Page 20 of Feel It All

What can I smell? Graham’s body wash. It smells like cedarwood and vanilla.

What can I hear? Graham telling me I am safe.

My breath starts to steady, and my tears slow.

“Do you want to go outside to get some air, or sit on the couch? Owen has him in the patrol car, and we have a paramedic on the way to check you out.”

“Couch…just please don’t leave me, okay?”

“I won’t, Winry, I promise.” He helps me stand and we walk over to the couch.

It’s this moment I decide I don’t want to be just friends with him anymore. I can’t ignore my feelings for him. I don’t want to.

“Are you okay to tell me what happened, Winry?” Graham holds my hand in his.

“Yeah, I think so,” I go through the series of tonight’s nightmare and let him know about hitting my head. I have a pounding headache and I’m dizzy; I’m sure I have a mild concussion.

The paramedics arrive as I finish telling him everything. They check me out and confirm a mild concussion. Graham stays with me the whole time, other than to get me a rag to get the blood off my face. Owen comes in to check on me but then leaves to make a phone call. I am positive one is to my dad. I know threats won’t work this time to keep this from him.

Just as I suspected, my dad and mom come rushing in my apartment. Mom has pure fear in her eyes, but Dad’s have a mixture of fear and fury. Graham stands and lets my parents sit on either side of me.

“Winry, sweetie, are you okay?”

The tears threaten to come back, but I hold it in. “I’m okay, Daddy.” I grab his hand; I need someone to ground me, or I will lose it again.

“What happened?” Dad is trying to hold in his anger the best he can.

“Griffin, just give her second. Why don’t you talk to the officer and paramedics and find out what happened?” Mom uses her soothing voice to soften Dad’s intensity.

Dad gives me a tight squeeze and turns to Graham to be filled in. Thankfully, they walk outside. I don’t want to relive it again.

Chapter 9

Graham

ImeetOwenatthe start of my shift at the station. We make our way through town giving a few tickets that Owen makes me do because “I need practice” apparently.

We make it through town, and a call comes out for a suspicious call that possibly could be a domestic, and when the address is given, my stomach drops.

“That’s your address, Taylor.” Owen confirms my fears and then he punches the sirens and races to my apartment.

We get there in three minutes flat, and I jump out of the car immediately, running to her door.

Her door is ajar, but I can’t really see anything. “Flynn, let me go,” is all I need to hear, and I bust in the door. I never really gave much thought about my worst nightmare, but there it is in front of me. Flynn was on top of her, pinning her down, she had blood on her face; her eyes were squeezed shut, and she is doing her best to fight him off.

I yank him off of her and wrestle him to the ground. My sole focus right now is getting cuffs on him and getting him out of here. I’m afraid if I look at Winry, I will lose my cool, and that’s not what she needs right now. But when I hear her say my name, I look at her and every fiber of my being just wants to hold her.

“I got this, go check her out,” Owen orders.

When I reach her, she lets it all out. My heart feels like it’s exploding listening to her cry, so I pull her in closer.

Once her breathing calms, we move to the couch. I need to hold her somewhere, so I take her hand in mine. She is shaking like crazy, and I squeeze her hand tighter. She tells me everything that happened and that when he threw her, she hit her head. When the paramedics get here, I immediately have them check her out, twice. I know that dick will also need to be seen; I’m pretty sure Winry broke his nose. That thought brings a small smile to my face.

I stay glued to Winry’s side like she asked. I know Owen called her dad, and it takes no time at all for him and Winry’s mom to come screeching in on two wheels. They come barreling in her apartment. I stand up to give them some room, but I don’t go far. I don’t think I can; it’s like I need to see that she is breathing.

They talk for a minute, then Chief Bennett turns to me and pulls me outside and over to where Owen was helping the paramedics look at Flynn, who has all but passed out, he is so drunk.

“What happened?” Chief barks.

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