Chapter 48: Chapter 47. I Fought for You

CLAIRE

“Claire, honey, be careful. I know your rib’s healed, but I also know it still gives you trouble. If you feel any discomfort, just give me a call and I’ll—”

“Mom! I’m fine, really. I’m all healed up, okay? You can stop worrying,” I interrupted her with a sigh.

Ever since the doctor gave me the all-clear three days ago, my mom’s been hovering like a helicopter. She’s not convinced I’m okay and wants to be there for me. It’s been two months since the day I was taken.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I thought I wouldn’t make it. But when I woke up surrounded by the people I love, I was flooded with relief.

The loss of Selena and James was a blow, but I took comfort in the fact that they died together, at peace. It hurt to think they died trying to protect me from Logan’s rage. Logan didn’t die, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t want him dead.

I wanted him to rot in a jail cell for the rest of his miserable life. Turns out, after Blake whisked me off to the hospital, Jason had already called the cops when Blake first found me.

So, as soon as we left, the police arrived, and Jason filled them in on everything.

He was free to go because he was the one who called the police, and he was innocent. Logan was sentenced to life in prison, and Selena, James, and two of Logan’s men died in the fight.

My stomach twisted at the thought of Logan. I had to keep reminding myself that he was gone and I was safe.

I was stuck in the hospital for three weeks with everything that happened to me, and during that time, Nancy finally put an end to my street boxing career.

Everyone declared White Wolf dead, but no one knew the real story. Since I wasn’t allowed to go to school, Blake filled me in on all the wild rumors.

Some said: Someone finally got their revenge on her, she got scared and killed herself, she was kidnapped, tortured, and killed. That last one was pretty close. But I didn’t die.

I was surprised to find out Ashley and Nick were together. When Blake told me, I laughed. But when he insisted he was serious, I had to see for myself.

Seeing Nick wrap his arms around Ashley and give her a sweet kiss, I felt a wave of happiness for her. The way they looked at each other, the way they interacted, it warmed my heart.

I wasn’t mad at Ashley or anyone else. My dad moved back in with my mom and me and was trying his best to spend time with us and provide for us.

He knew he didn’t have much time left with me because my school year was ending. That meant I’d be moving out soon.

Nancy had been spending more time with Jason, and I could tell they were on the verge of making it official.

From the way Nancy shot him heated glances when he wasn’t looking, to the way Jason found every excuse to touch her. Their interactions were adorable.

“Claire! Earth to Claire! Honey, you’re going to ruin your hair. Stop fiddling with it,” my mom scolded, giving me a stern look.

I rolled my eyes. Tonight was prom night. It was currently five-thirty, and Blake would be picking me up at seven. I was wearing a floor-length purple dress with a sparkly silver top.

The dress wasn’t a big, puffy one, but a dress that hugged my curves just right and didn’t show too much skin. My legs were fully covered, but my arms were bare, with only thin spaghetti straps.

My mom decided on a grey, smoky eye and a bold red lipstick. A touch of blush colored my cheeks and I wore a pair of black, open-toed shoes.

My toenails were painted black, while my fingernails were a dark purple. Brown curls cascaded past my shoulders and as my mom tucked a lily behind my ear, I smiled at her.

My mom used to be a beautician when she was younger, but quit when she moved with my dad to Montana. She loved doing my makeup when I was a kid.

Now, as I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but admire every aspect of myself and my mom’s handiwork.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and in walked a grinning Nancy, followed by a dazed-looking Jason.

Nancy’s hair was tousled and both of their lips were swollen. I smirked. “Looks like someone’s been having fun.” I winked at Nancy’s blush.

She shook her head at Jason’s laughter and let out a wolf whistle when she saw me. “Damn. Blake won’t be able to keep his hands off you tonight. You’re going to drive him crazy.” She laughed.

This time, it was my turn to blush. I turned away from her gaze and Jason just grinned. “If I didn’t think of you as a little sister, I’d definitely—”

Nancy jabbed her elbow in his stomach and he groaned in pain.

