Sasha let out a wobbly breath, tapping the door in a feeble attempt of a knock. Kyle still had a protective, loving arm wrapped around her waist supporting her, keeping her standing. Sasha leaned heavily against him, letting tears flow down her cheek.
"Sasha!" Indi gasped, pulling her baby sister out of Kyle's arms and wrapping her in a too tight hug. Sasha didn't protest, instead let her sister lead her to the couch, smiling weakly at Dex and Romeo when Indi finally let her go. Kyle tentatively followed behind the sisters, not sure if he was welcome. If Doctor Walker was in the room, he would surely not be welcome, not that he expected to be welcome by anyone in the Walker clan.
"Did Kyle hurt you? Because I swear to God if he so much as laid a finger on you..." Dex asked his sister, oblivious to the fact that Kyle had walked in to the room, standing awkwardly behind him. Sasha smiled weakly at Kyle, shaking her head.
"If Kyle had hit me do you really think I would let him into our house?" Sasha wanted the couch to swallow her whole as soon as she had let the words out of her mouth. The tension in the room was palpable. Of course their thoughts would go straight to Stu, she did so much more than simply let Stu into their house, but it wasn't like that now.
"It's not like that. Kyle isn't Stu." Sasha exasperatedly sighed, avoiding her siblings repulsion at the mention of Stu's name.
"What's wrong Sash? You can tell us." Romeo sweetly smiled, sitting next to Sasha and rubbing soothing circles on her back. She smiled at the gesture, letting herself calm down.
"Kyle knows," Sasha noticed the confused glances shared between Dex, Indi and Romeo, "Kyle knows that I'm a murderer." Sasha could hear the angry yells from her siblings directed at Kyle. Telling him he was an idiot for breaking up with Sasha over something he knew nothing about. Telling him that it was self-defense.
"Do you really think I would break up with Sasha over something Holly said?" Kyle finally defended himself, offended that Indi and Dex thought such little of him.
"I get she killed this guy, but Sasha doesn't have it in her to be a murderer. Whatever the story is, whatever happened, Sasha can tell me if, and when, she is ready." A dead pan silence fell over the room and Sasha let her head fall to her lap. Her date had gone perfectly, everything was perfect. It went from perfect to this in under a second. Why couldn't she just have a good night for once?
"He abused me. I tried to break up with him, leave him, I really did. It just wasn't that easy. I was fifteen, my Mom had just died and I'd been relocated to live with my Dad that I didn't even know and his children. They separated my brother and I. I wasn't strong enough to leave. To tell him he couldn't treat me like that. Things happened, Dad found out, and these guys. He was about to leave town. Forever. I wouldn't have to see him ever again. He just wanted to talk once more. I went with him and...and he tried to hurt me. I wasn't going to let him touch me like that again, so I pushed him away. He died straight away. I loved him. Stu. He was a good guy, just dealt a crappy hand. His Dad abused him. I'm not trying to justify his actions, but I've got to try to understand why he was like that. The hurt, the emotional trauma he put on me, it's hard to deal with. It's hard. And then someone like Holly comes along to bring up your past and...I just want to forget that, him y'know?" Sasha was choking on sobs by the time she was finished, and she hadn't even realized that Kyle had an arm draped around her back, letting her sob into his chest. Sasha became aware of Indi, Dex, Romeo all sat around her, comforting her. Letting her break in front of them.
"Here, let me help you get cleaned up." Indi gingerly picked her sister off of the couch and led her to the bathroom. Sasha thanked her with a soft smile, glad she had stopped crying. The boys felt the awkward air in the room as soon as the pair had left. Romeo scooted over to the other end of the couch, in attempts to add distance to lessen the awkward, while Dex jumped out of his seat sending at accusatory glare at Kyle.
"What the hell was that about?" Dex angrily asked the boy, trying to keep his voice down for Sasha's sake. "It was meant to be a nice date, not one that would end up with her in tears."
"Wait, you knew that she was going out with him?" Romeo asked, perplexed that Sasha had even gotten out of the house. Indi was usually onto these things...unless she was in on it too. The Walker children had been acting strangely, but he kind of expected that behaviour. After being around them for the amount of time he had it was weird to see them acting, well, normal.
"Did Sasha sneak out?" Kyle asked incredulously, heartily laughing when he was answered.
"Dad's reaction to..." Dex gestured towards Kyle indicating his and Sasha's relationship, "would not be one full of support and hugs. And Romeo would totally run to Dad if he found out."
"Sid is going to kill all four of you." Romeo laughed, glad to not be part of the plan.
"You're in on it now, no getting away from Dad's wrath." Dex retorted, praying that the doctor would not find out about their scheme.
"Doctor Walker. He's not that bad...right? Just the normal father stuff?" Kyle anxiously asked, ashen face. With his previous interaction with the doctor combined with Sasha sneaking out, and now this talk he was a little scared.
"Sid's a badass dude." Romeo laughed, his features slightly creased with worry. "I married Indi in Hawaii, he flew all the way there to try stop it."
