In the middle of it all.

CHAPTER 18

Song: "(You drive me) Crazy" - Britney Spears.

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Daxton was livid. Mikayla wasn't sure she'd ever known him to be so mad before. She could almost hear his veins throbbing. She could very clearly hear his feet stomp across the floor and his teeth grind against one another. She'd be flattered by his anger if she weren't slightly petrified.

"This is absolute bull-"

"Maybe we should take a breather," said Cameron quickly. He'd been sitting quietly in the far end of the living room. They'd both been quiet, leaving Daxton to his angry outburst. He'd been at it for twenty minutes already. Mikayla's head had started to throb along with her eardrums.

"It should never have happened Cam!" shouted Daxton.

Cameron sighed. "I agree but, shouting never solved anything. You always tell me that."

Mikayla heard Daxton growl. "Don't do that."

"Do what, big brother?" asked Cameron with faux innocence. Mikayla smirked.

"Don't throw my words at me. This isn't the time."

Cameron laughed. Mikayla heard him move around on his seat. "You're taking this awfully personal. You never reacted this way when it happened to me the first time."

"Yes well, you were more prepared."

Cameron gasped. "I was eighteen and alone!"

Daxton sighed. "Yes, but you're a man and you're not..." his words trailed off.

"Blind," Mikayla supplied. She could hear Cameron snicker at Daxton's exasperated groan.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"No, you did. You're right though. I don't always like to be defined by my disability but, sometimes it needs to be acknowledged. This is one of those times."

"It doesn't mean you're any less capable than Cameron."

Cameron snorted but they ignored him. "It does. Cameron has strength and better eyesight to see it coming. I'm at a disadvantage."

Daxton groaned again. Shortly after, his arms were around her and he was beside her on the sofa. "Please don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't sell yourself short. I admire most that you don't let your disability get the better of you. Don't start now. Don't let these idiots think they can get the better of you because your eyesight isn't as clear. You're far better than that."

Mikayla smiled. There had always been a part of her that never truly felt 'equal' to others. She'd always strived to be like others despite her handicap. She wanted to be taken seriously and not like a burden but, sometimes – when she was alone with her thoughts – she'd see herself the way everyone else did. She wasn't the same.

Knowing Daxton didn't want her to think that way, warmed her a bit. It didn't change reality though. "I don't want them to," she admitted softly to Daxton. "But sometimes I need to face the facts. It's dangerous for me to be out alone surrounded by that chaos." Mikayla pointed towards the front door where, on the flipside, still stood a rowdy crowd of photographers. Two weeks past the interview and their curiosity hadn't died down. "I thought I was going to die," she admitted brokenly.

Daxton gripped her tighter. "I'd rather die than let something happen to you."

"No one is dying," interrupted Cameron. "It's an easy thing to solve."