The cartoon on the laptop had long since looped into a silent menu screen, casting a soft, rhythmic blue glow over the interior of the fort. Exhaustion, heavy and bone-deep, had finally claimed them.
Ellie was out cold near the entrance, her head resting on a pile of velvet pillows. Ethan had refused to let go of Annie, he was slumped against the armchair that acted as the fort's pillar, his head tilted back, one arm still protectively draped over Annie's shoulders. Annie had finally succumbed to sleep tucked into the crook of his side, her face pale and peaceful for the first time in weeks, her hands tucked safely- hidden, inside her sleeves.
At 4:00 AM, the front door creaked.
Dylan walked in, his shoulders heavy with the weight of the lives he'd spent the night trying to save. The house was deathly still.
Margaret's car was in the drive, but her room was silent. Kyson's door was ajar, the room empty. He walked upstairs, his heart giving a small, anxious thud as he approached Annie's door. He just wanted to see her- to remind himself that his daughter was safe.
He pushed the door open an inch. The room was dark, save for the blue light of the laptop. He saw the fort, the tangled mess of blankets, and the three sets of shoes discarded by the bed.
He stepped closer, lifting a corner of a heavy wool throw. His eyes softened at the sight of Ellie, then sharpened as they landed on Ethan. His protective instinct flared- Ethan was a boy, a football player, and he was currently holding Dylan's daughter. But then he saw the way Ethan was sitting- awkward, upright, as if he had fallen asleep on guard duty rather than in a bed. He saw the red mark on Annie's cheek, the way she was clinging to Ethan's shirt even in sleep, and the fact that Ellie was right there between them.
He didn't wake them. He just sighed, a mix of relief and exhaustion, and quietly closed the door.
By 8:00 AM, the sun was streaming through the curtains. Ethan and Ellie had slipped out after a hushed, groggy goodbye, Ethan lingering just long enough to press his forehead against Annie's and mutter, "I'm a text away. Always."
Annie was sitting on the edge of her bed, trying to steady her shaking hands, when a soft knock sounded. Dylan walked in, carrying two mugs of cocoa.
"Hey, kiddo," he said, handing her one. He sat in the armchair Ethan had used for the fort. He looked at her closely, noticing the faint bruising on her cheek that she tried to hide with her hair. He reached out, tilting her chin up.
"That was a nasty fall you had at the game."
"I'm okay, Dad," Annie whispered, her kindness acting as her shield.
Dylan nodded slowly, though he didn't look convinced. He took a sip of his drink and cleared his throat, his expression turning serious but not unkind.
"I saw the fort last night when I got in," he started. Annie looked down at her lap, her face flushing. "Annie, listen to me. I like Ethan. I think he's a good kid, and I can see he cares about you. But we need to talk about boundaries. I don't like boys in your bedroom. Period. Normally, I'd be very angry to find a guy spending the night in here, regardless of the circumstances."
"Dad, nothing happened, we were just-"
"I know," Dylan interrupted gently, raising a hand. "I saw. And the only reason I'm not grounding you until you're thirty is because Ellie was here. Her being there- having that 'watchful eye' on the situation, is the only reason I stayed calm. So, I'm enforcing this now: No guys in this room. If Ethan wants to visit, you stay downstairs. If you absolutely must be up here for a project or a 'fort' or whatever, there has to be another girl- specifically someone like Ellie, in the room with you. Am I clear?"
Annie nodded, feeling a swell of gratitude. He wasn't yelling, he was just trying to protect what was left of their small family. "I understand, Dad. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry for having friends who love you," Dylan said, standing up and kissing the top of her head. "Just don't make me have to be the 'scary doctor' dad, okay? I'm too tired for it."
He walked toward the door, pausing with his hand on the frame. "And Annie? If you ever need to talk about why you 'tripped'... I'm always here."
He left before she could answer, leaving Annie alone with the stinging of her wrists and the weight of a truth she couldn't yet speak.
*~*~*~*~*
[30 Day's Home]
The Monday morning air at school felt thin and biting. Annie kept her head down, her black hair acting as a curtain between her and the world. Every movement was a chore, the bruises on her ribs from Friday night had deepened into a dull, throbbing purple, and the shallow cuts on her wrists stung every time her sleeves brushed against them.
