Floating in the Abyss ✔️

Chapter 38

"Excited to get everything set up?" Ryan asked, cutting my muffin in half for me.

"It's going to look so good!" I nodded. I tried my hardest to let go of the guilt I felt spending so much money. I hadn't earned any of it.

"I wish I could take every day off school to hang with you. Make up for the lost time." He sighed.

"But then you won't be able to become an engineer!" I reasoned, making him laugh.

"True, Ash. Who knows? Maybe I won't go to Uni. It means I have to move away and leave you."

"Well I'll have Austin and River and Nick and Jonah. I don't think I'll be lonely."

"That's true." He smiled. "It's just stressful."

"Life is stressful." I shrugged. It was true.

Once we had finished our muffins and Ryan had drank all of his coffee, we went and met Laura in the car and drove home. Driving was soothing to me.

"What time will everyone else get home?" I asked, no one in particular.

"Probably not for another few hours. They'll all go somewhere before they come home, although Austin might come back.

I thought about what happened last night. Maybe I shouldn't have put that pressure on him. Then again, I really didn't want anyone to worry.

I pulled down my sleeve, looking at my wrist. Dark purple and green bruises laced around like a bracelet. I couldn't believe I had done it to myself.

"Hey!" Chris came out when we got home. He looked like he was about to go somewhere and was dressed in active gear.

"Babe, can you help bring all this in? There are quite a few big boxes." Laura asked, opening the boot to reveal a crammed car. It was meticulously stacked to fit everything perfectly like one big puzzle.

"Sure. Ash, why don't you go inside and relax for a bit whilst we bring this in." Chris told me.

"I can help though."

"It's okay, honey, we can do it." Laura insisted.

"But it's all my stuff! You don't need to carry it for me."

"You know what, I'll take the first thing in." Ryan interrupted. "This is mine, so I'll take it." He came and swooped me up, carrying me way too easily.

"Ryan!" I protested. I could hear Laura and Chris laughing behind us.

"Relax, bubs." He rolled his eyes, sitting me on the couch. "Stay." He told me, as if I was a dog.

"I'm not a child. I could have walked." I poked my tongue out. I would have never done this with anyone, but how I feel when I'm with Ryan is different. I feel safe.

"Can you drive?"

"No."

"Child." He grinned before walking back out to get stuff from the car. I was tempted to follow him, but I actually was really tired from walking around so much. I laid down and just relaxed.

I wasn't focussing on anything in particular when Abi, the dog, appeared right in front of me. She was slow, so she didn't give me too big of a fright, but it didn't stop me from holding my breath. My history with dogs and animals wasn't good.

Abi sat there, looking at me sadly as if she was waiting for something. Gently and slowly, I reached my hand out to pat her. To my surprise, she didn't move, except for wagging her tail. She rested her head on the couch beside me and slowly, I found myself falling asleep.

I woke up in a new room, confused and alone. It looked like my house, but I hadn't been here before. My breath got shaky and I felt myself gripping my wrist, feeling the sharp pain on the past bruises. I was shaking, but I forced myself to get up and attempt to open the door.

It opened first try and I was back in my living room. I could hear voices I knew on the couch, so I walked over, trying to steady my breath.

"Hey Ash." Austin said, noticing me. He waved me over and patted a spot on the floor next to him. Only then did I realise he was with someone else.

"What the..." The other boy's jaw dropped.

"Sean, this is Ash." Austin said calmly.

"I know who she is, idiot." He exclaimed. "I thought you were dead." He spluttered.

There was no doubt Austin and I looked alike, we were twins, but he recognised me so quickly.

"No." I said quietly. Sean said nothing, just stared.

"Mate, stop it, it's really creepy." Austin whacked him.

"Your twin sister just came back from the dead Austin! What the hell is going on?" I couldn't help but stifle a laugh at his confusion. I felt bad but the look on his face was too good not to laugh at.

"I'll explain later. Can we finish the game please?" He motioned to the TV screen. Sean didn't answer but continued to play. Sean's reaction had given me a good distraction, and I was no longer holding my wrist.

After a while, I was sick of listening to Sean and Austin yelling at the TV and watching cars go around in circles, so I got up and left. I could find Laura or Chris in the kitchen, so I went to see if anything had happened in my room. Sure enough, Laura, Chris and Ryan were all in there, setting up everything I had bought.

"Woah." I gasped, looking around.

"Geez, Ash, no need to give us all heart attacks." Ryan said, having jumped a little at my appearance.

"You got pictures!" I exclaimed, looking at the colourful pictures hanging on my wall and above my bed. One was of a cockatoo with a colourful backdrop, and the other was just lots of colours splashed around. I loved them.

"I went and got them just then whilst these two kept building." Laura smiled.

"How long was I asleep?" I frowned.

"Three hours."

"Oh."

"I moved you into our room by the way. Austin and Sean were coming, and I figured you'd rather sleep." Chris told me. That explains where I was before. "Time for a break I think." 

- 

VOTE and FOLLOW @sydnie6624