{•edited•}
~Bex's POV~
I look at myself in the mirror, my hair making my face look good for once. Whenever I straighten it my bone structure isn't hidden at all; maybe I should do it more. The past week I haven't put myself together much because of classes finally starting to get difficult. Marissa has about two breakdowns a day (at least that I know of), Alaric still perfectly fine, and I'm exhausted. Whoever said college kids don't get sleep wasn't lying.
Marissa's straightener that she left at her brothers gets hotter than mine. Every now and then I'll grab it too far up end up whispering a series of curse words. Once Atticus woke up it was less whispering and more yelling because nothing was holding me back anymore.
He walks up behind me, his uniform button down hanging open. Suddenly, he comes to a dead stop and looks down at me with his brows pulled together. There's a mixture of confusion and shock in his expression. "
What the fuck did you do?" He says, running his fingers through my hair. I look at myself in the mirror, trying to figure out what I did wrong. Usually, when I straighten my hair I miss a few spots, so maybe that's it.
His eyes are wide, looking at it with a confused and upset expression. "What do you mean? I just straightened it."
"Why in the world would you do that?!" He lets my hair fall between his fingers before I swat him away. "It's not that I don't like the straight hair, I just like the curls."
"The curls make it look like I heavenly brushed my hair in days," I say, unplugging it from the wall. My phone starts going off, my mom's contact picture popping up on the screen. I pick it up and answer, finding the weird feeling of smooth hair against my hand. "Hey," I say.
Atticus hovers over behind me, his arms at my sides to trap me, still staring at my hair. "I'm surprised you answered," my mom says from another line. I feel bad that she thinks I wouldn't answer her calls. The other night, nothing I said was targeted at her, she's always been there for me, but she might have taken something the wrong way.
Atticus's lips graze the crook of my neck, brushing my hair out of the way, making sure his cold knuckles touch my skin. I let out a shaker breath, reminding myself I'm on the phone with my mom. For all I know, my dad could be standing behind her with me on speaker.
"Your father and I are gonna come visit you...if that's okay," she says, her voice nervous. I have a feeling no matter what I say will keep them from coming. "The last time we were all together wasn't the best, so I wanted to change that." I've loved how my mom was a fixer. No matter what the problem was, whether it be something emotion or physical, she's always determined to fix things.
My eyes threatened to fall close as I feel Atticus press his front to my back. I push back just for the hell of it. He nibbles on my earlobe, almost causing me to moan aloud.
"T-that'd be nice," I say, trying to sound like I'm not considering jumping this man's bones.
"We should be there about five," she says happily before hanging up. I set my phone down and spin around, my eyes wide.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
•••••
"I tried calling Alaric, it goes straight to voicemail," I tell my mom, shifting back and forth. My dad is still yet to get here, which doesn't surprise me. If he even comes I'll be shocked. He only shows up at the worst times. "He did mention he'd be out today running some errands."
"Sure, he does," Ida says, knowing what I know. Errands to him mean running something for the gang. My dad probably isn't here because of that. "Is he still doing okay?"
"Yeah," I tell her. She sighs, picking up a picture on my desk. The picture is of myself and Alaric with our Aunt and uncle Amor and Luz and their son Knight. With them living so far away we don't get to see each other often. After she got a divorce settled with her ex-husband she transferred her work and started over with her now husband and two kids.
"Your dad won't tell me much about what's going on with you. The past two months have been the most you two have interacted in years," she says. I hate to say that she's right. The only thing that can bring my father and me together is disagreement. "It's about a cop right?"
"His name is Atticus, not cop," I tell her. She nods, sitting down on Marissa's bed. "And yeah, but that ended. Dad made me choose." Actually, me having to end it just made it start. The past week with Atticus has been nice and relaxing, the two of us getting the hang of the whole relationship thing after being single for long.
"Do you like him?" She asks. I'm not one to not trust my mom, she always has my best interests at heart, but I can't tell if she's asking these things to ask or if it's for my dad. He could have asked her to get information out of me. Despite having that strong feeling, I tell her the truth because it's the only thing I know how to do.
