Chapter 39: Misunderstanding

Caspian wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me away. I heard a crash as the lampshade fell to the place I had just been standing. Caspian shielded my body with his as glass shards flew everywhere. My face stayed buried in the crook of his neck, until the last of the glass had fallen.

"You ok?" Caspian mumbled into my hair, once the chaos was over.

I remained mute, as my body shook violently. I didn't know if I was shivering so violently in reaction to Shawn's throat being slit, or if it was because I had almost been killed with a lampshade. Probably a reaction to the events of the last couple of days. I tried my best to control my quivering body, but it was of no use.

Caspian rubbed circles on my back trying to soothe me. "You're safe now."

My salty tears ran freely down Caspian's neck and onto his shoulders, wetting his hoodie.

"Let's get you home," Caspian suggested. He scooped me up into his arms and carried me bridal style down the stairs. I rested my head on his warm chest and concentrated on the sound his feet made as they walked down the stairs, I tried to match my breathing pattern to this steady rhythm.

"What the hell?" Chrissie's voice came from the top of the stairs. "You killed him." She didn't scream, she was simply stating a fact. "You killed him," she repeated in a monotonous voice.

My eyes grew wide as I realised what she was saying. I hadn't seen Caspian all day and he suddenly ends up at the scene of a crime. "Put me down," I yelled, pushing against his chest, as realisation hit me. The impact of my push was enough to make Caspian drop me. My side hit the floor first and I doubled over in pain, clutching my sore hip.

"Maddie." Caspian knelt down by my head, the concern in his voice almost making me forget that he had probably just committed a murder.

"Don't touch me!" I shook his hand away. My side spasmed painfully, but it wasn't enough to halt my thinking. "Why did you kill him?" I rasped, my breath coming out jagged, and in a timbre that I barley recognised.

"What?" Caspian's eyes widened in shock. "I didn't, I would never..."

"Save it," Chrissie yelled, appearing by my side.

"Just listen," Caspian replied, taking my hand in his.

I wanted to shake my head, but I didn't get the chance to. My eyes involuntarily closed, and the inside of my eyelids was the only thing I could see.

"Hey." Caspian ran a hand across my cheekbone, as I slowly regained consciousness.

"What? Where am I?" I took in my surroundings. A grey matt ceiling hung above me and I was surrounding by cloth seats. A window hung just above my head, allowing the sun to tell me it was early morning.

I was in Caspian's lap, and he looked like he hadn't slept. Like maybe he had been fussing over me the whole night. His face was paler than what I was used to, and his eyes drooped slightly. His hair was tousled. But he somehow still managed to look sexy. Some girls, including myself, wished they had that kind of superpower: waking up looking attractive. Caspian had thrown his hoodie over us, mostly me, creating an impromptu blanket.

"He didn't kill Shawn." Chrissie swivelled around from the front seat of the car. The tone of her voice made the statement sound like she was apologizing for calling my boyfriend a murderer.

I rubbed my eyes. "Huh?"

"You're so cute when you're confused." Caspian chuckled, showing his dimples and the slight stubble that was creeping its way onto his cheeks "How's your stomach?" He placed a hand on my belly.

"What happened?" I ignored his question.

"Shawn's dead," Chrissie gulped, taking a sip of coffee from the cup in her hands.

An image of Shawn lying on the bed with blood gushing out from his neck made its way back into my memory. I shivered, pulling Caspian's hoodie up to my chest and inhaling his sweet scent.

"There was only one guard for some reason," Caspian said, taking over explaining. "I was at the police station when the alarms went off and I followed Victoria and the Sheriff here to see if I could help."

"Police station?" I asked, using Caspian's arm as leverage to sit up.

"Speaking to Lewis," Caspian replied.

"Where were you all day?" I asked.

"Why?" he winked. "Did you miss me?"

"Not at all," I lied.

"I believe you." Caspian bopped my nose teasingly.

"Where did you go?" I persisted stubbornly.

"Tell you later," he replied, probably because Chrissie was listening, and this was something that should be kept between the two of us.

"Ok," I agreed.

"You should go home." Caspian opened the car door for me.

"Oh no," I groaned. "Mom's going to kill me."

"Well," Chrissie pursed her lips. "The Sheriff was too preoccupied to tell our parents, so..." she paused. "We can go straight to school and they'll be none the wiser."

"School?" I scrunched my nose.

"Unless you want to tell your parents," Chrissie shrugged.

"School it is," I sighed.

"I'll drive you," Caspian offered and brushed his lips over the hair on my head.

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