Lunchtime arrived with the usual roar of the cafeteria. Annie had tried to stay near Ellie and Ethan, but a quick trip to the library for a poetry book left her vulnerable.
She was taking a shortcut through the secluded hallway behind the gymnasium when the familiar, rhythmic clicking of heels echoed against the linoleum.
"Look who's back for more," Vanessa's voice slithered through the air.
Annie froze. Vanessa, Peggy, Rebecca, and Sarah stepped out from a recessed doorway, effectively blocking both ends of the hall.
"Ethan's not here to play hero today," Peggy sneered, her blue eyes scanning Annie's face with pure resentment. "I heard he's getting benched because of you. You're ruining his life, and you don't even care, do you?"
"I do care," Annie whispered, her voice trembling. "I never asked him to leave the game."
"But you're the reason he did," Vanessa spat. She stepped into Annie's personal space, her brown hair swaying. She didn't go for a full assault this time- there were too many teachers nearby, but she was efficient. She shoved Annie hard against a locker, her hand coming up to grip Annie's jaw with painful force. "Stay away from Kyson. Stay away from Ethan. If I hear one more rumor about you 'grieving' your way into their heads, I'll give you something real to cry about."
Vanessa's knee drove sharply into Annie's thigh- a "dead leg" move designed to hurt but leave no visible mark outside of her clothes.
Simultaneously, Peggy reached out and pinched the underside of Annie's arm, twisting the skin with a cruel, sharp wrench.
"Check her wrists," Sarah whispered, her voice shaky. "I saw something Friday." Although Sarah was there during the assault, she hadn't seen Peggy and Vanessa pull the knife.
Annie's heart stopped. She yanked her arms back, tucking them against her chest, her blue eyes wide with terror. "Don't touch me!"
"Whatever," Vanessa rolled her eyes, hearing a distant bell. "We're done here. Just a reminder, Annie. You're a guest in this town. Act like it."
They swept past her, Rebecca and Sarah keeping their gazes fixed on the floor. Annie slumped against the lockers, waiting for her legs to stop shaking. She hurried to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face and checking her thigh. It was already swelling. She adjusted her thick hoodie, ensuring her wrists were buried in the fabric, and headed to her next class.
After school, Ethan was waiting by his truck. He was leaning against the door, his green eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on her. His expression softened for a split second before sharpening into concern.
As Annie approached, she moved with a slight, stiff hitch in her step. She tried to hide it, but every time she shifted her weight, a sharp pain shot through her leg.
"Annie," Ethan said, stepping forward to meet her. He reached for her bag, but as he moved to take the weight off her shoulder, Annie flinched, a small hiss of pain escaping her lips as her bruised ribs protested.
Ethan stopped dead, his hand hovering in mid-air. The green of his eyes seemed to darken, a storm brewing beneath the surface. He looked at her pale face, then down at the way she was favoring her right leg.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice low, vibrating with a short-tempered heat he was trying to suppress.
"Nothing, Ethan. I just... I tripped on the stairs in the C-wing. I'm just clumsy today," she offered, her smile small and heartbreakingly sweet.
Ethan didn't buy it. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. He could see the slight tremor in her hands. He reached out, not for her hand this time, but gently placing his palm on her waist to steady her. He felt her go rigid, a small gasp of breath catching in her throat as he accidentally brushed the spot where Vanessa's fist had landed Friday night.
"You're aching, Doll," he murmured, his voice thick with a mix of fury and heartbreak. "You're moving like you're made of glass. Don't tell me you tripped. Tell me who I need to break."
"No one," Annie whispered, looking up at him with those wide, glassy blue eyes. "Please, Ethan. Just take me home? I just want to sit in the fort."
Ethan's jaw was a hard line of stone. He wanted to roar, to demand names, to hunt down whoever was dimming her light. But he saw the exhaustion in her eyes- the genuine plea for peace. He let out a slow, controlled breath and opened the passenger door, lifting her into the cab with a gentleness that defied his size.
"Okay," he muttered, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. "Home. But this isn't over, Doll. I'm not blind."