Authors Note: I've been having a hard time sticking with my Sunday upload because it's not in routine yet and I've crazy busy with school and work so I will try to upload once a week but if not then definitely once every two weeks. I hate having it being that spaced out but once I get into routine, the uploads will be more frequent. Thank you everyone that has been reviewing and following, means alot!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy
The constant flashing lights blind me. "Phoebe! Phoebe Grey!" They huddle around me. I try to get away. "What do you have to say? What's it like, being thrown away from your family? It is true that you tried to commit suicide? Did your parents make you do this?" The questions never stopped. The flashes never went away, they just kept on coming... coming after me. I start screaming for help. I have to get away. I can't do this. It's too much.
"Phoebe!" I hastily hear the echo of my name but it isn't from the reporters. "Phoebe, wake up!" I start to feel the gentle shake to my body and the flashes begin to fade, the questions become to be soft whispers and soon I cannot hear them anymore. I can't see anything. Everything around me is black. "Phebs!" I feel once more a shake but this time it's stronger and I open my eyes.
My breathing is rapid and I feel wet realizing I'm sweating. I turn to see Skyler kneeling next to the couch, brushing the hair in my face away. I begin to shake. I immediately look away with embarrassment. I can't believe this just happened. "Phoebe?" I hear him whisper.
"Don't. Don't even start Skyler. I don't need this right now." My voice cracks and I feel the pool of water water through my eyes.
"You've been having bad dreams." He ignores my request but I'm not surprised by this. "Why didn't you tell me?" I can't tell if he's mad at me or not.
I let out a deep breath and gain the courage to look at him. "How can I when you have so much more to worry about than me. More extreme situations too." I could barely see Skyler in the dark but I can definitely feel him.
"Phoebe, you were screaming in your sleep. I'm surprised your parents didn't hear you. You're really shaken up right now. What was it about?" He starts to rub my back.
I hesitate for a moment. I realize in that moment that there's no reason to hide anything from Skyler now. What the point when he's just going to find out the hard way and it just makes it more difficult being forced to open up. "People were taking pictures and I was being blinded by it. One asked if I tried to commit suicide." And that did it. I break down right in front of Skyler. I can't hold it any longer than I already have. I put my hand over my face in shame for Skyler to see my breakdown.
A couple of seconds later I feel the weight being shifted on the couch and I feel his strong arms wrap around me along with a soft kiss in my hair. He continues to stroke my back and occasionally my hair. "Sleep. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." I choke a little from my tears and try to even my breathing. I wrap my arms around Skyler's waist and let the warmth of his body comfort me.
"Please don't hate me. All I want is for you to be safe." I whisper with my eyes closing. I know that Skyler won't agree to move in. He only said he would while at the beach so I can have some closure but I know deep down he doesn't want to. Skyler thinks he's always a burden to others when he never is. I wish I can make him see that.
"I can never hate you Phoebe. It's selfish to say you are all I have left and if I let you go, there's nothing left to fight for." He whispered in my hair. I didn't know what he was talking about. I am not someone who is worth fighting for. I create problems, give people pain and make lives miserable and my best friend is saying I am worth fighting for?
"I am not worth fighting for, Skyler." I feel his grip tighten and his nails slightly and gently dig into skin and I know it's a warning of his anger. I'm not sure if I angered him by what I said or what I felt.
"You are everything that is worth fighting for. How can you think for a second that you aren't? Yes, you have issues but so does every single person who is breathing on this planet." He tone is harsh and he's trying to keep his anger in. I feel guilty for making him feel like that to begin with.
"Stay with me. I need you here. I need my best friend here because who knows what else I'll do. I don't trust myself but I trust you. Move in, Skyler. Let's convince my parents. We need each other." I begged. I was not going to let my parents take this down. If they even considered putting Skyler on the streets having to figure out his problem on his own, then I'm done. I love my family, I really do but when it comes to Skyler, I put him before anyone.
"Phoebe, you know it won't happen and I am not even going to consider pushing my luck with your father. Your family is who I trust and I can't lose that."
"And you won't! When are you going to get that through your incredibly thick skull?" I irritably say. Skyler laughs at me and I narrow my eyes. "Go to sleep asshole!" I smack him in the chest and he whines as if it hurt. I feel a soft kiss on my forehead and another small shift and I know Skyler is slowly falling asleep. This is where I love to be. In his arms. Being held. I never want to leave. Ever.
I slowly feel the day coming alive when a small gesture is being repeated on my back. I shift slightly to see the light coming into the living room and Skyler looking down at me while rubbing my back. "Good morning," I lazily smile.