"But he's not going to like punch me or anything? I can handle disapproving." Kyle shrugged, trying to convince himself there was nothing to worry about. Dex spun his head around, clearly looking to see if either of the girls were going to reenter the room. When he was sure the coast was clear he responded.
"Sasha didn't exactly tell you the whole story. When Dad found out about Stu abusing Sash he-he went mental. I'm talking bat shit crazy. He hurt Stu pretty bad. Like hospitalized bad. There was court cases, restraining orders, the works. That's why Stu was leaving town, to get away from it all. You hurt Sash and I don't think Dad will hesitate." Dex quickly spilled out, and Kyle feel his mouth drop open, unable to close it, he blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Yeah, I think that was everybody's reaction." Romeo laughed, Kyle growing on him the more he talked, or didn't from his confused face.
"But he's a doctor. He's meant to fix people not hurt them." Kyle spoke, still trying to make sense of it. Dex and Romeo both burst into fits of laughter.
"You guys aren't tearing Braxton's throat out? This is progress." Indi stated dropping into her husband's lap, playing with a loose thread on his gym shirt.
"Well, I better get going. I'm just gonna say bye to Sash." Kyle announced rolling his eyes at Indi's comment. He would have left much earlier, but he felt rude not saying goodbye to Sasha. Plus he wanted to see if she was okay.
"Don't leave on my account. I'm not breaking up boy time am I?" Indi snickered as Dex poked his tongue out at her in reply.
"Kyle, for the record, we've got your back with Dad." Dex shrugged as Kyle got off the couch.
"You're good for her. She wouldn't have just told anybody about Stu." Romeo smiled approvingly at Kyle. Great, Kyle thought to himself. Now all I need is Doctor Walker's approval, easy.
"Hay, Sash?" Kyle tentatively knocked on Sasha's bedroom door, hoping that she would be okay. That she wouldn't be crying. His heart broke when he saw how hurt she was before. When he heard what Stu had done to the stunning girl.
"You can come in." Sasha laughed after a few minutes, snapping Kyle from his thoughts.
"Oh, right. I was just leaving, wanted to say bye." Kyle laughed, cupping the back of his neck with a rough hand, he hadn't even realized that Sasha had opened the door. He looked up to see her perched on the edge of her desk chair, arms wrapped around her bare legs. She looked gorgeous in an oversized shirt with some cloth shorts. Her hair was done in a top knot, accentuating her features. Any other girl would have looked ordinary. He had seen Tamara and Bianca in this state and they had nothing on Sasha. Sasha who beautiful. Sasha who was amazingly strong. Sasha who was perfect.
"Seriously am I that boring? You keep zoning out on me. Oh God, it's because of Stu isn't it? That's fine. Totally fine. You can leave now and we can stop this and we don't have to talk about it ever again. It's fine." Sasha continued rambling until Kyle had his lips pressed to hers. His arms resting comfortably on her waist. Sasha sighed contentedly into his mouth, lowering her knees from her chin and tangling her hands in his hair.
"Sasha I'm not going to leave you, you can't get rid of me that easily." Kyle finally breathed, moving a hand up to her face, softly caressing her cheek.
"Good." Sasha smiled, leaning in to his touch, subsequently falling off her chair.
"Smooth babe." Kyle threw his head back in laughter, her face when she realized she was falling was priceless.
"Shut up. That was your fault" A warm blush rose to Sasha's cheeks and she hoped it wasn't painfully obvious. "Nope, definitely don't want your help." Sasha swatted his hand away, this time lying on her bed.
"I'll just leave then seeing you don't need me." Sasha poked her tongue out in response.
"No but seriously, it's late. I should get going, plus I don't think they'll appreciate me hanging around." Kyle kissed Sasha on her forehead, before he felt her hands fist his shirt bringing him down for a proper snog. Kyle smiled broadly when they finally broke apart, this kiss softer than the others. It was nice to see Sasha so gentle. Kyle squeezed his girlfriend's hand before spinning on his heel and walking towards the bedroom door. He placed his hand on the metal of the door handle, begging himself to not go back to Sasha. To kiss her once more. To hold her in his arms and never let go.
"Stay." Sasha's voice was barely a whisper, but it made Kyle stop dead in his tracks, hand hovering above the door handle.
"Please. I-I need you." Sasha scolded herself for letting a tear fall down her face again. Kyle turned around, studying the girl who had slipped under her sheets. Buried her face in a pillow. In two quick steps Kyle was at the girl's bedside, sliding his shoes off. Sasha peeked up at him through her long eyelashes. He peeled his shirt off, smirking at Sasha's lust filled eyes. He gingerly lowered himself onto her bed, testing the waters. He was still wary if she truly wanted him there, on her bed, arms wrapped around her. He swung his legs underneath the covers, watching Sasha. Sasha rolled her eyes, unable to bear the slow pace of her boyfriend. She quickly pulled him towards her, curling herself up against his chest, letting her legs intertwine with his. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer, Sasha let out a content sigh, falling asleep to the sound of Kyle's steady heartbeat.
"I love you Sasha Bezmal." Kyle muttered into the girl's hair once he was sure that she had fallen asleep.