four times, adjusting to the blinding bright light of the room.
I groan looking at my surroundings. I'm in the worlds most uncomfortable hospital bed, in a room filled with Christmas decorations.
There's a little window with blinds that are open, showing all the people passing by. I shuffle around but pain stings my side so much that I push my head back into the pillow, gritting my teeth.
"Fuck." I curse under my breath, waiting for the pain to numb before I open my eyes again.
The recollections of everything that happened flicks through my mind like a tape up until the moment where I lost consciousness. I don't remember getting to the hospital at all. I have memory of what has happened since I got here either.
I take a deep breath when the door clicks open. I lift my head up a little and Isabelle skulks in. She's still in the same outfit she was wearing on our date but now she's got her dark hair tied back out of her face.
"Hey." I croak. My voice makes her jump and she races over to me.
"You're awake?" She comes to my side, looking down at me.
"I'm awake." I answer and she fondly strokes my face. There's a thick, red line around her neck and a small cut on her cheek that's been patched up.
"How are you feeling?" I bend my arm up, touching her hand that's resting on my cheek.
"Like I've been hit by a truck." I cough and then I wince because that hurts even more. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not supposed to be in here right now." I chuckle which also stings. "I had to come and see you."
"Do I look as bad as I feel?" She softly smiles and then shakes her head. "You're a terrible liar." I narrow my eyes with a hoarse voice and she snorts.
"They saw to you straight away last night, stitched you all up."
"I hope that means I'll get a cool scar." She shakes her head at me with an eye roll.
"You're an idiot." She says. I let out a sigh and the image of her holding the gun up to herself sticks in my mind.
"You..." I start, not knowing what to say. "I don't know what you were thinking Is, but don't ever-."
"I know. I'm sorry." She whispers lightly. I reach my thumb out, touching the mark on her skin. She nuzzles into my palm.
"Have you called my Mom?" I question, clearing my throat.
"I never got my phone back so not yet."
"Don't tell her-." She cuts me off.
"Thomas-." She says my name sternly.
"She doesn't need to know." She tilts her head with an unimpressed frown. "She will also never let me leave her house if she finds out."
"I thought I might find you in here." The door behind us clicks open and a doctor comes in. Isabelle spins around, caught red handed.
"Ah, you're awake Mr King. How are you feeling?" She asks, twisting a pen in between her fingers.
"Rough." I grumble. Isabelle squeezes my hand.
"That's to be expected." The doctor smiles lightly and then looks to Isabelle. "Make it quick."
Isabelle happily turns back to me with a smile. I lean forwards slightly, urging for a kiss. She gives me one, so soft it's like we're barely touching but it's enough.
"I love you." I whisper, putting my forehead against hers.
"Love you too. Always." She steps away. "I'll come back as soon as they let me." I nod and she goes to leave but I catch her hand. Despite all the pain it causes, I tug her back for another kiss. She laughs into it and then I let her go.
She thanks the doctor and slips out of the room. I sigh and sink further into the bed. The doctor looks up from her clipboard.
"You are incredibly lucky Mr King." She states. I know she's talking about last night but I watch Isabelle walk past the window and I smile.
"Yes. Yes I am."
**
Isabelle
Our plans of leaving early to go to Thomas' Mom's foiled. We were supposed to be turning up a week early but because Thomas and I were in and out of the hospital, it's already been seven days and we're now leaving on the day we originally planned.
I put my phone away from texting Amanda, letting her know we're about to head to the airport. I scan around the waiting room, watching everyone else getting up to greet doctors or their family members. Little kids are hassling their parents to play games on their parent's phones and a lot of the older people have their head stuck in newspapers.
After checking the time, I peer down the corridor to see the familiar doctor and Thomas at her side, making their way up towards me after his last check-up. I grin when he spots me. He holds his hand up, thanking the doctor and wishes her a happy Christmas before she leaves him.
I get up, meeting him halfway and rising on my toes to give him quick peck.
"Hey handsome." I smile, brushing my fingers through the front of his hair. He seems to have healed up pretty quickly, the purple of his bruised face is no longer there. "You ready?"
"Yes. Please get me out of here. I'm sick of this place." I laugh and take his hand. We leave the building, heading over to the taxi cab that's waiting outside with all of our stuff already in it.
"To the airport please." I say, ducking inside. Thomas carefully shuffles in beside me and buckles in. I rest my head on his shoulder and the car pulls away.
