Haiden Cross "Keep your phone close Cross, I'll need you tomorrow." Snake's voice grunts as he pushes me out of the car. My body makes contact with the concrete and I groan. I heard the screeching of tires as he drives off. I cough when the smell of the burnt tires reaches my nose. I blinked, rolling on my stomach as I looked at where he dropped me off. My neighborhood. I tear my eyes away from my house and focus on Bella's. "Bella." I grunt forcing myself to stand up on my legs. ___________ Arabella Rivera I couldn't sleep. My mind racing too much to even allow me to rest. Father wanted me to stop seeing Haiden. He wanted me to leave the boy who ever made me feel loved. He wanted me to let go of my future. I sobbed turning over and burying my face into my pillow. I couldn't see my future if there was no Haiden. We were so happy that I forgot that we would have obstacles in our way. And father was the biggest one. A faint tap to my window drew me out of my jumbled thoughts. I quickly wiped my tears, hoping it was Haiden. Usually, when it gets a certain time he'd come over to cuddle with me until I fell asleep. I didn't want him to see me crying, I knew how worried he become when he even notices my shift of emotions. After making sure to move all evidence of my tears, I strut over to my window. Pulling the curtain aside my eyes fall on Haiden's face and my heart drops. Opening the window quickly, I helped him in and bit off a scream as he falls on the cold floor of my room. His arms circle around my ankles as he moans. "Bella." With my heart racing and my mind running with so many scenarios that made my gut twist, I crouched and turned Haiden around. I couldn't really see him much because of the lack of light in my room but from the glimpse I got, he didn't look great. "Wait here baby." I whispered, running over to my door to make sure it's locked and flicked on the light switch.When my eyes fall on Haiden, all I could feel was the heavy lump in my throat and the uneasy turning of my belly. His shirt was soaked with blood on his stomach and as I walked over to him, the discoloring under his eye and jaw made me gasp. Falling to my knees beside him, I couldn't stop the sob from slipping from my lips as I touched his stomach. "What did you get yourself into Haiden?" I whispered, fisting his shirt as I looked at his face. His eyes flickered and then opened. He groans lowly in pain and stares at me with a gleam. "I'm sorry Bella. I couldn't hold that promise, to not get hurt." I blinked away my tears as I began to lift his shirt. "Was it Snake?" I whispered as I revealed the long gash running across his stomach. It looked awful. Lifting my eyes to his when I didn't get an answer, Haiden rips his gaze away from mine in shame. I sighed. He fought tonight. "You need a doctor baby." I croaked as my eyes drop back to the long gash. It was bleeding a good bit. "No." He groans, forcing himself to sit up. He winces and looks at me. "I'm fine Bella. Just need a few painkillers and I'll be good." "You need more than painkillers Haiden. We need to stop the bleeding and clean the gash before it gets infected." I grumble, leaning away from him as I looked around. I didn't have a first aid kit in my bathroom or at least alcohol to clean off the gash. I knew that dating Haiden would come with all these bad scenarios but never would I have expected him to come to my room, looking like someone in desperate need of a hospital. "The first aid kit is in the bathroom downstairs," I murmur. I didn't want to leave him but I have no choice. Rising to my feet I looked down at his beat-up and bleeding self. Hatred for Snake coursed through me hotly. If I could strain his neck myself, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just didn't understand why Haiden didn't want to quit this nonsense that would put him in a body bag. "I'll be back. Try to not make too much noise. I'm not sure if my mother is awake or not." Haiden nods and winces. Gulping he looks up at me when I turn to leave. " I'm sorry Bella." He whispered, shame tangling in his voice. I stop and look at his face. The dark purple under his eye looked ugly and painful. I hated seeing him like this. "What are you sorry for Haiden? That you won't quit this nonsense? Or is it that you're sorry I had to see you like this?" I whispered with a painful crack in my voice. His eyes drop to stare at his bloody shirt before lifting back to mine. "For both." He whispers painfully. I don't bother answering, just walked to the door unlocked it and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. Even with his admission, I knew that whatever Haiden would do, I would still be madly in love with him. I just wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. Tiptoeing down the stairs was very difficult since I knew mother had a keen sense of hearing. Opening the bathroom door, I flicked on the switch and entered. The first aid kit was supposed to be here. At least I hoped so. Rummaging through the draws I couldn't see the first aid kit but did see the rubbing alcohol. It was better than nothing. Taking the bottle and a few cotton balls I saw in one of the draws, I made my way back upstairs only to see the door to my room parted. When I saw mother crouching beside Haiden, my heart dropped to my toes and I froze in the parted door. Hearing my footsteps, Haiden's head snap to me and his actions made mother whirl around to face me. I gulped, my fingers trembling as I looked at her. Was she going to call dad? The cops? Fear made my heart pound painfully as I wait for her to say something. What I expected her to say didn't roll off her tongue though. She murmured something unexpected. "Close the door before your father suddenly shows up." Turning back to Haiden she starts dabbing something on his stomach. My eyes fall to the first aid kit I had been looking for. I took small steps towards them after closing and locking my door. I couldn't quite wrap my head around seeing mother helping Haiden. How did she even know he was here? When I am beside her she murmurs without looking at me. "Give me some of that alcohol in your hand."Wordlessly I pass it over to her, confused and bewildered at seeing her cleaning Haiden's gash. Even Haiden looked perplexed and slightly awkward. Suddenly she starts speaking. " I used to get into a lot of trouble before I met your father. That trouble always landed me in the hands of not so nice situations. Usually, I had to clean up my mess by myself." She sweeps the white cotton ball with alcohol around the gash to clean off the blood. " I heard you two, every night. I know everything." I froze and Haiden's eyes snap to mine in shock. Did she just admit that she knew about us from the moment we got together? Her head turns a little to look down at Haiden. "And I also know that you love my daughter. If you didn't, then you wouldn't be here."