Navy Blue Eyes.

Her Surprise Gift. | .23

Kellin had fallen asleep with his phone open to a website he'd scoured for the possible side effects of Rowan's meds. He'd come across one that said it could increase lethargy, explaining why Rowan over-slept habitually. Well, that or the fact that she was a teenager who'd had the most exhausting life possible thus far. Whatever the cause, Kellin took care in letting Rowan sleep as long as possible before waking her.

It had come to that point where he had to wake her or she'd be furious about how little time she had to get ready. Kellin approached the side of her bunk, peeling back her blanket in hopes of rousing her with the cool AC blowing through the main cabin of the bus. Upon pulling the fabric back, however, he began to panic. His heart thrummed in his chest and his throat seemed to become blocked by something as hard as diamonds and as immobile as stone. He wanted to scream. She'd relapsed, she'd cut her upper thighs it seemed as that's where the blood stemmed from. He felt like a failure, she'd seemed okay. They'd talked. They'd shared how they felt. She was becoming more open. Or so he'd thought. Idiot, he mentally scorned himself, how could he be so stupid? She obviously wasn't okay. He was her father now, he was supposed to notice these things and protect her!

Unsure how to proceed, Kellin just stared, standing stock-still. Rowan felt the cold burst of air, though, and began to grumble and groan as she awoke. She blinked up at Kellin, assessing his expression of shock and horror, before speaking in her own strangled whisper, "Tatt? What's up?"

Kellin only stared. Rowan followed his eye-line, seeing the blood soaking her pajama bottoms and sheets.

"What the fuck?!" she roared, jumping out of her bunk as if she'd been laying on hot coals.

That movement set the rest of the domino effect in motion. Rowan darted into the cupboard-sized-bathroom, Kellin grabbed after her but missed and ended up standing outside the door on which he banged his fist, the rest of the guys woke up and those who had already been awake came in as they all tried to understand what was happening. Upon seeing the mass of blood, the guys began asking questions or helping Kellin bang on the door. Finally, Kellin asked Rowan, "Are you okay? Are you cleaning them up? You have to let me in."

"No!" Rowan cried back, her words sounding as though they came form under water. "Go away! All of you!"

"Rowan, you've got to let us help you! You won't be hurt, we just want to help!" Gabe called through the door next.

"She relapsed?" Jesse asked Kellin in a murmured whisper.

Kellin nodded solemnly, "I woke up and found her covered in blood, she freaked out when she saw that I'd noticed."

"But what could she have used? We don't even keep can openers or tweezers on this bus!" Jesse argued quietly, his voice covered but the various attempts to coax Rowan from the bathroom that the others were making.

"Exactly, on this bus. But yesterday she was exposed to nearly every band here when she worked. Hell, I bet they used box-cutters and exacto-knives to work with!" Kellin explained, growing panic in his voice.

"Everyone, just leave me alone!" Rowan shouted, but the guys didn't give up so easily. "Fine! If you want the truth, I'll give it to you!"

The bathroom door opened a crack and Rowan's eye became visible. Kellin was the first to rush forward, but she wouldn't allow them to open the door fully.

She cleared her throat, jutting her chin up a few inches in defiance, and avoided eye-contact as she said, "I didn't cut."

The last word sent a shiver down Kellin's spine, as did the fact that she just lied to him. "Rowan, I'm not stupid or blind. I saw the blood. Just come out and talk to me. Or, if you want to be alone, just let me in."