Page 81 of The Puck Chase

My entire body freezes at the sound of my father’s name, at the sound of his voice, as all the noise around me fades away completely. The automated voice says something else,something I barely hear, but I must accept the call because there is a long beep and the call connects.

“Hey Son, did you miss me?” he asks, his tone filled with malice and warning, and my heart instantly begins to race. No, not him, not here, I thought I was free. “I’m looking forward to our reunion,” he adds, and my mind starts to lose focus, as I struggle to remain upright.

“How did you get this number?” I choke out in a whisper, and his deranged laugh has my hands shaking.

I remember that laugh. I remember what comes after it too.

He always found his punishments funny, like my torture was a long running fucking joke to him, but his laughter was preferable to my brother’s tears. Whenever I heard my father’s car returning home, I would lock Ryan in my room with noise cancelling headphones, telling him not to come out until I got him. It was the perfect plan. I took the pain, patched myself up, and then let Ryan sleep in my room, until I knew our father was gone again. I kept him safe, I protected him, I did everything fucking right, but still I failed.

My baby brother, who was nothing but light and sunshine, was killed, and now the man responsible is going to roam free.

“Oh, my stupid, pathetic boy, did you really forget just how much power I have?” he taunts, and I swear I can feel the phantom slice of his blade against my skin. “I can reach you anywhere. You and that boyfriend of yours. What’s his name again?” His question startles me, and my eyes instantly move to my right, where Archer is laughing and joking with Nova and Reign, as my father adds, “Ah, Archer Gray, that’s it.”

His name falling from my father’s lips, feels like taking every one of his hits all at once. Like slicing open my feet and raking them over hot coals, causing bile to crawl up the back of my throat.

How the fuck does he know his name?

“Yes, I look forward to seeing both you, and Archer, very soon,” he warns, before the call disconnects, but it’s too late, the damage is already done.

I haven’t heard his voice in four years, and all it takes is hearing Archer’s name to undo all the damage I thought I’d repaired.

My legs buckle without permission, hitting the locker room floor with a thud. I hear someone call my name, but it’s not clear. No, the only thing that’s clear is that someone else I love is going to get hurt, because I didn’t protect them. I should have stayed away from him, I should have kept him from my darkness, not invite him into it and let it consume him.

I hear more people calling my name, my entire body shaking now, as my chest burns with pain. I need to breathe. Why can’t I breathe?

“Daemon,” Josh calls my name in a panic, as someone drops down beside me, gently cupping my face, but it’s not Josh, I would know those hands touching me anywhere.

I try to focus my eyes, to see him, to make sure he is safe, as his thumbs brush across my lips. “Baby, what happened?” Archer pleads desperately, just his words soothe something inside of me, but it’s still not enough.

“Baby?” Someone chokes in confusion, and Archer’s panicked and questioning stare meets mine, ignoring whomever spoke completely.

“What happened?” he asks, sounding scared, and he should be, my father knows his fucking name.

My breaths are still coming in quick pants, unable to respond, but my eyes dart around and find the entire team watching me. Nova flicks his stare between me and his best friend, his body over mine, his hands on my face, and I see him piece it together, piece us together.

“Everyone out, now,” he booms, ordering them all in his no-nonsense captain’s tone. To my surprise they obey instantly, all of them shuffling back towards the ice, with the exception of Josh and Archer.

“I thought they hated each other?” I hear Landon Cooper say as he retreats.

“You never had hate sex before, Cooper? You should try it sometime,” Nova snaps, ushering him out of the room, until it’s just the three of us left.

Archer’s hands are still cradling my face, like I am the most precious thing in the world to him, and I try to regulate my breathing, but I’m still panicking too much. Josh drops down beside us, as Archer slumps his full body to the ground, releasing my face, and pulling me into his lap.

“Breathe, baby,” he whispers, tightening his hold on me, and going through the motions of inhaling and exhaling deeply, until I begin to copy him. “I’m here, you’re okay, just tell us what happened?” he begs, searching my stare, and my eyes drop to where my discarded phone now lies on the floor.

Josh follows my stare and instantly snatches it up, searching for whatever is bothering me, and it doesn’t take long for him to make his way to the call log. “Who called you? It says an unknown number. Was it Jasper?” he asks, eyes searching mine, but I’m already shaking my head, my body still trembling.

“It was my father,” I choke, and Archer’s entire body flinches around mine, as Josh curses, but no more words come, because what would I even say? That I was selfish enough to let myself fall for him, and now, because he did the same in return, his life is in danger?

My father was right, I am pathetic.

They wait until my breathing evens out and my body stops shaking, before they help me to my feet, both of them sharing conspiring looks, but I don’t say a word. I don’t even shower,none of us do, I just let them grab my stuff, and Archer grips his hand in mine, as Josh pulls away to quickly speak with Nova. Fuck. Things must be bad if those two are talking, but all I can do is replay my father’s words over and over again in my mind.

I look forward to seeing both you and Archer very soon.

My hands once again begin to shake, even with Archer’s strong hold on one of them, and I can see how worried he is, how my darkness is fucking infecting his perfect light, and all it does is make me feel sick. I barely even notice us getting back to the house, Josh guiding us, Archer’s hand staying in mine the entire time. When we get there, Hallie is waiting, her eyes look worried as they wash over me, but I can’t meet her stare, and thankfully, Archer leads me straight upstairs.

The next thing I know, my clothes are off and the shower is spraying down on me. Archer is still there, still holding my hand, as he washes my entire body. He’s done this countless times in the last couple of weeks, but now every swipe of his hands pulls a pained gasp from the back of my throat. It hurts, everything fucking hurts, every mark, every memory, all of them swallowing me whole, until all I can see is my father’s face, my brother’s dead body. I don’t even register that I’m crying, until Archer is wiping away my tears, and it only makes me cry harder.

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