**
After the flight, we get another car to drive us to his Mom's house. We mainly stay quiet, resting and catching up on a lot of sleep we've missed so we're energised enough for the next few days.
We finally get to the large driveway that's decorated with lots of different coloured flowers and shrubbery. The car pulls up to a stop and we get out. I catch my breath, glancing up to the massive house in front of me. It's practically a mansion.
Glancing over my shoulder, Thomas is hauling the bags out of the trunk so I rush over to help. He goes to reach for mine but I stop him, taking the majority of them. For once, he actually stays quiet and lets me.
We thank the driver and then Thomas leads me up the set of steps up to the huge, black front door.
"Wow. You guys really are rich, huh?" I tease. He snickers a laugh.
"Come on. I'll show you around." We let ourselves in.
The entry way is massive, a set a sweeping stairs greeting us. A Christmas tree is in the centre of the entrance, decorated in silver and gold. I slowly spin around, mouth open, having a look at every detail of the room.
Thomas chuckles at me, bumping into my shoulder. With a tapping of high heels, Sherri comes around the corner with a glass of white wine in her hand.
"I thought I heard someone!" She greets us both with a big hug, kissing our cheeks.
"Hi. How are you?" I say, distracting her as Thomas does his best to suppress a wince when he puts his bags down.
"Oh I'm good. Better now you guys are here. Shame your early flight got cancelled but better late than never." She chuckles politely.
Thomas decided to tell her that lie to avoid telling her the truth. It's lucky she believes it.
Suddenly, Rex comes blasting around the corner and bolts to Thomas who prepares himself by bending down before carefully scooping him up. Following him, Amanda and a man, who I can only assume is Nick, appear. He's a tall, attractive, smartly dressed guy with glasses and dark hair.
I smile to them both, hugging Amanda while Thomas is with Rex. I introduce myself to Nick who does the same. Thomas touches Rex's feet to the ground and then lets him go to hug Amanda. He then steps out to Nick, offering his hand.
Thomas goes all weird with his chest out, almost as if he's sizing Nick up a little bit. I raise my eyebrows and Amanda rolls her eyes at me as we both laugh. The boys briefly chat while Rex comes over and I duck down to his level.
"Are you excited for Santa to visit tonight?" I ask and he nods with a grin. "Have you been a good boy this year?"
"Yeah! We have to leave carrots out for his reindeer too." He replies excitedly.
"Oh yeah. We can't forget about that, can we?" I ruffle his golden hair before standing back up.
"So I hear... we're basically sisters now." Amanda grins to me. "When did he ask you?"
"Well, I actually asked him." I explain as Sherri joins us.
"Oh, I didn't know that!" She beams. "Well that's great. It's about time too."
"You two... leave her alone." Thomas points as he comes over to us.
"Alright, alright." Sherri laughs. "When is Sam getting here?"
"Tomorrow morning. His parents as well." Thomas explains, picking his bags up again.
"And yours right?" Sherri turns to me.
"Yeah." I nod. "They'll be here tomorrow morning too."
"Great! I can't wait to meet them." She grins.
"Okay. Come on Is. I'll show you to my room." Thomas gestures his head to the stairs and starts leading the way.
We get to the door that squeaks when Thomas opens it. I follow him into a big grey room, with a large white bed in the center on top of a dark rug. There's a book shelves with things scattered on it, a chair in the corner and a few fake plant pots.
"Mom's redecorated since I left." He says, putting the bags on the ground. "There's the bathroom."
I poke my head around into a room with a large bathtub in the middle, a glass shower in the corner, a toilet opposite and a set of counters with a sink in the center. It all looks very sophisticated and elegant.
"The bath looks inviting huh?" He joke and I chuckle as I perch down on the edge of his bed.
He carefully drops back beside me, into the many different patterned pillows. He wraps an arm around my middle, reeling me to lay down next to him.
"How many girls have you brought in here then?" I cock an eyebrow.
"Just the one." He answers and I smile. "This is my first ever Christmas with a girlfriend, you know?" I twist my head around, pressing a light kiss to him lips. He cradles me tighter, fighting for a little more.
"We should probably go downstairs and be with everyone else." I pull away with my hand on his chest. He lets out a groan of complaint. "Come on." I jump up and extend my hands for him to take, pulling him up.
