Picture of James to the side! :D
And also, the song I am currently obsessed with and it can sort of relate to this chapter! Still into you by Paramore. I love Hayley Williams <3 Anyway, on with thy chapter fair Wattpadians of thee! I don’t know.
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It had taken 2 months for my wounds and inner anaemic problem to fully heal, and by then everything was back to normal. Alice and Nate had finally become and official couple and Amanda and Daniel we’re still successfully dating. There was a small phase where Jessica had tried to break them apart and claimed that she was in love with Daniel this whole time, but it didn’t affect them in any way – and Amanda had dealt with it by getting a little jealous and slapping her across the face, earning her a two day suspension.
“It was worth it. That bitch needed to be put in her place.” She had claimed with a huge grin spread across her face.
Tyler had come over every single day since I had come out of the hospital, and he even started to use the front door. My mum had given him a spare copy of the keys after she had all the locks in the house changed and upgraded to the latest thing that was out, and Tyler looked at it as acceptance for sleeping over almost every single day of the week and eating dinner here every day with Katrina before taking her home and coming back.
He also liked the fact that his leather jackets weren’t getting scraped from the brick wall he had to climb, which had made me laugh at the time.
“Can’t you just tell me where we’re going? I hate surprises!” I groaned as we stopped at a traffic light on a semi-quiet road. The motorbike – which I still was very uncomfortable on and feared my life and soul every time I came near it or it came near me – was letting out a soft rumble along with the other few cars that were surrounding us and waiting for the red light to turn green.
“You’ll like this surprise, don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. Now you just keep clinging on to me the way you are.” Tyler said. I could practically feel his smirk even though his back was towards me. I huffed and frowned then clung onto Tyler even more tightly as the light laminated the street with a bright green colour and Tyler sped down the road in a haze.
I felt him chuckle as he started to slow down and I decided to open my unconsciously closed eyes to see where we were coming to a stop at.
We both took our helmets off at the same time and I physically felt my jaw drop. Tyler had brought us to a small hill that was covered in green grass and only the occasional patch of mud. Set up on the hill, was a picnic blanket with 3 other blankets stacked on top of each other in one corner and a medium sized picnic basket was next to them.
“Too much? It’s too much isn’t it? Dammit I knew I should’ve just gone with takeout and a movie as our first official date.” He muttered to himself, but I wasn’t paying attention to him. The view from the hill was surreal. It was night time, so the city scape looked like a painting with tiny squares letting out a golden colour from the lighting within the buildings, a slight breeze swayed the trees and the clear night sky was flawlessly black with shimmering orbs of stars filling its entire canvas-like structure.
“It’s… perfect.” I whispered as I took in more of the sight.
“Are you sure? Because if it’s too much we can go back. I don’t care. It’s your choice.” I turned around to face him fully and found him scratching the back of his head and playing with the gravel on the ground with one foot and I resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks. Tyler was nervous!
“No, I like it a lot. Thank you so much.” I said before wrapping my arms around his muscled torso and pulling him into a hug. His arms instantly came around my waist as he pulled me in closer to his chest, and I smiled.
“Now, let’s go see what you’ve packed to eat.” I grinned after pulling away and dragging him along with me to the picnic blanket. Once we both plopped onto the blanket and got comfortable, I opened the basket and started to unload the food.
I kept my face neutral as I looked at the unstable sandwiches and garden salad that only contained lettuce and cucumber.
“See! I even cooked for us.” I looked up to find Tyler grinning with joy and pride present all over his face and I instantly broke out into a smile. “Tyler, you didn’t have too.” I said as my grin grew wider.
He shrugged. “I wanted to cook for a change. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love watching you work with your little apron on,” He said with a smirk and I rolled my eyes before he continued, “But I thought that I could return the favour this time.”
I leaned over and pecked his lips. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.” I smiled.
“Of course you do. Because I did it.” He smirked. “Now let’s eat.”
We both dug into the food after I put it in plates for us both, and even though it didn’t look very appetizing, Tyler had made really nice sandwiches. We spoke about nothing and everything once we were done, and then I brought up the question I had been dying to know since the day I had met Lucy at his house. “Tyler, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want too… But what happened with your dad when you were younger?” I asked softly.
I could physically see Tyler go tense and his jaw clenched. Crap. Nice going Emma, you’ve ruined the whole date. And possibly your whole relationship. I mentally scolded myself.
After what felt like forever, Tyler sighed and faced me. “I guess you have the right to know; my dad was a fucking dickhead that raped and abused my mum.” He said flatly.
I felt the muscles in my face transform into shock at his bluntness and he shrugged. “It’s nothing now. We took care of him – the gang, I mean. I would never get my mum or Katrina involved in anything like that.”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” I said sympathetically. So that’s what Lucy had meant when she whispered into my ear that day… All this time, I had thought that Tyler’s dad had abandoned them and ran away.