"I do," I start. "A lot, and he liked me. Everything was fine until dad started popping up. He doesn't do shit most of my life then suddenly he tells me who I can and can't date." I look down at my hands, finding the truth awfully sad.
"I do think he's right," she tells me. My eyes snap up to hers in surprise. How could she side with him on this? This is my life. "He's a cop, your family is full of outlaws. It's not safe." I feel stupid to think she would be happy for me, that anyone would at this point.
"I know. I'm not talking to him anymore," I lie, swallowing the lump in my throat.
••••••
Sittings across from my parents like this makes me feel like this is more of an intervention than a dinner. my dad has hardly said a word expect for "hi" and looks at me every now and then. My mom is making good conversation with me for the most part, trying to act like everything is fine.
"You haven't been answering your phone lately. Where have you been?" He asks, resting his tattooed hands on the table.
"Studying," I lie. It's just a quick answer to get them off my back but it's good enough for now. If anything, I can have Alaric lie for me.
"So you didn't see him at all?" Images from events this last week pop into my head, making me want to smile.
"Nope." It's easy for me to lie to him. He doesn't know the things I do when I lie; he doesn't know me well enough to know. "It sucks that Alaric couldn't come," I say, clearing my throat. My mom side eyes my dad as he shifts uncomfortably. "Did you send him out?"
"Yeah, in the morning," he says, telling us the truth. If that is the case Alaric isn't doing anything for them now. "As far as I know he's at his dorm." My mom and I lock eyes.
For the next few minutes, I listen to my mom talk about some of the disasters that have happened at the hospital she works at. Somehow her stories of bloody patients and crazy people see scarier than most of the people I know Castel and my dad have dealt with.
My phone vibrates loudly on the table, my eyes widening when I see Atticus's name. I grab it before I hope one of them seen. My thumb hovers over the answer and ignore buttons. I quickly hit the answer button, pressing my phone to my ear.
"Hello?" I ask, trying to sound like I'm not panicking on the inside. He knows I'm with my parents, there's no reason for him to call me. The sound of loud breathing and pained cries comes from the other line. I get up, my heart starting to beat faster. "I'll be back," I tell them, rushing to the bathroom.
"Where are you?" Is the first thing he says, sounding out of breath and nervous. There's another voice in the back but I can't recognize who it belongs too.
"Dinner with my parents. What's going on? What's that in the back?" I ask, leaning against the door inside someone tries coming in. I understand that it's a public bathroom, but I'd rather no one here know I'm having a mental breakdown.
"Alaric's been shot," he says. I straighten up, my mouth falling open in shock. I knew something was going on with him and I should have listened to my gut. As soon as my dad said he sent him out early and not when Alaric last spoke to me I knew something bad was going to happen.
"How bad is it?" I ask, trying to remain calm but that doesn't do me any good. My hands have started to shake so bad that my phone is at risk for falling out of my hand.
"It's bad, there's a lot of blood. I have him near a hospital, but he refuses to let us take him inside. We tried grabbing him, but somehow he fought back," he tells me. The voice gets louder in the back.
"You can't take him to a hospital," I say, choking back tears. At this point, there's no use in trying to blink them away. My heart is beating so fast in my chest that I doubt it's safe. I can hear it loud in my ears and there's a nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"He's going to bleed out," he says, his voice rising in panic. I press myself between the corner of the door and the wall, starting to feel light headed. "Bex, I have to take him inside the hospital unless he's going to die. Do you hear me?"
My free hand shakes violently. "D-don't. I'm not out of town just tell me where you are and I'll come. I know what to do. Don't take him to a hospital. Please...I can't lose him." There's silence on the other line, from him at least. I bounce back and forth anxiously, waiting for his answer. If he takes Alaric to the hospital they'll catch him for shit.
"Fine," he says, not sounding happy with himself. I sigh out of relief as he tells me the address. Me, not knowing my way around this time yet, can't imagine how much of a shit show it's going to be getting there.