**
From the kitchen, myself and Amanda are sat at the island, watching Nick and Thomas play with Rex through the window. The three of them are playing catch, or at least Rex is trying to. We seem to both be fondly watching our boyfriends, seeing how they are with Rex.
"He makes me want another kid." Amanda blurts out. "He's just so good with Rex and Rex loves him. I know it's early doors but he'd be a great Dad once he's ready to be."
"I kind of know what you mean." I agree, tilting my head at Thomas who gently throws a ball for Rex to catch.
"He's really changed." Amanda sips from her wine. "Thomas, I mean. He's so different now. It's like he's..."
"Himself." Sherri finishes Amanda's sentence for her, sitting with us. We all hum in agreement and simultaneously sip from our glasses of wine.
Now watching the guys, it seems like Nick and Thomas are still in a little bit of competition with each other but then both of them share a joke and then laugh together.
"Men." Amanda scoffs.
"Can't live with 'em." I shake my head.
"Can't live without them." Sherri finishes off.
"Cheers to that." Amanda lifts her wine and the three of us clink glasses.
**
Thomas
Everyone has said goodnight to each other and headed up to get ready for bed. Myself, Nick and Mom stay behind downstairs to put all the presents underneath the tree, preparing for tomorrow. I can already tell Rex is going to lose his mind when he sees how many presents he's been spoiled with.
I come back upstairs, into my room, expecting to find Isabelle in there but she's not. I frown to myself and check in the en-suite.
Peaking around the crack of the door, I see she's in the bath, reading a book. The door creaks as I push it further open. She looks over her shoulder, noticing me. Her dark hair is tied up in a bun on the top of her head. The bath is filled with bubbles, there's not an inch of clear water in sight.
She gives me a gentle smile and I close the door behind myself and strip off. She softens her eyes at the sight of me but they drop to the cut on my side as I start lifting my shirt off. She closes her book and holds it aside.
"Scoot forwards." I mutter and she goes. I carefully step in and lower myself into the steaming depths of the bath. I hook my hands under her arms and lay her in my lap. I crane my head around her shoulder. "Read to me."
She re-opens her book and starts softly speaking while I brush bubbles over her collarbone and start massaging her shoulders.
"Once more, the mists were rising as I walked away. If they disclosed to me, as I suspect they did, that I should not come back, and that Biddy was quite right, all I can say is - they were quite right too." She finishes the chapter she's on and shuts the pages together as I place kisses on her neck.
She reaches down to the floor, sliding her book across the room before turning around to sit over my lap. Water splashes over the sides of the bath and she laughs, straddling me. I sit myself up, holding the back of her waist as she loops her arms around my shoulders.
"I am so in love with you." She whispers, gazing at me through her eyelashes. I smile, moving forwards to kiss her.
With a breath out of her nose, she kisses me back, pressing her naked, soapy front up against mine. I hold her as close as I possibly can but let her take control. Butterflies float around in my stomach as she twists her fingers up into the back of my hair.
We stay among the warm water, making out for a little while before we decide we should get out. We take time, drying each other and then get dressed, ready for bed.
It feels strange to be back in my old bed. It feels even weirder that I'm here with a girl. A girlfriend.
We're tangled up, both of us absolutely knackered but with enough energy to be lazily making out and touching each other. We're still cautious of where we let our hands run.
Eventually, we peel off one another and I fall back onto the sheets. She lets out a long, loud yawn which makes me laugh.
"I'm going to go get a glass of water. Would you like one?" She shakes her head in response. "Okay." I plant a kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight Thomas." She mumbles.
"Goodnight. I'll be quiet coming back in." I briefly stroke her hair before getting up and quietly sneaking out of the room.
My bare feet pad down the stairs, heading into the kitchen. I get out a glass and fill it with cold water.
"I thought it would be you." Mom steps into the room, tightening her robe around herself.
"And I thought I was really quiet." I return and she chuckles.
"You've forgotten that I don't miss a thing in this house." I take a sip of the refreshing water and she joins me at my side. "I'm so glad you're here honey."
"So am I." I wrap one of my arms around her shoulders, bringing her into my side.
"I'm so glad you're happy." She smiles even wider. I put my glass down, taking her into a warm embrace. We're broken apart by a quiet beep on the timer on the oven.
It's midnight.
"Merry Christmas Mom."
**
-Frankie Kate