Broken

Chapter 11

Before I could answer I was pushed up against the door, his breath cascading down from above me.

"I'm taking Cade to the doctor. Thanks to you his cold has only gotten worse." I said with as much courage as I could muster, even though I was secretly screaming and crying on the inside. He would not get the best of me this time.

"He doesn't have a cold he is faking and I hardly touched him." he said surprisingly calmly.

"He coughed up blood and is sneezing up a storm and on top of all that he has a fever!" he took my arms and twisted them side ways making me fall to the ground.

"Do NOT get attitude with me EVER!" He screamed. Cade started crying but I did not. I was tired of this shit.

"I'm taking him to the doctor, don't worry though, I'll cover for your sorry ass and say he fell and hit his head or something. Just please let me take him." I said as I stood up and gathered my self.

"No! Now go back up stairs before I do worse to him!"

"It could be serious!"

"ITS NOT NOW GO BACK UPSTAIRS!" I jumped and almost fell again.

"C'mon Cade. It'll be ok. I hope it's not serious even though I know it is an-"

"I'll take him to the doctor." Guilt was all over his disgusting face. I was shocked. He always did this shit. Always yell and push and hit then feel bad and do one kindness to ease his guilty conscience.

Cade looked at me for reassurance, fear taking over his eyes.

"Go." I turned and left the room, knowing that if there was one person in this world Dad actually cared about, it would be Cade.

• Ashton's Pov •

I had never seen a person with such short legs run so fast. One minute we were talking, next she was demanding my keys and running faster than a wild animal.

I took off after her but couldn't even think to keep up. I had to stop half way and take a breath and allow Lauren to catch up. God she was fast.

"What the hell?" I said between breathes. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Cade." she said panting.

"Oh god." I started jogging once again towards the lake. She had already past through and was on the trail again, running a quick as ever.

We finally reached the opening where the car was but it was long gone. Shit, why the hell did I give her the keys? How big of an idiot am I? Good thing our house was a short walk away that we walked a million times as kids.

"W-wait." Lauren huffed. "I need to sit down. God I'm out of shape."

"Yeah... Me too... but that is a freaking long run though... and it's hot as balls out here."

She started to laugh but then fell over on the ground and just laid there, panting some more. I did the same. Australian heat was not something you want to run as fast as you can in for half a mile.

"Lauren..."

"What?"

"We have to get to the house... it could be serious." I panted.

We got up and trudged all the way down the dirt road until we emerged onto the sidewalk beside the road. I started to raise my thumb up but Lauren smacked it and I put my hand down.

I was sweating terribly by the time we reached the neighborhood. We winded around the streets until I finally saw our house. That walk was a lot faster when we were kids, but then we had bikes.

I ran up the steps leading to Sidney's front door and didn't even bother knocking.

"Sidney?" My voice echoed through the quiet house.

Light steps could be heard from upstairs then the sound of someone quickly going down the stairs.

"Ashton? Oh my god I'm so sorry I was just about to come get you. Y'all walked here?! That's a long walk and it's hot as hell out there oh my goodness." she frantically ran up and hugged me, despite my sweaty self, and then Lauren.

"I am so sorry." she continued. "I should've came faster I-"

"Sidney it's okay stop it we probably needed the exercise anyway." Lauren said with a sigh.

"Why did you rush out of there like that?"

"Cade called and said he was sick and coughing up blood and he couldn't find dad. I got really scared and rushed over here and found dad and now he is taking him to the doctors." she said without blinking an eye.

"Why didn't you go that could be serious?" I further questioned. She seemed so calm.

"Dad said he's done this before when he was little and it wasn't serious and I was about to come get you two."

"Oh good you had us worried." Lauren sighed with relief. I did the same, but I knew something wasn't right.