Three Weeks [COMPLETED]

Chapter 33 - "That's it! I've had enough!"

Pain woke Kit the next morning as she rolled in her bed and bumped her elbow. She let out a small cry as she reached for the spot, and the movement caused pain in her head.

She stopped moving, worried she would only find more bruised spots, and slowly eased her eyes open. She looked around her room, grounding herself with familiar objects and trying to recall the reason for her pain.

Her eyes landed on a sleeping bag and pillow on the floor, and pieces of the night before fell into place. The party, Edison, Jaxon bringing her home and spending the night. She hesitantly tried to move again, taking caution with each inch, and managed to sit up. Her righted position made her head whirl and she dug her hands into her bed and fought the wave of nausea.

After a few minutes, the vertigo passed. She remained in her bed, her thoughts beginning to whirl with panic about the night before, until she heard footsteps on the staircase. She took a deep, steadying breath to push her thoughts to the side, until she was alone. Jaxon appeared a moment later.

A guilty look slipped on to his face when he found her.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

"No, my arm hurt," she said.

He nodded. "Figures, you went down pretty hard last night."

She nodded, but stopped with a wince when pain shot up the side of her head.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" he asked. He moved closer and sat on the bed beside her.

She took another deep breath and smiled. "It's just a few bruises," she said. She tried to get a look at her elbow to see her battle scar. "How bad is it? Does it ruin my summer tan?" Her joking question didn't work in easing his concern.

"How are you really feeling?" he asked seriously.

She smiled softly and rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Seriously, I'm starving," she said. "I don't remember when I last ate."

She squinted as she thought about it.

"I truly don't. I ran into Drew at the grocery store and didn't end up having my very nutritious meal of gummy worms and dark chocolate."

Jaxon smiled and she could feel some of the tension leave his shoulders, some of her own worry going with it.

"Well, that is probably because you have no food in the house," he said.

"Ah, that might have been my problem."

"I was going to run out and grab some food and a change of clothes, but I don't have to leave," he said hesitantly. "I can have my mom -"

She laughed lightly. "You do realize I have managed to survive on my own for the last two weeks," she said. "I think I'll be fine without you for an hour." He looked at her, uncertain. "I'll be fine Jax," she added with more conviction. "But if you don't go, I might starve."

He nodded and stood slowly. He still seemed uncertain as he walked to her door, but she continued to shoo him away until he finally left. She remained motionless while she listened to the front door shut and his car pull away.

Silence fell over the room and her thoughts began to spin, a mixture of fear and panic. She closed her eyes and began to count. One, two, three, breath in, four, five, six, breath out. Seven, eight, nine, in, ten, eleven, twelve, out. She continued to count, making her way towards one hundred, focusing only on the in and out.

Slowly, through the subtle noises around her and her chaotic thoughts, she heard what she was seeking. The faint, but continuous beat of her heart. Her breathing settled into a steady rhythm as she focused on the single beat.