Ch. 15: Roller Coaster of a Day

AARON WATSON'S POV

Everything around us seemed to stop existing. Tunnel vision. I was almost certain that I did not use my powers. If anything, it felt like I had been cut off from them completely. Maybe it was the dread. I felt sick.

"Are you going to say anything?"

Her voice made my scarred wrists ache. Harsh and cutting. It brought back all the memories I had tried to forget.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Chloe asked, tensing up.

"I'm his sister, Abby." Her eyes narrowed, challenging. "Who the hell are you?"

After all this time, there she was… standing right in front of me. Bold and brazen. The one person I never wanted to see again, who I had been running from. Just when things were starting to improve, life threw this at me.

It was not fair.

Chloe wrapped her arms around my arm. It was enough to drag me back to reality. I blushed when I felt how warm she was.

"I'm his girlfriend."

Abby laughed hard, earning the attention of everyone in the jewellery store.

"How much did he pay you?"

"What?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Or are you just a dime store whore who will fuck anyone with a pulse?" Abby hissed.

Abby loved to do this. She loved making everyone she talked to feel less, but all she did was earn the wrath of Chloe Price – something any sane person would avoid at all costs.

Of course, Abby was far from sane. I had seen that first-hand.

This could only end badly. As much as I wanted to step in, to protect Chloe from Abby and run as far away as possible, I could not. My body refused to move, frozen to the spot.

All I could do was watch.

Chloe let go of my arm, strolling up to Abby. She stared her down, a full inch taller. A face of thunder, well-practiced intimidation. Even though I had seen another side of Chloe, something much gentler, she could be scary when she wanted to be.

"What was that?"

Abby's smile was ear to ear. Taunting.

"Dime. Store. Whore," she repeated, each word an aggressive stab.

Chloe's face twisted with repressed anger. "You want to push buttons, go right ahead. I'll push back, and I'll push hard."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I dare you cum gargling bitc-"

With one swift motion, Abby slapped Chloe across the face. The sound resounded. I winced, my own cheek tingling. She rubbed her cheek and turned to face me.

"Are you okay, Chloe?" I asked, drowning in guilt.

This was all my fault.

"Oh. I'm fine," Chloe muttered. "I'm fine."

She then spun around, and punched Abby in the nose. With an enraged screech, Abby grabbed her nose with both hands and fell on her ass. My eyes widened, jaw dropping. This was the first time I had seen anyone fight back and actually win against Abby.

Definitely the first time anyone had stuck up for me.

"You fuckin' bitch," Abby yelled, her voice muffled.

To add insult to injury, Chloe spat on her.

"Yeah, that's what you fucking get!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the security guard striding towards us. We had caused a huge scene. Finally able to move again, I grabbed Chloe's wrist and dragged her out of the store. The guard did not follow, but we did not stop. Not until we were almost at the diner.

"Man," Chloe inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath, "what a-"

Before she could finish her sentence, I gave her a massive hug.

"Thank you so much," I was holding back tears. "No one's ever stood up to her before."

Her arms hovered awkwardly, then she returned the hug.

"Yeah, don't mention it."

We stayed like that for a moment, Chloe comforting me. Again, I felt guilty. If anything, I should be comforting her. She did get smacked in the face after all… because of me.

When I felt brave enough, I looked her in the eye. My voice trembled, only barely audible.

"I'd like to go back now."

"Okay," she said, "let's get to the truck."

The trip to the truck and to Chloe's house was silent. There was some sort of tension between us, but I could not place my finger on it. Perhaps I had done something wrong. Maybe Chloe blamed me for all this. I desperately wanted to ask but was too scared… so the tension persisted. Borderline uncomfortable.

The rest of the day remained quiet between us. Aside from a brief phone call from Max, nothing happened. Uneventful.

Then, night came.

My mind raced with today's events. If Chloe had not been there, what would have happened? I did not want to think about it. Instead, I turned my back to the door and focused on the rain outside the window. Soothing. I tried to find a tune to accompany it, humming softly. Everything would be okay in the morning…

Just as I began to drift off, I heard a faint creak. The door opened, someone stepping inside.

"Hey," Chloe whispered. "You awake?"

I could barely see her in the dark. Blinking sleep from my eyes, I shifted in the bed.

"I am."

"Can I… sleep with you?"

Still sleep dazed, I moved to the far side of the bed. I began to drift off again when my back suddenly felt very warm. She did not have a shirt or a bra on.

"Chloe…"

"What?" She yawned. "I get hot in bed."

I tensed, asking the question I already knew the answer to.

"Are you-?"

"I'm not naked," she wrapped her arms around my chest, "I have socks on."