I hang up and race out of the bathroom, taking the back exit inside of the front to avoid my parents. I feel bad for leaving, but I can't let anything happen to Alaric.
•••••
~Bexley's POV~
Alaric takes deep breaths, laying in the bed of the truck. At this point he's no longer yelling and rolling around, he's laying still, moving his leg back and forth the only movement he's making. His eyes are fixed on the sky.
"You haven't called the cops," he says breathlessly. I look down at his blood soaked shirt, rethinking my choice of not doing so. There are small holes going through the fabric from where the bullets when through. Whoever did this was close and had a good angle.
"I am a cop," I say, looking around again. Tobias is walking around to see if Bex is coming. If she waits any longer I have the choice between running him in and letting him die. Thankfully, Toby hasn't asked any questions.
He called me this afternoon to ask me out to dinner with a few of his other friends because neither of us drinks, at least anymore. Being around alcohol is hard for me when I'm alone, but I'm good if it's in a social setting. On the way back, seeing a body in the middle of the road was the last thing we were expecting when driving back.
He got out first and tried immediately calling it in as we should have. When I stopped him all he did was a nod and help me lift Alaric's body without causing too much pain. When I first notice who it was I was scared he wasn't breathing until I heard his cries of pain.
"Thank y-you for not t-taking me I-in," he says, struggling to get his words out. I'm still considering it, kid. "You gotta do something for me," he says.
"What?" Talking seems to be distracting him from the pain. Usually, I like to keep whoever is wounded quiet and relaxed, but it seems he does better with the opposite.
"Don't leave Bex," he says. I blink in shock, confused as to why he'd tell me that. "I-I know it's new, b-but I can tell w-what you have I-is real. You ca-can't do that t-to her."
My eyes search his; they similar to Bex's, but darker. "I know, but nothing's gonna happen so you're not leaving her either. She can't lose you. She's told me all the things you e down for her." He smiles, coughing shortly afterward.
"Everything?" I nod, knowing what he's talking about. "Maybe this is my punishment for that," he says, his words starting to slur together. The only thing okay about this whole minute is that he's numb to the pain at this point. In my head I've already made up my mind; I can't take him in there. If they do end up saving him, he'll probably be taken into custody.
"Why would you need punishment? You stayed at her side." He shakes his head, eyes shining with tears.
"I couldn't do anything a-after she told me. Not because she wouldn't-t let me, but we knew I-I wasn't strong e-enough to do anything." He coughs again, wincing after this time.
"Why not go to the...leader?" I ask, not able to remember his name.
"You think I d-didn't contemplate t-that?" He says. I've never seen him serious, it almost seems wrong. "I didn't look h-how I do n-now a-at that time; if someo-one punched me once I'd be o-on the ground. But I k-knew I w-was-an't gonna let anything e-else happen to h-her. T-That's why I'm a-always around; to m-make sure s-she's alive."
"And her father can't do this?" I say. He scoffs, shaking his head.
"You don't get it, s-she doesn't have a dad. She h-has a man she calls dad. It's only m-me who s-she has. Connie is three hours away, Castel is pissed at her now too, her mom is going to be forced to p-probably not t-t-talk to her f-for-r loyalty r-rreasons, it's-s only m-me. People d-don't stay f-for long i-in her li-ife." His voice is raspier and gets more broken as he speaks.
"She's here!" Tobias yelling, looking back at us. I let out a breath of relief. I don't know what she's planning to do, but whatever it has to work. Bex gets out and runs full speed over, hair blowing behind her.
"D-do you have first aid?" She says before anything else, pulling herself up to the bed. Alaric moves his eyes over to her. I don't say it, but they look almost lifeless. Turning around, I grab the one I was given after a meeting. She opens it, grabbing the gloves first.
"You're not gonna clean it?" Tobias asks, voice raising in concern. I shake my head at him, hoping she knows what she's doing. After putting the blue rubber gloves on, she lifts his shirt until all the wounds are exposed. Tears run down the side of his face as he looks at her.
