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Chapter 11

    “You do realize the park closes at ten?” The first police officer said, shining his light directly into my eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was speaking to Daniel or me.

    “What are you two doing here?” The other police officer said in a gruff voice. He didn’t sound all too nice.

    Daniel stood up from beside me and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I didn’t know it was that late,” he began, answering the first office. “We were having a date,” he said flatly to the second.

    Bright dots danced through my vision as it finally adjusted to the figures in front of me. One cop was tall and lanky, while the other was very round and had a face that looked like he spent too much time getting punched in the face.

    They shared a glance between the two of them. “You’re going to have to pack this up and move along,” the short, fat cop said with a sneer.

    I stood quietly, and the tall, skinny office flashed me in the eyes once more. “I’m going to need ID’s from both of you.”

    Shielding my eyes from his blasted flashlight, I cleared my throat. “I don’t have an ID,” I mumbled, fiddling with my thumbs and keeping my eyes low. I never got around to having one made; I never really had a use for one.

    “What about you?” He asked, obviously speaking to Daniel.

    “Yeah, fine.”

    I lifted my eyes to find Daniel digging into his back pocket. He handed the officer his driver’s license.

    “Keep an eye on them, Phil,” the skinny office said, walking back to the patrol car. Phil stood, flashlight in hand, and stared at us with his pinched face. He had an eyebrow raised and was chewing on a large wad of gum.

    “You two boys better notta been up to no good,” he grumbled in an uneducated tone. When he spoke, his cheeks shook. It was a comical sight, but I did my best not to laugh.

    “Don’t worry officer,” Daniel said smoothly. “We were on our way out anyway.” He began walking around blowing out candles. As he walked past me, he offered a shy, apologetic smile.

    I smiled back at him and knelt down, placing the food back into the basket. In a matter of minutes, Daniel and I gathered everything and began carrying it to the trunk of his car. The first officer came back and handed Daniel his license with obvious disappointment lingering on his flat face. It looked as if he wanted a reason to give us a ticket.

    “For future reference, the park closes at ten every day all year.” An attitude clearly rode in his voice.

    “Yes, sir,” Daniel said with a grin. “Sorry to have taken up so much of your time, officers. Now, if you don’t mind, we would like to be on our way.”

    The officers shared a harrumph before turning around back to their car. I sat in the passenger seat as Daniel shut the trunk. He waited until the police car disappeared from view before letting out a bellow of laughter. I followed in suit. “That wasn’t exactly how I planned on ending our date.”

    I smiled and blew out a breath. My nerves still shook from the whole thing. It wasn’t every day that I made out with an extremely attractive guy and ran into police officers in the same night. “At least it will be something that we’ll both remember,” I said with a grin.

    “You’ve got that right.” Daniel started the car.

    “Thank you for the date, Daniel,” I said as we neared the road to my home. Butterflies were beginning to flitter in the base of my stomach as I reached into my messenger bag. I pulled my sketchpad from its depths and sat it in my lap.

    Daniel chuckled as he drove and offered a lopsided grin over his shoulder. “It was fun. We’ll have to do it again.” He paused. “That is if you want to.”

    I smiled brightly. “Well, we do have your plan to follow. I would hate to be rude and just blow you off. I mean, I know my time is precious, and I could be spending it on much more important things, but I think I can make time for you,” I joked.

    Daniel lifted an eyebrow. “You must have had a good time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you tell a joke.” Daniel was trying to hide a grin, but for once, he failed miserably.

    “I had a really good time,” I said honestly. “I didn’t think it would have been as nice as it was, so now this feels really silly.” I felt a blush coming along.

    “What are you going on about?” Daniel asked as he pulled the car to a stop at a stop sign; we came to a halt at the intersection before my house.

    I opened my sketchbook, carefully pulled out the drawing I did of Daniel and me, and then handed it to him. My hands shook slightly as he took the paper from my fingers. I hoped that he would like the drawing and not think of me as a total idiot for giving him a picture. I didn’t have any other way to show him how thankful I was.

    When he didn’t say anything, I felt my stomach drop. “It’s just that I can’t give you anything in return, and drawing is the only thing I’m good at,” I explained self-consciously.

    Daniel blew out a breath and turned to me. “This is fantastic, Tyler.” His eyes were shining. “I’ve never had anyone give me anything like this before. Thank you.” Surprising me, he leaned down and touched his lips to mine.

    I was taken back. “So you like it?” I asked with a faint blush igniting on my cheeks.

    Daniel nodded enthusiastically. “I love it. You have an eye for detail, and you even drew yourself happy. It’s a good look on you.”

    I bit my lip. “You make it kinda easy.”

    “Then I’m doing my job correctly.” Daniel slid the drawing onto the dash.

    It was a fact; Daniel was the sweetest guy in the world, not that I had many to compare him to, but still, he was pretty fantastic.

    The car started moving again, and Daniel’s fingers crept over to mine. I liked holding his hand; I liked it just as much as I liked kissing him. It was almost as if I could still feel his soft lips on mine.

    “I have to admit. I didn’t think you would be that great of a kisser but damn, Tyler.” Daniel said with a chuckle.