“Settle down, you two,” my mom scolded playfully. “This is all for Blake, and only Blake. The goal is to tease him all night.” My mom smirked at my shocked expression.

“Oh, hush, honey. You two have waited months. Let’s see what happens tonight.” My mom grinned, just as my dad walked in. He stood next to my mom and hugged her.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he said, smiling.

Things were still a bit tense between us, but I smiled in gratitude nonetheless. I did a quick twirl in my dress, glad that it didn’t fly up and reveal my still bruised legs. “Thanks,” I told him with a small smile.

My mom clasped her hands together and started to gush. “Oh, I can’t wait until Blake gets here. I just want to take a million pictures and remember this moment forever,” my mom said.

I rolled my eyes with a light chuckle. “You can take pictures, Mom. And you will remember this moment forever, I promise.”

She rolled her eyes. “But I’ll get old and soon, I won’t even remember how old I am,” my mom exaggerated.

This time, I laughed. “So, take some pictures. I won’t mind.” I shrugged.

My mom let out a squeal, before turning and running to her room to get her camera.

“Man, I miss that,” Dad murmurs, a hint of longing in his voice after Mom leaves the room. His smile is tinged with nostalgia, and I know he’s thinking about the happier times before their big fight years ago.

Not long after, Mom returns, camera in hand, snapping picture after picture of me and everyone else in the room. One with Dad, Nancy, Jason, her, and then one of all of us.

At two minutes to seven, there’s a knock at the door. Relief washes over me, and I quickly call out, “I’ll get it,” before dashing down the stairs.

I can’t help but bite my lip when I swing the door open. He’s dressed in a black and white tuxedo: a crisp white shirt, a sleek black jacket, and matching slacks.

His feet are encased in polished black leather shoes, and he’s holding a box with a lily corsage. I’m taken aback by how attractive he looks, and even more surprised that he actually got me a corsage.

The same one that matches the one in my hair, I realize.

“You look…” Blake’s voice trails off as his gaze travels over me.

He starts at the black tips of my shoes peeking out from under the dress, moves up to the curves accentuated by the tight fit of the dress, to my mostly covered chest, and finally to my eyes.

He licks his lips. “…absolutely stunning.” His eyes are heavy-lidded as he looks at me.

I can’t help but grin, thrilled by the effect I have on him. “You’re looking pretty dashing yourself,” I reply. He then takes out the corsage and gently slides it onto my wrist.

“Gorgeous,” he murmurs, just as everyone else comes to the door.

“Oh, how sweet,” Nancy and Mom coo in unison. Jason and Dad just roll their eyes at their gushing.

After Mom takes about a dozen more pictures of Blake and me, we finally head out.

Since Blake’s mom and Daniel are on vacation, Anya is staying with my parents. Right now, she’s at a friend’s house for a playdate.

Mom promised to send the pictures to Blake’s mom. Even though she still holds a grudge against my mom, she’s slowly getting over it as time passes.

Anya’s tenth birthday party was a success too. I wasn’t allowed to do much, but I did manage to get her a giant, fluffy unicorn, a mini laptop with parental controls, and I adopted an all-orange kitten.

She’s absolutely smitten with the cat and takes it everywhere. Except for the playdate, of course.

“I’m so glad I can finally walk around without a wheelchair or pain,” I sigh.

When I was finally cleared to move around, I felt an immense sense of relief as I ran around the neighborhood and then to the gym to throw some punches.

My muscles ached for a while before they got used to the routine again.

Blake chuckles.

“Yeah, I can see that. I’m glad too, because now I don’t have to be so careful when I kiss you,” he teases, opening the car door for me. Once he’s in, we pull out and head to prom.

The gym and cafeteria are filled with seniors. Lights flash, people dance, and laughter fills the air. As we walk through the crowd, Blake’s arm securely around my waist, I notice girls looking at us with envy, while guys look on with lust.

Blake seems to notice this too because he tightens his grip around me and shoots a glare at anyone who looks at me the wrong way.

When we reach the gym, I immediately spot Ashley. She’s hard to miss in her bright pink dress that flows down to her ankles.

