Because of Karson

Chapter 29

I anxiously paced around the park as my tongue ran over my paper white teeth. I gently kicked a rock as it moved a few inches away from me. The dirt flew into my face from the wind that was kicking up the debris. I walked in front of the bench I once sat on a few weeks ago and narrowed my eyes at it.

I huffed, giving in as I sat down on the familiar bench I sat on when I ran away from Jason. My leg moved up and down when I heard an engine roar from behind me. My body tensed, immediately knowing whose car that was.

I kept my eyes downcast as I heard someone's feet crunch on the gravel beneath them. I didn't dare to look up as I felt their presence sit beside me on the bench.

The musky smell invaded my nostrils as the familiar smell made my stomach twist with anxiety. I felt the heat of his gaze on the side of my neck, but I didn't bother meeting his eyes.

"Why did you ask me to meet you here?" I quietly asked as my feet dragged in the dirt to make a solid line below us. I still didn't look at him.

"I wanted to talk to you," he admitted as he sat still beside me.

I finally raised my head and turned to look into emerald eyes that were only inches away from mine. Karson wore a blank expression, no emotions visible anywhere. He met my gaze as I sucked in a sharp breath. He looked so good.

He wore a graphic t-shirt that showcased his large arms and paired it with baggy jeans. His shoes were an off white color, but it matched with his outfit perfectly. His midnight black hair rested perfectly across his forehead, the light gust of wind blowing a few strands out of his face.

"I'm so tired," I admitted, finally saying it out loud. I was tired of feeling mentally drained every single day.

"I know you are, princess," he sighed, looking ahead at the two young boys that chased each other near the swings. One boy was laughing, a huge smile covering his face as he ran away from the other boy. One of the two caught up to the other and tackled him to the ground, both of them falling into the wood chips as their breathless laughter filled the air.

We both stared at the young children having the time of their lives. Oh, how I wished I had the freedom of running around without a care in the world. I wished for just one moment, I didn't have to worry about anything.

I broke my gaze away from the young boys as I  glanced down at my hands folded in my lap. My stitches were healing well and they haven't really been giving me a hard time. In a few days, the stitches should start dissolving.

"I wish you would talk to someone," he briefly stated, breaking the silence between us.

My eyes furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

"I'm not stupid, Dakota," he grunted as his emerald eyes caught my gaze. "I saw the way your mother treats you and I know something fucked up happened between you and Jason."

I sucked in a sharp breath as a lump began to form in the back of my throat. I felt sheer panic seep through my veins as I stared at Karson with sad eyes. I was mentally and physically exhausted.

"I see the way you treat your siblings. When I saw how your mother acted yesterday, it's almost like something clicked in my brain," he admitted as he averted his gaze to look past the swaying trees to his left. He took a deep breath and shakily exhaled as his jaw tightened. "You're mother obviously doesn't do shit, so you're the one who has to step in and do everything for them. You're so protective over them and it makes so much fucking sense now."

I felt a single tear fall down my rosy cheeks as I felt too embarrassed to even look in his direction. "How did you figure this out?"

I felt his body shift as he slowly moved closer to me. I stiffened, my eyes wide as I continued to stare ahead of me. I focused on the children swinging back and forth on the swings. I focused on the leaves slowly falling one by one off the beautiful birch trees. I focused on anything to get my mind off of his body near mine.