Us.

Chapter 27: Missing

Claire's P.O.V. (The next day)

"I think so. I haven't checked all night. I wanted to let her sleep. She is. It's ridiculously early in the morning, so I highly doubt it. I don't want to take that chance. I will let you know later, I promise. Okay, bye." I hear Braden say quietly. I hear his phone being placed on a dresser of some sort. I wait for him to lay back down on the bed, but he never does.

But I mean, he probably is going to have time to himself while he isn't worrying about me. That's what he deserves and I keep ruining it. My eyelids open and tears flood down my face as if a dam had just burst.

I am ruining his life and that is why I'm crying.

Braden comes back in the room and turns the light off from the room outside. I close my eyes, hoping he didn't see me. I feel Braden hold my right hand and kneel down next to me. A few minutes later he kisses my cheek that is soaked in tears.

"Claire?" He asks. "Claire, why are you crying? Is it your foot? Is it hurting you? What's hurting?" He asks in a panic.

See? This is exactly what I mean. He is panicking about me because he thinks something is wrong. And the only thing that's wrong is the fact that he keeps worrying about me, and that he has no life because of it.

I just stare at him as he panics, and I can't seem to make words form.

"Claire? Can you hear me?" He asks. Braden waves a hand in front of my face to see if I respond. More tears flow down my cheeks, and I can't stop them. "Claire, I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong! Please, just tell me and I can fix it!" He screams.

"Braden I'm not hurt." I manage to choke out.

"Then what's wrong?" He asks. He sits down on the edge of the bed, right next to me. He places his right arm on my left shoulder and gently strokes it as concern and relief flood his tired face. "Claire, please." He pleads.

"I'm ruining your life." I quietly mumble. He deserves to know what he already knows.

"What?" He asks.

"I'm ruining your life." I say a little louder.

"What?" He asks. He heard me that time. I know it.

"You heard me. Braden, you have spent the last three years doing nothing but worrying about me and you are never happy anymore, you rarely smile, and you always need to be with me to make sure that I'm not getting hurt. You stopped being happy and smiley the second I stepped into your life-" I say before he cuts me off by standing up.

He walks over to a wall and slams his closed fists on it, causing a loud thud. He then rests his forehead on the wall before punching the wall full on. He turns back to walk to the dresser, I can see that punching the wall split his knuckles.

"Braden, your hand-" I say as I sit up before he cuts me off.

"You did not just say that you're ruining my life. Don't ever say that. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are the only good thing in my life, that has ever been in my life. I was just a lame kid who was abused every other day with no chance in life. Then you came in and saved my life!

I was going to kill myself because I didn't want to have to continue going through hell! When you came in that night and found me and helped me, I knew that someone cared about me! I knew that there was something I could live for! I decided not to because you were the only hope I had at happiness.

And you're right. I do constantly worry about you because you are the only thing I have to live for. Most people have a family to live for, or friends, or a career they want, but not me. You are my sole purpose for living. You are the sole purpose that I am alive right now.