The dress is big and puffy, with a beaded pink belt around her waist and a line of ruffles at the top. Matching pink heels, dark lipstick, and a touch of pink blush complete her look.

Her hair is styled in a French braid with a pink rose corsage on her wrist. Nick’s arm is wrapped around her waist as they chat with some friends.

I shoot Blake a mischievous smirk before sneaking up behind Nick. Slowly, I reach out and tickle his sides.

He jumps in surprise, spinning around to confront the culprit. When he sees me, his eyes narrow and he grumbles, “Jeez, woman! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

I grin triumphantly, sticking my tongue out at him as Blake’s arm slips around my waist and Ashley turns to look at us.

Ashley bites her lip, a guilty expression crossing her face. I just give her a reassuring smile, silently telling her that I’m not mad at her.

She sighs in defeat before grabbing my arm and pulling me away from Blake. “I’ll bring her back in a bit,” she calls over her shoulder to the guys.

She leads me to a quiet hallway where hardly anyone is around. “Listen, I need to tell you something,” Ashley begins, a desperate look on her face. I nod, encouraging her to continue.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so, so sorry, Claire. I’ve been such an idiot and so mean, and I was a total bitch.” She pauses.

“But I still thought of you as my best friend. It’s just, you were always the center of attention. You were always prettier, smarter, faster, you were always the best.

“I was too stupid to realize what a true friend you were. You never cared about looks and always thought about others. You hated the attention, and I wanted it.

“So, when eighth grade came around, I changed my look and started acting more confident because I wanted people to notice me. But when I started making fun of you, I felt so guilty.

“The friends I have now are so boring. All they ever talk about is clothes, shopping, boys, who’s dating who, and gossip.

“They’re nowhere near as fun as we used to be when we were younger.” Ashley sniffles.

“When I was with them, we never laughed at a good joke, or played pranks on random people, or snuck out at night to go swimming in my pool, or ate a ton of junk food while watching movies all night.”

Ashley giggles, remembering all the things we used to do as kids.

“My point is, I miss you, Claire. I miss my best friend. And I want to stay in touch with you after school. Please. I can’t lose my best friend again,” Ashley pleads, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Without a second thought, I found myself nodding. Before I knew it, we were wrapped up in each other's arms. She was holding me so tight, I was scared she might squeeze the life out of me.

She kept whispering “thank you” into my ear, while I just nodded and held her close.

We finally pulled away, both of us grinning. She gave me a thankful smile before extending her arm. “Ready to walk in together and give everyone a heart attack?” She laughed, and I couldn't help but join in.

Slipping my arm into hers, I replied, “Let’s give them a show they won’t forget, shall we?”

***

The clock struck midnight, and all the couples were gathering for the Prom King and Queen dance.

Nick and Ashley were wrapped up in each other, smiles lighting up their faces, and cheap plastic crowns perched on their heads.

They were in for the surprise of their lives when their names were called out. I knew they would win.

After they announced they were a couple, people were shocked, but the love in their eyes was undeniable. I wasn’t surprised at all when they won.

“Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?” I looked up into his twinkling grey eyes. A playful grin spread across his face.

I rolled my eyes, a teasing smile on my lips. “No,” I lied, resting my head on his chest as we swayed to the music. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat brought a smile to my face.

I felt his chest rumble with laughter. “Well, let me tell you now: You look absolutely stunning in that dress, breathtaking really.” I looked up at him, a smirk playing on my lips.

“Since when did you start using words like ‘breathtaking’?”

He stuck his nose in the air. “Since I first put on this tux. Got to play the part to wear the part, right?”

“Hey,” I whispered.

“What,” he whispered back.

I stood on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “I love you.”

His soft, caring grey eyes met mine. He cupped my chin, bringing our lips together again. When we pulled away, he whispered into my ear.

“I love you more, beautiful. And you know what, I saved you.” He pulled back, a cocky grin on his face.

I hummed. “And how did you manage that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled, pulling me closer so my arms were around his neck and his hands rested on the small of my back.

He leaned down again, his lips brushing against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Well, that’s an easy answer: ~I fought for you.~