    I blushed and ran a hand through my hair. “Thanks, I guess,” I mumbled embarrassingly. Did making out with an imaginary friend actually give me some practice?

    “Seriously, I was blown away. I would have sworn you’ve kissed…” He stopped mid sentence and stopped the car as we neared the driveway. “What in the hell is that?”

    I leaned forward and saw the flashing red lights in my front yard. From where we were, I couldn’t see a dang thing other than the red lights pulsing through the air. “Get closer,” I said as my heart climbed into my throat.

    Something felt wrong, horribly wrong.

    Daniel drove up the driveway, and a grotesque picture developed before us. There was an ambulance flashing in front of my house. My father’s car was parked outside, and as we neared, I found him standing in the door as a gurney led by two men dressed in white wheeled past him.

    Not thinking, only reacting, I yanked off my seatbelt and yanked the door open. Daniel slammed on his breaks just as I jumped out of his car, landing roughly on my knees. I felt no pain as panic boiled into my system. I ran towards the gurney. There was a body stashed under a white sheet, and I knew deep down who was under it.

    My mother.

    A scream erupted from my lips like a lion’s roar. “Mom!”

    Arms were around me suddenly, holding me in place. I clawed at them viciously as tears flowed freely from my eyes. Managing to tear my eyes away from my mother’s body as the two men wheeled her into the back of the silent ambulance, I stared at my father. He was standing there staring at me like a statue sitting in the park. Emotion was utterly devoid from his face.

    Collapsing to my knees, I sobbed as someone pulled me against his chest. Daniel held me as I screamed into the night; he held me as the ambulance drove off. He held me when my father turned his back, walked into the house, and shut the door behind him.

    I couldn’t breathe through my sobs. What happened? What happened to my mother? I felt light headed, and my stomach churned as if I had to throw up. My mind spun wildly with questions, but I knew that whatever happened, it was my father’s fault.

    For the first time, I realized that I hated the man; I hated that man with every inch of my being.

    I clung to Daniel, digging my fingers into his clothes. I managed a, “Why?” through my sobs.

    Daniel rubbed my back. “Come on. You can’t stay here,” he said gently as he pulled me to my feet. He swung my arm around his neck and wrapped his arm around my waist, much as he did the night I drank. I didn’t protest as Daniel sat me in the passenger seat of his car and buckled me in.

    He started the car and began to drive silently. His fingers brushed my hand a few times, but I paid him no attention. Instead, I sat completely silent and kept my eyes glued to my window. Tears trickled down my cheeks the whole time.

    I loved my mother. Sure, she and I had some rough patches, but it didn’t change the fact that she was the only one who ever stuck up for me. Sure, later in life, she chose to stay silent in certain situations, but she never abandoned me.

    I didn’t want her dead; I wanted her back.

    “We’re here,” Daniel said, keeping his voice low. He parked in front of a large apartment complex.

    I remained silent, unable to will myself to speak. Coldness was beginning to settle over my skin, sapping away my strength and leaving me numb. Daniel opened my door, wrapping his arm around my lower back while carefully pulling me from his car. I didn’t object to his touch; it was the only thing I wanted to feel.

    My feet touched the ground, but my knees buckled form under me. I nearly fall flat on my face, but in one swift movement, Daniel lifted me from the ground, cradling me against his chest. He kicked his car door shut behind him as he began toward the complex.

    Slowly, my senses began to light back to life. Daniel’s arms around me chased away the coldness lingering on my flesh. I inhaled deeply, pulling his delightful scent into my lungs; he smelled slightly earthy under the fresh scent of his cologne. My mouth was dry and a metallic taste lingered on my lips.

    Blood?

    Lifting my eyes, I watched Daniel’s face as he walked. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying; his hair looked like he ran his hands through it several times nervously. There was a determined look cast over his features. I could hear his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

    Daniel climbed a few sets of stairs, stopped at a black door with the numbers ‘23’ in silver lettering. He reached deep into his pocket and a jingle danced through the air as his keys rattled.

    The interior of the apartment was dark, but Daniel moved with confidence through the darkness, pushing open a door and laying me down onto a soft bed. Exhaustion wove through my body, sapping the remainder of my strength. Unable to fight the attack, I surrendered, closing my eyes. I felt my shoes slip from my feet and a warm blanket settle on top of my body.

    The darkness was like a comforting cocoon wrapping around my mind. I breathed a deep sigh as gentle lips met my forehead. I fell into a coma-like sleep.

                                                                                Daniel

    I placed a kiss softly on Tyler’s forehead. He instantly sighed as the tension pulled away from his sharp features. Tiptoeing from my bedroom, I pulled the door closed behind me and blew out a long breath. Running my hand through my hair, I walked into my small living room and plopped down on the couch.

    My heart ached for Tyler. Just as he started getting comfortable with me, something terrible had to happen and potentially ruin everything. In the beginning, I only wanted to help him. I remembered clearly the first day I used Mr. Greer’s office. Tyler’s mother was so cheery, overly so, but she was still quite lovely. She pulled me aside and nearly begged me to talk to Tyler; she begged me to give him a chance.

