Page 19 of The Fight For Survival

His eyes widen, and he pulls back from the table, standing up. "The fuck? When?"

I stare at him, my eyes welling up, "Kane, he died about a year after you left." Standing up and going over to him, I murmur, "I'm sorry. I thought you knew." He shakes his head, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. "I had no idea. I guess I did a good job of becoming a ghost. How did he die?"

I observe him. He doesn't look sad one bit. He seems shocked, maybe, and a little unhinged.

"I don't know his cause of death, Kane. His body was found in a lake just outside of town." He tips his head back and breaks into laughter. He bends over, holding his stomach from the force. I stare at him slack-jawed.

"Why are you laughing?"

Kane stops laughing, stepping into my space, his face a picture of anger. "It's not your goddamn business, Cade. We were friends once. Not anymore, so why the hell do you think I have to explain myself to you?" He spits out aggressively. I step back from the unexpected venomous tone.

"I need to go," he sighs, closing his eyes.

I feel the sting that his words cause, but I'll be damned if I let it show. I get in his face and point to the door. "You know what, Kane? Fuck you and your fucking miserable life. You want to leave? Then go. It's what you're good at, isn't it? Just make sure you don't fuck em and leave em this time" I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth, but I refuse to take them back, tired of his attitude.

His smirk tells me my words didn't hit a nerve, but it looks empty. "She didn't tell you, did she?" I look at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Surprise shows on his face. "Mia didn't tell you everything from the night I left." He turns his back on me, leaving the kitchen, then I hear the front door open and slam shut. I slump back down in my chair and put my head in my hands. What the fuck is he talking about? What else was there to tell? He had sex with her and then ran away. Right?

Mia

I'mrunningupthepath to avoid the rain and in a hurry to get back to Zoe's before the party starts. In all the drama with Kane earlier today, I forgot my party outfit when I went to help her set up.

Shielding my face from the rain by looking down, I run into a brick wall, causing me to stumble backward when I feel hands gripping my arms to catch me. I look up, and my eyes widen in surprise when they look into ice blue ones. "Kane? What are you doing here?" I take him in from his haunted eyes, down to his wet shirt, and notice his hands are strapped, the knuckles bloody. "Are you okay?"

Releasing me, he tries to get past me, but I grab into his arm, stopping him. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kane? I'm talking to you" He rounds in on me, causing me to take a cautious step back. I'm not afraid of him. It's just the sheer size of him can be intimidating. Add the angry scowl on his face. Anyone would want to keep their distance.

"What did you tell Cade about the night I left?" My heart beats faster, "what do you mean?" He stalks closer. "What I mean is, did you tell him I just turned up, fucked you, and left you. Or did you tell him the truth?" I go to respond when the front door opens.

Cade is standing there with suspicion on his face. "What is he talking about, Mia?" I look down at my feet and then up into Kane's sad eyes, raindrops dripping down his face. We are both soaked now, and I start shivering. Whether it's from the cold or my nerves, I don't know.

"Sounds like Mia here left out a few little details about that night," Kane shares unhelpfully.

Cade walks down the two steps to meet us. Looking me in the eyes, I see the control he holds over himself so well, usually slipping. He growls, balling his fists by his sides, nostrils flaring, "Tell me everything."

Five years ago

I'm sitting on my bed in my room, looking at a college brochure, when I hear tapping on my window. I know who's there, and a smile touches my lips. I throw the booklet on the floor and run to the window, opening it, beaming until I see him.

"Kane, what's wrong?" He's a mess. His clothes are stained and saturated with blood, and his face is black and blue. Fat lip, swollen eye. He's grimacing in pain as he stares at me, defeated. His whole body is shivering like he will never be warm again.

"c-can I come in?" he stutters, looking me in the eye pleadingly. I move aside so he can slide through.

Heading into my bathroom, I grab a towel, it's raining outside, and Kane is soaked. I open the cabinet under my sink and pull out the first aid kit. When I return from the bathroom, my heart sinks at the sight of him. He's just stood in the middle of my room, head down and shoulders slumped.

Walking over to him, I remove his shirt, causing him to hiss through his teeth. When I look at his ribs, they are black and blue. "Oh my god, Kane, what happened to you?" I cry, horrified as I assess him. He doesn't respond. I think he must be in shock or something. I continue to undress him, leaving him in just his boxer briefs, ignoring the hormonal response to having him standing in my bedroom like this.

Not the time, Mia.

I get the towel and start drying his soft dark hair, the whole time, Kane just stands there watching me with an intense look on his face.

"You're freezing, Kane," I whisper once I've finished drying him off. "Get under the blankets and warm up. I'm going to wash your cuts with some antiseptic wipes," I say, gently guiding him to my bed.

After I've wiped his cuts and removed the dry, crusted blood from his face, I go over to my door and lock it, not wanting to risk my Mom catching him in here with me if she comes home from work. "I'm just going to take a quick shower, and then we can talk," I tell him, grabbing a pair of jeans and a tank top out of my drawer. I don't need a shower. I just need a minute to compose myself. It hit me hard seeing him beaten and broken like that. Was it another fight? The broken look tells me it's more.

Standing under the hot water, crying silently for the broken boy in the other room, I let it all out now so I can be strong for him afterward. I don't know what's happened, but I've never seen Kane look so lost and helpless. Kane is the strong, outspoken, carefree one of the three of us.

With a broken sigh, I reluctantly get out of the shower and dry myself. I put on my green tank top and dark skinny jeans and brush a comb through my long red hair. When I open the bathroom door, Kane sits in my bed with the covers around his waist.

Even with all the cuts and bruises marring his body, he is still a beautiful sight. His dark brown hair is slightly longer than he usually has, sitting just above his light blue eyes, and curls nicely around his neck. He is tall, standing at around six feet. This year his body has started changing, and you can clearly see his muscular tone, which makes me wonder how big he will be when he finally stops growing.