“It’s okay. I mean, you were in kind of a similar situation, weren’t you? Your mum told me.”
I nodded and looked at him. “How – How did yours happen?” I asked curiously.
“Well, my mum used to work at a diner down in Pitts Street. It was old and people rarely went there. She was working late one day and he had found her walking home so he raped her. That’s when I was born. She hated me at first. I still remember my entire childhood. She would ignore me and never gave me anything to eat or an education. I did it all on my own. My dad had also come and visited and he had abused us both. All the time. I hated my life. I hated my mum for keeping me, and I hated my dad for even coming near me in the first place. When I was 7 years old, my mum had fallen pregnant by him raping her again. The fucking prick didn’t like the fact that he was going to be a father again, so he bashed my mum until she was lying in a pool of blood with a dead baby inside of her. I remember my mum going into depression then. I don’t actually know how it feels – you know, to lose a baby – but from what I had seen with my mum, it must be pretty difficult on the mother. My father had shown no remorse. He still used to come almost every day and rape my mum, then threatens her that if she ever got pregnant, he’d kill her and the baby, and then he’d come to me and abuse me calling me a pathetic excuse of a boy. I hated him. I hated him with every single thing that was inside my body.” Tyler was beginning to shake, and I moved closer to him and pulled him in for a hug.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to continue.” I whispered into his hair as I stroked his back.
He shook his head and continued. “That was a repeat of my life until I was 9 years old. That’s when my mum had found out that she was pregnant again. I don’t know what came into her, she just packed all of our stuff one day and pulled me in for a hug. I still remember the day. I had flinched away at first because I thought she was going to hit me. Then she had wrapped her arms around me for the first time since I was born and it felt like I hadn’t even been alive my whole life until she hugged me. This also woke up something within me. That’s when I found Damien and James. Damien was the original leader of the gang we’re now a part of, and he and James taught me everything I needed to know about defence and how to fight. Eventually, I picked up and learnt more skills on my own. My mum had been living at my Grandmother’s house for the time being, and my father couldn’t find us.”
“Once my Grandmother had passed away though, the house had to be sold because we couldn’t afford it. My mum was almost due by then, so we had no choice but to go back to our old home. She was living in fear in that house; I could see it impacting her physically and mentally. It couldn’t have been good for the baby. But I was prepared for him if he came. And he did. My mum wasn’t home at the time, and I couldn’t thank fate more. He had somehow found out that we had come back to the house and was looking to kill. But I was faster, stronger and had the element of surprise on my side. I beat him to a pulp, and if my mum hadn’t walked in when she had, He would be dead instead of rotting away in a prison right now. My mum had the baby two weeks earlier than the due date, due to stress, which put the baby in danger. It’s Katrina, you know. I call her the miracle child. If it weren’t for her, I don’t know what would’ve happened. It’s like she reached out to my mum’s heart and told her to wake up, and I will never be able to repay that.” Tyler finished by inhaling a large amount of air and I pulled him even closer towards me.
We stayed in silence for a while as the events sunk into my mind. So that is why Tyler is so protective over his family and always wanted to keep everyone he knows safe. I thought to myself. “You’re a good guy, Tyler.” I stated after a while. I bent down and pressed my lips against his softly.
“I haven’t even told Damien and James what I just told you.” He muttered after a while, making my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “I mean, they know how my dad was, they just don’t know my outlook on it.”
“Thank you.” I said with a small smile. “For sharing that with me. It means a lot.”
He replied with a look of understanding and I frowned. “Well then how did you become the leader of the gang?” I asked curiously. “And how old were you when you joined? 10?!”
Tyler cleared his throat with a small smirk before looking up at the sky. “Aren’t the stars amazing tonight? They make your eyes shine even brighter than usual.”
I started blushing as he looked back at me and pulled me in for a long kiss. We both pulled away at the same time, slightly out of breath.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you did there Mr O’Brian!” I said sternly.
Tyler chuckled and put an arm around my shoulder. “I thought you’d be that shocked by the compliment that you would’ve forgotten everything in the world apart from me of course.”
I laughed and slapped his arm “Arrogant Dumbo.”
“You mean sexy, dashing human.” He corrected with a smirk.
I pretended to think about it before shaking my head and grinning. “No, I’m pretty sure I meant what I said.” We both laughed then lapsed into a comfortable silence. You could faintly hear cars beeping in the distance and the slight breeze whistling in between the trees around us.
My mind wondered off to the night I got kidnapped. Tyler still hadn’t told me what he was going to tell me…
“Tyler,” I said, breaking the peaceful silence.