"Good morning to you too. I can watch you sleep forever, Phoebe." I'm rewarded with his all-american smile.
"No, you would get bored." I look around to find the time but my phone isn't with me. "What time is it?" I start to get up but can feel Skylers grip on my tighten so I stay in place.
"Just after 6. Your parents are awake, I heard them talking in your dad's office." The thought frightens me. Did my Dad see Skyler and I sleeping next to each other again? Second time around can ruin Skyler's chances of moving in. "They didn't see us. It was too dark when they went in." I sigh in relief.
"We should get up Skyler. We have school to attend to." I frown. I knew eventually I have to get over the fact that I hate going to school and just live with the next nine months. It can fly by, but dwelling on it makes the situation worse. With Skyler knowing about my problems helps me wrap around it more. I know that he'll be there for me on a bad day and I don't have to put on a happy face all the time. I can finally let go.
"You'll be fine. I'm here and always will be here for you and plus, I managed to get my schedule changed so we have the same classes." He grins. I stand looking at him with shock. How did he manage to do that?
"Skyler, how did you do that? Counselors never change schedules unless it was a computer mistake." I can see how proud he is of himself.
"When your counselor sees the academic achievements and just straight up loves you, you can persuade them knowing it'll be for the better," he stands and winks at me. "Now I can watch over you at all times of the day." He raises his eyebrow. He finds this funny. Stalker.
"More like I can watch over you." I poke him in the chest. "Come on, let's get ready before time runs away from us. Do you want to shower?" We head up the stairs to my bedroom.
"A Grey's shower would be heaven on earth right now." Skyler's joy is off the roof right now. It just hits me that this was probably the first night he slept without a worry and woke up without a worry.
"You can use mine, I'll use the one down the hall. And I'll grab you some of Teddy's clothes to wear." We both go our separate ways temporarily. I go into Teddy's room to find that nothing has changed. All the pictures, trophies, even clothes are in the same spot as they were when he left. I miss my brother. I miss my Teddy bear. I grab some clothes from his closet and head back to the door when I hear my parents down the hall talking.
"Their awake now. Let them get dress and once we're all downstairs, we can talk with Skyler." I hear my mom in a hush tone. For a moment, I have my hopes up high for them letting Skyler move in but realize that the chances are really low. The tone my mother had wasn't exactly welcoming. I press my ear against the door to hear footsteps fading away.
Skyler and I walk to the kitchen to see my mom with her normal morning tea and Dad reading the newspaper. "Anything interesting today?" I lean over to see the stock market charts. "Look at that, looks like you're making money. The both of you guys are." I look more closely at the stock price. "So this is why you guys had that insane bonus going on, it was the stock income." I stare in shock. When I look up at Daddy, I can see that he's surprised with my little statement.
"Since when have you been looking at the stock market?" Through his shock, I know my Dad is secretly proud. Teddy was never into the finance of the business work versus the creation of it.
"I don't know. I guess it just kind of came my way. I do numbers not objects, Dad." I smile and he rolls his eyes at me.
"Good morning Skyler. Did you sleep well?" I can feel Skyler tensing up when Daddy addresses him.
"Yes, Mr. Grey. Thank you for letting me spend the night, although I was already fast asleep when you arrived." He stiffly says. I wish my dad didn't give him such a hard time. Skyler has done so much for me. When is he going to open his eyes and see that?
"Trust me when I say that if I didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here." The weight is lifted from the both of our shoulders. That's a good sign, right? If Daddy didn't want Skyler to be here, then he wouldn't... that goes for moving in too? "But that doesn't give you permission to be sleeping with my daughter." His tone is sharp and painful. Skyler steps back from me and has his shield up. I mentally want to punch my dad.
"Christan, stop it." My mother snaps. Thank goodness for her. "Skyler, excuse Mr. Grey and his rudeness." Daddy looks up at her and she speaks with her eyes rather than her words. Defeated, he looks back down at the paper.
"What's for breakfast? Have to have a good meal for the long day at school." I look around to see nothing on the stove.
"You don't need a meal for school." I'm confused when my dad spoke. He's always on top of us when it comes to food, especially breakfast. "Because your not going to school today and neither are you Skyler." He looks up at the both of us, wide eyed.
"What? I'm really confused right now. What's going on?" Is my dad okay? He's actually letting me not go to school and same for Skyler. "Mom?" She just smiles.
"Go upstairs and change into something more comfortable. You'll thank me later for it." And with that said they both exit the kitchen.
I turn around to Skyler to see him just as shocked as I am. "I don't know what's going on but I'm not going to complain."
"Neither am I. Let's go." Skyler grabs my hand and we head upstairs to change.