    So, I did. It took five years for Tyler to become remotely comfortable around me.

    He reminded me of a wounded soul, and I did my best to talk to him every chance I had. Tyler resisted my every move; his entire body would tense as I walked by. The more time I spent with that family, I could feel the decay eating away at them all, but I couldn’t fight the force pulling me towards Tyler.

    I wanted to protect him; I wanted to see him smile.

    I never expected that I would actually care for him; I never expected to start falling for him.

    Whatever happened to his mother shattered him. Seeing him collapse totally ripped out my insides. The last person I saw with that abandoned look in his eyes was Jeremy.

    Those eyes still haunted me.

    It didn’t take a genius to see how screwed the relationship between Tyler and his mother was, but he obviously loved her very much. I believed that he needed her for his own stability. She was the only one who ever paid attention to him.

    “What happened to her?” I mumbled to myself as I ran a hand through my hair once more. If I wasn’t careful, I would end up ripping out all my hair before I turn twenty-five.

    My thoughts went to Mr. Greer. I spent the last five years of my life working for the man, but I never saw him look so uncaring. Fuck, that was his wife carried into an ambulance! He should have at least been there for Tyler. Instead, he just shut the door and left him crying alone.

    I could never do that to Tyler, to anyone.

    If I didn’t need this job so badly, I would have quit on the spot. You didn’t treat people like that. Sure, Mr. Greer was a cold lawyer, but even that wasn’t an excuse to treat your family badly and not give a rat’s ass about them.

    I blew out a frustrated breath. I needed to get to the bottom of this. In the morning, I decided I would call Mr. Greer and ask what exactly happened. Tyler at least deserved to know about his mother.

    Pushing myself from the couch, I tiptoed into my bedroom and blindly grabbed some pajamas from my dresser. Changing in the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I grabbed a blanket, spare pillow from the hallway closet, and began making my bed on the couch.

    I wasn’t exactly expecting to sleep on my couch tonight; I was sure that I could slip into the bed with Tyler, but I didn’t want to freak him out. He just got used to my touch; I didn’t want to mess it all up now.

    Unsure if I needed to go to work in the morning, I used my cell phone as an alarm clock and crawled under the blanket. I crossed my arms behind my head and stared up at the ceiling for the longest time.

    My mind seemed to find its way back to Tyler. He didn’t see how beautiful he really was, and he deserved to find happiness. Could I give that to him?

    I didn’t expect him to kiss me. Boy, I did not expect him to kiss me.

    A smile formed on my lips. I knew that I would never hurt him, and I would do my absolute best to be there for him in any way he needed, even if I didn’t know what exactly he would need. Seeing him smile and knowing that he smiled because of me made me happier than I would have ever imagined.

    The spark in his large brown eyes was one of the most beautiful things I witnessed. I needed to make sure that Tyler made it through all of this ok.

    It was my new job.

    Sleep finally began to creep into my senses when I heard a door open. Immediately thinking something went wrong with Tyler, I shot up from the couch. In the darkness, I could make out the faint shape of his body as he pressed a hand against the hallway wall, leading himself through the darkness.

    “Are you ok, Tyler?” I asked softly, careful not to startle him.

    “I woke up alone.” Something in Tyler’s crisp voice felt so broken that my heart clenched at his words. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” The sincerity in his voice was so clear that I found myself standing.

    “You aren’t alone,” I breathed, walking over to him. I hesitated slightly before I wrapped my arms around his frail body.

    He seemed to relax against my chest, but his sniffles gave away the fact that he was crying.

    “Shh,” I cooed. “Let’s get you back to bed.” Tyler was definitely going to need to rest. The next few days were going to be incredibly tough; I couldn’t imagine how he was feeling right now.

    He leaned up suddenly, touching his lips to mine. It was a gentle kiss, and I returned it as softly as he gave, but in a matter of seconds, the kiss became needy, rough. I spun around, sliding a hand up his body and cradling the back of his neck. I pulled his face closer to mine, deepening the kiss.

    Tyler let out a soft moan. The sound echoed through my body like a wildfire. I knew him for five years, but I never expected he would have this effect on me. Pushing him against the wall, I groaned as Tyler’s hands traveled down my back, resting on my hips. His touch made my body ache.

    I wanted him, and my body reacted accordingly. “Tyler,” I breathed against his lips. “We have to stop.” I didn’t want to do anything I would regret. I wanted Tyler to trust me; I didn’t want him to think I was using him for sex or anything ridiculous like that.

    Tyler fell silent for a moment. He moved his hand to the middle of my chest, curling his fingers around my t-shirt. “I don’t want to stop,” he said boldly.

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^-^ What did you guys think of this chapter? Please feel free to tell me; I love feedback!

Speciffically, what do you think about the death of Tyler's mother? What do you think happened to her? What do you think about Tyler acting more bold? Wuh-oh.

I honestly never planned on writing in any other character's point of view other than Tyler's, but I wanted you all to get to know Daniel better through his own words. Did you enjoy it? :D

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