“Mmmm?” He replied, bringing me closer to his body. I shivered from the warmth his torso provided and frowned out of curiosity. “The night I was kidnapped by Paul… You texted me saying that you wanted to tell me something important. What was it?” I asked, turning my face to look at his.
He looked down at me and frowned. “Huh? Oh! Yeah, I just wanted to climb up your window like the Romeo that I am and tell you that I’m in love with you. But I think you’ve already figured that out.” He smirked, and then winked.
I nodded. “Oh okay.” Then I felt my whole body go rigid from shock. “Wait, what?!” I asked in disbelief. He had stated it so casually that I wasn’t able to tell whether or not he was being legitimate or sarcastic with me. Either way, my heart rate had doubled over in speed and was now thumping rapidly in my eardrums and chest.
Tyler chuckled and planted a kiss on my forehead. “You heard right Emma. I’m in love with you. Nothing and no one can change that. It’s okay!” He added quickly when he saw me open my mouth to respond. “You don’t have to say it back if you don’t feel the same way. I don’t want it to be a lie if you did ever say it to me. God, I sound like such a pansy. Forget I said anything.” He murmured, looking away.
I studied him closely and noticed a slight pink tinged against his tanned expression in the dim lighting of the night. How could you not be in love with that? I found my mind subconsciously asking itself. He was sweet, caring, protective, handsome, and he’s been there for me more than I can count. “I’m in love with you too, Tyler.” I murmured, looking down at my chipped nail polish.
After a few moments, I felt a warm finger place itself underneath my chin, then force my head to look up and straight into Tyler’s eyes and I had to refrain from gasping. Tyler had never looked so vulnerable in the time that I’ve known him. His grey orbs were wide open and round; much like a child’s, and there was no playful smirk or clenched jaw visible. “You’re not lying?”
I shook my head and cleared my throat. “I’m in love with you Tyler; I have been for a while now.” I admitted as a small smile made its way to my lips.
Tyler’s vulnerable expression lasted for a few more seconds before his trademark smirk returned and he pressed his lips against mine. “I know you have. Who wouldn’t be in love with this?” He pulled away and motioned to himself and waggled his eyebrows at me.
I raised an eyebrow and threw some grass at him and he shielded himself with his arms. “Hey! There could’ve been bacteria or ants in that pile!” Tyler said with a small frown, dusting off his leather jacket and checking his white shirt for any stains. He had even made extra effort tonight by attempting to tie a tie around his neck but failing miserably so that it was just hanging down from his neck.
I stared at him blankly before bursting out laughing. “I’m sorry… T-Tyler, the leader of a gang is scared of ants?” I exclaimed before laughing again.
Once my laughter died down, I found Tyler staring at me with a small smile plastered on his chiselled face. “I may be a leader of an actual gang, but I’m also a part of a 2 person gang that I want no one else to join.” My heart fluttered in my chest from his statement before he spoke up again, “I mean it, no one. You’re not allowed to have any more guy friends unless they’re Courtney and Katrina’s age or if I approve of them.”
“Tyler.” I said in a warning tone.
“Aren’t the stars amazing tonight? They make your eyes shine even brighter than usual.”
“You already used that line on me to avoid telling me more about the gang!” I exclaimed with a laugh.
“Shit. I did too. What I was meant to say is your eyes, your eyes, make the stars look like they’re not shining.”
My laughter continued as he got up and spun around on the spot. “Seriously? You’re going to quote Bruno Mars right now?”
He nodded. “It’s working on you! WHEN I SEE YOUR FACE!” He screamed loudly off the hill we were on. His voice was off tune and echoed throughout the city and I laughed even more.
Tyler! You’re -”
“THERE’S NOT A THING THAT I WOULD CHANGE. ‘CAUSE YOU’RE AMAZING-”
“Tyler!” I managed to get out in between my hysterics.
“JUST HOW YOU ARE! Wait that’s not right. Oh! JUST THE WAY YOU ARE! YEAH!” He ended by pointing at me with a smirk, and I shook my head in disbelief, still smiling. “I can’t believe I fell in love with you.”
“Oh you better believe it.” He smirked, before pulling me in for a kiss.
*
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
I’m sorry I know I practically whine after every chapter but I hate itttttttttttttttt D: I don’t know any more guys. I mean, I don’t know. I am spiritually lost and need Virgil to guide me through the inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. [It’s from Dante’s Divine Comedy, has anyone read/studied that text? Hahaha :P]
Well anyway. School is killing me. But I have a 3 day break! Yay! Well, sort of.
Sorry for the crappy chapter! What did you guys think? Haha Tyler’s confession was pretty blunt and straight forward. I don’t know it feels rushed to me. AND SO SHORT WHYYYY
Vote/Comment/Fan!