"I'm sorry," he says, letting out a sad sob. The noice is enough to make the most heartless person break.
"Don't talk; you have to save your energy," she says, looking at him quickly. "One of you take your phone out and shine a light." Tobias gets to his first and throws it to be since I'm closer. Holding my arm up, I shine the light over top his body. She takes in a deep breath before digging her thumb and pointer inside, making him scream in pain.
"Walk around and make sure no one comes looking," I tell Toby. He kicks his legs in pain, his breaths sounding animalistic. I can't see right, but she's fighting the urge to cry. Yanking her fingers out, in between her fingers a small silver bullet.
"Put pressure," she orders me, digging her fingers into the next wound. His head raises from the ground as he screams again. The veins in his neck and arms threaten to pop out. She takes another, setting it to the side. "One more," she says to herself, repeating her actions for the third time. I have to look away every time she does this. I will never look at those hands the same again.
She takes her fingers out and grabs the thread and needle that has been out in there. "This won't hold for long, but for enough," she says, loving my hand and placing it at another spot. Her brows crunch together in concentration as she laces the thin thread through his wounds.
Alaric's hair is soaked in sweat, droplets coming down the side of his face with tears. Minutes go by and she sets down what she was using.
"Where do we take him?" Toby asks, shaking the two of us. I'm surprised he hasn't started asking a million questions. Bex jumps down from the truck, rubbing her blood soaked hands on her jeans.
"I'll be back," she says, walking around. Toby gets up in Alaric's side, examining the work Bex did. It's not safe or clean, but it works. Alaric blinks hard a few times, looking over at whose now putting pressure to the wound.
"Oh fuck, I'm seeing angels and shit now." He'll be okay. I look back at Bex who is bent over behind one of the parked cars.
"I'll be back," I tell him before jogging to her. The sound of water lets me know why she's hunched over, using what you connect to a hose to wash her hands. The water doesn't over the sound of her soft sobs and whimpers. "He's okay," I tell me, running my hands over her back in an attempt to calm her. She turns around, breathing heavily. We can all clearly see that Alaric is okay, helplessly flirting with Toby already.
"I know. Thank you for calling me and not taking him," she says. I pull on a strand of hair gently, shaking my head. I hate this whole, "straightened" hair things he has going on. I'm just hoping it's not permanent. Her curls are the best thing about her.
"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't straightened your hair."
"Excuse me?"
••••••
I set my phone down and walk to the kitchen, trying to think out how this can play out. She can either kill me or just be very upset. She made an appoint to mention she was putting her hair up so her hair wouldn't get ruined by the water.
I grab one of the large bowls I have for no specific reason and fill it with water. It threatens to spill on the floor as I walk back to the room. I set it down on the counter as I open the bathroom door, steam leaving the room. I'll never understand how some people take warm showers.
I grab the bowl again and quietly lift it towards where the outline of her body shows through the curtains, letting the water spill inside. She pulls back the certain in seconds, glaring at me while I try to hide a smile. The hair was held back in ten very attempts to stay dry is now soaked.
"I'm going to beat your ass with a bread roller. You won't know when it's coming, but it is. Sleep with one eye open."
•••••
I wake to a hard, but not too hard, punch to the stomach. My eyes shout open, not needing time to adjust due to sudden adrenaline. Bex smile down at me, a bread roller in hand. She did warn me. I hold my stomach, taking deep breaths
"Love you," she says, pecking my lips before walking out to the living room. It's still worth the curls.
AN: Hit one from the bread roller 😂 I had to have the bread roller legacy go on (although the OG roller was buried with Zurine 😂). Poor Alaric doesn't deserve what he got. As for Atticus, the man just wants those curls back 😂 I really hope you guys enjoyed!
Question: Why do you think Alaric told Bex "I'm sorry"? (The picture at the very beginning is a hint)
PS: There ya go shorty1723 😂😂