"Chloe," I turned to face her, "you are very beautiful. But… I've just had all this trauma resurface, so, I'm not sure if I'm ready for anything serious."

She wrapped her arms around me again and pulled me in close. Her breasts were pressed up against me.

"I haven't been this close to anybody since Rachel." There was a faint smell of alcohol on her breath. "I think I love you."

She leaned in and placed a kiss on my lips.

"How drunk are you?" I asked.

"Drunk enough to know I want you, sober enough that you wouldn't be taking advantage of me."

I rolled on top of her and kissed her deeply. Despite my hesitation – perhaps this was the wrong time and place – I really wanted to do this. Based on Chloe's reaction, she did too. Before things could get too heated, I stopped the kiss.

"If we do this," I whispered in her ear, "we have to do it quietly. Don't want to wake anybody."

She said nothing, kissing my neck. I had no idea if she actually paid attention to what I just said, but it did not matter. All I could focus on was her.

Fuck the consequences.

MAX CAULFIELD'S POV:

The storm rolled through Arcadia Bay during the night. I was too preoccupied to notice. A dream about a wolf with blue wings. Gentle yet intense eyes, trying to convey some kind of telepathic message. At this point, I was not a stranger to weird dreams but this one…. Before I forgot the details, I drew it in my sketchbook. It turned out much better than I ever expected, enough that I wanted to show Chloe and Aaron.

I called Chloe some time before the rain; she sounded like she had a lot on her mind. Eager to find out what, I decided to pay her a visit. After class finished and I got some studying done, I took the bus to Chloe's house.

Treading a path I knew well, I approached the front door and knocked, eager to see her reaction to my surprise visit. I knocked on the door, eager to see Chloe's reaction to my surprise visit. However, I was more surprised to see her, and what she was wearing - socks, panties, and the flannel she had given to Aaron.

"Max," she yawned, "looking good today. Come in."

For once, she did not even try to tease or flirt with me; she treated me like a welcome guest. She was acting… sanely. The uncharacteristic behavior terrified me. Something happened. I was sure of it. Now, to find out what.

"Um…" I finally got out, "where's Aaron?"

"He's still in his bedroom," she stated falling on the couch, "we had a roller coaster of a day after your special night together."

I could feel my cheeks get hot, and I noticed a faint blush on Chloe's cheeks as well. She told me everything in her very Price-like way. Her descriptions were vivid, if not over exaggerated.

She laughed when she talked about Aaron dancing to an old song; her voice became flirty when she talked about his confession to her. I blushed when I thought about how he loved me as much as he loved Chloe. Of course, she could have been exaggerating. The tone of her voice became somewhat normal as she described the meal at Two Whales and their conversation with Joyce.

"So far this isn't that interesting," I said, "I was promised a roller coaster, not a teacup ride."

"Oh, I see," Chloe's voice deepened. "Well, if it is a roller coaster you want, a roller coaster, you'll get it. His sister showed up."

Blood drained from my cheeks. On the first night we met Aaron, he talked about his sister like she was the devil. I could still remember his vivid tales and the overwhelming trauma in his gentle eyes. I shuddered, recalling what she drove him to… and what would have happened if I had not been there to stop it.

Chloe went on to describe the jewellery store incident and how she punched her through a window and kicked a cop in the balls.

"Wow," was all I could manage, "then what happened?"

"We came here and…" The rest of her sentence was lost to a mumble.

My eyes widened. It all made sense; her pleasant demeanor, the fact she was wearing Aaron's flannel, her reluctance to talk about what happened that night.

"You didn't."

Chloe shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I might have done."

Silence filled the air. I breathed in… and out… "How did it happen?"

"You want the saucy details too?" She asked, but it was not in her usual teasing voice.

She was being serious… and it scared me.

"I-"

Before I could even hope to answer, Aaron walked out of his bedroom. The three of us stared at each other, tension palpable. None of us spoke at first. We did not know what to say. When I first saw Aaron, I had no idea it would come to this. All I could do was wait and see what he would say, if anything.

"Are all of us feeling the same awkward energy, or is it just me?" He asked sheepishly.

"No, no," I said, "I think it's all of us."

"Sorry if you wanted to keep it a secret," Chloe stated.

"Honestly, I never expected it would stay a secret. Not with Max, anyway." He took a deep breath as if preparing for something big. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you both."

He walked up to us and held our hands. There was a long pause. His expression faltered, then shifted back to nervous determination. Both Chloe and I waited with bated breath.

"I'm going to cut the bullshit and just say it…" he looked at us both in turn, "Chloe… Max… I love you both."

I swear my heart stopped for a full five seconds.

It's been a crazy year hasn't it? I want you to know that I love you all, and I'm so sorry I'm not updating too fast. I'd like to thank all of you for staying with me.