Losing Game

Blame Me

Flip paced the hospital room repeatedly checking his phone. Zoey should be here with Noah by now. He tried to keep his mind from wandering to darker thoughts. Nolan was the last person they needed to deal with right now. It wasn't until he heard the door click open and the sound of little feet that he released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He quickly strode over to Noah picking him up and hugging him tightly.

"Hey, buddy..."

He's safe

"Hi, Flip." Noah's little voice replied as he hugged him back.

Flip looked back to see Zoey still standing by the door. Her frightened gaze meeting his.

"What the fuck is going on, Flip?"

"I wish I knew. Nolan called my phone. He wants them Zoey, and he says he's coming to get them." He took a seat back next to Kelsey's bed, where she continued to sleep. "We need to get her out. I couldn't chance you not bringing Noah here. He said he knew where he was."

"Then let's work fast. If there is one thing I know about Nolan, he does not give empty threats." Zoey replied standing up taking Noah from Flip's lap. "Go sign her out. I'll wake her up and make sure things are good. I can follow you to your place and Ronnie can meet us there."

"Ok."

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It was hard not to feel unsafe wherever they went. Flip was sure that if Nolan had really wanted to find them here he could. Maybe being in a larger group would help? Ronnie had met them at the apartment, grateful that Flip had called and gotten Zoey out. Noah sat in the living room building with his blocks as Zoey and Ronnie made idle conversation on the couch. Flip sat opposite of them, fidgeting with his hands.

"Flip?" Zoey asked now standing in front of him.

"Yeah?" he replied, his mind unable to stop from trying to figure out how to get one step ahead of Nolan.

"Are you ok?" Zoey knelt, trying to read his facial expressions. She knit her brows in concern. Flip just sat there, continuing to stare at his hands. "You can talk to me, you know..."

Flip lifted his head and ran his hands through his hair. "We fought, a couple of weeks ago you know."

"I know. She told me." Zoey answered as she sat next to him.

Flip scoffed. "Did she tell you all the asshole things I said? Because she was right, I was being a dick."

"She told me everything. Flip, she doesn't hate you. She knows you were just angry and scared."

"Rape, Zoey. She was raped. I had the audacity to stand there in that argument and tell her how little he would make her feel, how he would overpower her and she wouldn't be able to stop it....and then it happened...."

"No one here expected this. You can't know for sure whether things like that will play out. This isn't your fault."

"I know. It just sure as hell feels like it."

Flip ran his hands down his jeans and stood up.

"Anyone else hungry? We can order pizza."

Zoey sat there running through their conversation. She knew he was deflecting. As fast as his walls fell, they were built right back up.

"PIZZA!" Noah yelled throwing his hands in the air.

"Yeah, pizza sounds good," Ronnie said nodding his head.