• Fairytale Kind of Love •

the next morning...

Tom's POV

I don't know what I'm going to tell Caitlin. She doesn't know her mum got arrested last night. She's going to understand why we did it but she's not going to be happy. When I wake up the next morning, I see her, clinging to my arm like she's afraid I'm going to disappear. I suddenly hear banging at the door and slowly get up to answer the door. I open the door and see Daniel.

"Hey. Is she awake yet?" He asks me. I shake my head and he invites me to join him outside to talk. I snatch a key off the side and join him in the front garden as he lights a cigarette. He offers me one and I take it, lighting it up as well.

"Don't tell Caitlin, she thinks I've quit." He says to me.

"She doesn't even know I smoke so you don't tell if I don't." I smile, trying to lighten the mood as we smoke in silence.

"My stepdad is going to pay her bail." He says, blowing out a puff of smoke.

"Seriously?" I ask, copying his movements. He just nods his head.

"He loves her more than anything. It's scary how much he would do for her." He takes multiple pulls of the cig and I can see the stress in his face.

"I can understand that." I take small pulls.

"You know this isn't the first time this has happened?" He asks me. I look at him shocked. "Well, she's never had a gun before but a blow up like this is very common."

I don't say anything and continue to smoke my cigarette.

"She may wanna stay with you for a while." He warns me.

"That's fine, we're happy to have her. At least until everything's calmed down." I explain to him and seeing the relief on his face makes me aware that he's happy to her that.

"You really like my sister, don't you?" He asks me. I nod my head, throwing my cigarette onto the floor and pressing it into the ground with my foot. "I guess this isn't the right time for the 'big brother talk'." I chuckle as we talk for a few more minutes.

"You do know if you hurt her, I may have to kill you. Poor girl's been through enough." He threatens me as I smile.

"Well you don't have to worry about me hurting her, she's the best thing that's ever happened to me." I smile at the thought of her. We talk for a while longer before Caity's stepdad leaves the house and comes over to us.

"I'm going to police station, you coming?" Her stepdad greets us.

"Sure. I'm sure she has a lot to say." Daniel shakes my hand and follows his stepdad to the car before speeding off. I make my way back into the house and start to make two cups of tea. I slowly walk up the stairs and see Caitlin, awake and sitting at my bay window bench.

"Hey darling, made you a cup of tea." I say, sitting it down on the bedside table and joining her at the window.

"Where are they going?" She asks me.

"Who? Daniel and your stepdad?" I clarify and she nods her head. I take a deep breath and move her so she's sitting in my lap. "After you fell asleep here last night, things escalated a little and we had to call the police. Your mum's in custody now and your stepdad is going to bail her out."

"What do you mean, 'things escalated'?" She asks me.

"She...umm...your mum was threatening both your stepdad and the other man. With your dad's old gun." I gently say. She just looks at me, her eyes welling up. Her body collapses into mine as she cries her heart out, her tears staining my hoodie and I hold her like there's no tomorrow. Her painful cries make my heart ache and I wanna do everything in my power to keep her from being hurt anymore.

-

Caitlin's POV

I've been at Tom's all day and I haven't really left his room. He went to the gym for a bit and his little brother, Paddy came and kept me company. I'm pretty sure the whole street knows what happened last night and to be frank, I'm too ashamed to show my face on the streets. When Tom came back, he tried to get me to leave his room and have a shower but it was no use. I was numb. I couldn't eat, drink...nothing. I can't even look at my house, let alone go back to it. Nikki says I can stay as long as I want but I don't want to be a burden so I'm planning on asking Tia if I can stay with them for a while and most likely end up couch surfing again. As I sit staring out of Tom's bay window, my phone vibrates. I look at the caller ID and see that there is no name. Just a number. I answer it and hear my mother's voice.

"Hello? Caitlin?" Her voice scared and most likely, fake.

"Yes, Mother?" I only call her that when I'm upset with her and she knows that.

"Well, aren't you going to come and see me?" She asks, her tone completely changing.

"No, I'm not. I don't know if this will come as a surprise to you but I really really don't want to see you right now. I don't even know why Daniel and your loving husband did."

"Oh, baby. Stop being so dramatic. Last night was just a fight that can easily be resolved." Her tone now condescending.

"Just a fight? You literally pulled out a gun on everyone after I left." My voice starts to lift.

"Oh my god, it wasn't even loaded." She laughs. "Just come down to the police station and see your mummy. She misses you a lot."

Now she's done it.

"No!" I shout.

"Don't you raise your voice at me, young lady!"

"No! You got yourself into this fucking mess and this time, I'm not helping you crawl out of it! I've been helping you my entire life and just when my life started to feel normal, you go and do this?! And you have the fucking nerve to ask me to come and see you because you miss me? Well, Mother. I'm done helping you." I scream at her down the phone.

"You're such a spoiled little shit. I've always done everything for you and this is how you repay me? Fuck you, Caitlin. You've just shown me how much you care about your family. Or how much you don't care. When I get out of here, you're on the streets, little lady."

"That's if you do get out." I hang up the phone and throw it on the bench, starting to hyperventilate. I feel the world falling apart around me and I can't breathe. Then the world goes black.