Us.

Chapter 37: The Perfect Day

Braden's P.O.V. (5 days later)

A/N: This probably won't make sense right now, but trust me, it will. The words in the italics are what Braden is seeing and hearing. So no one else can see or hear what is going on. So basically, the italics are Braden's thoughts...

Now, let's get this ball rollin'

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"Your flight takes off at 6 PM. I'll meet you at the airport when you land in LA, then we will start some press here." My uncle says.

"Okay." I say into the phone.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." He says.

"That's not what I'm worried about, but thanks anyway." I say.

"I know it'll be hard to leave, but you'll have so much fun here that you'll forget about what you left behind." He says. I clench my free fist because that comment infuriates me.

"I got to go. I'll see you in a few days." I say.

"Bye." He says. I hang up and throw my phone on my bed. How does he think that I can forget about all of this? He doesn't know me, he doesn't know what I've been through. Heat flushes to my cheeks and I take a shoe on the floor and throw it at the wall, and anger is flooded from my body. I scream as loud as I can and fall to my knees. I run my fingers through my hair and scream again.

How can I do this? I can't do this to Claire, I can't put her through this. But I am.

I have two days to spend with her. I only have two more days with the love of my life. We could have more, but I was stupid enough to say yes to my uncle. If I wasn't an idiot, we could have more time together, but I don't want her getting hurt.

Images flood my mind at that very moment.

Claire falls to the ground after opening her window for me. Her body limp when I pick her up.

Blood runs down her side from where my dad stabbed her, and she hobbles away to get a new shirt.

My dad drags her out of the light by her shirt and starts beating her right in front of me (that was a dream, but I don't care).

She falls to her knees with blood all over her, after she came out of the car and her body goes limp in my arms.

I walk into my house and Claire is in the middle of the floor. She closes her eyes and she passes out.

The guy with the knife punches her and she falls to the ground unconscious.

I scream as the images replay over and over again in my mind, as if on a loop. I scream and throw anything I can get my hands on. Who knows what I break by throwing things?

I stand up and punch the wall multiple times, anger leaving my body. I pick up a ceramic statue Cindy gave me a while ago and I slam it against the wall. The pieces go everywhere, and the they cut my hand. I scream in pain and frustration as I continue to hit the wall, getting blood everywhere. I scream again and continually hit the wall.

"Braden?" I hear Claire's voice echo in the back of my mind. "Braden!" It echoes again. I cover my ears and scream, I fall to my knees. "Braden!" Her voice penetrates it's way into my ears and I can't take it. I remove my hands from my ears and feel the sticky blood on my face. My vision goes blurry as I try to block out her voice. I look up and three of her appear in front of me. "Braden!" They all yell. "Hey, look right here. You're going to be okay! Stay with me!" They yell.

She screams when I hug her.

The life leaves her body. (Still a dream, but it doesn't matter)