Status: In Progress!
Boundless
Suspended
Charlotte groaned and rolled onto her side, her head throbbing. The bed beneath her felt like feathers, and the experience only got sweeter when she was pulled back against a strong chest, the arm around her waist comforting her in only the way he could. The callouses on his fingertips served as a reminder of the hard work he'd endured to become the man he is today- a hero.
"Kelly," she whispered, her pretty lips twisted into a small smile. She grabbed the hand draped against her middle and brought it to her lips, littering small kisses against his knuckles. "Wake up, handsome."
Kelly groaned lightly before the urge to stretch overtook him; he let out a large yawn and snuggled his face into the back of her neck, his gentle breaths creating a line of goosebumps along her spine.
"How ya feeling, gorgeous?" He asked through butterfly kisses, his voice husky with sleep.
Honestly, she felt like she'd been dropped right out of a Looney Tunes episode; her head felt like an anvil had been dropped on it and her body ached like no other, but she wasn't about to tell him that, so she shrugged her shoulders as best she could.
"Not as bad as you might think," she lied. "D'you work today?"
She felt him shake his head. "Nah, I told Chief what happened and he was happy to let me have a personal day. He sends his best."
"He's sweet," she mumbled. Her eyes traveled to her phone and saw three new voicemails, although she didn't want to move from the paradise that was Kelly's arms she knew she needed to check them. She wiggled out of his grip, turning only to press a kiss to the side of his mouth before she sat up slowly. Immediately alarms went off in her mind and pain raked over her body, which in turn triggered a grimace.
"I'm gonna get you something for pain," Kelly frowned, watching her struggle to sit up. He used his most gentle grip to help her into an upright position, then pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'll be right back."
She watched his back fade from her sight before she pressed the button, putting the phone to her ear.
"First message, Tuesday 12:33 A.M.
Charlotte Morgan, this is Principal Peterson. I'm calling to inform you that you've been suspended from your teaching position at Abraham Elementary School. The sheriff's office had to be contacted upon the events of what happened this morning and have required for you to be away for the rest of the school year; Mr. Jones claimed you provoked the attack. If you have any questions or need to express your opinion you know the number. Get well soon."
Hot tears filled her eyes as she listened to the next message.
"Second message, Tuesday 2:30 P.M.
Oh my God, are you alright?! Kelly told me what happened," Shay's concerned voice filled her ear, "I'm so sorry, honey. If you need anything you know where we live. Get some rest and I'll stop by after shift. I might even make you some of that rocking casserole you gave me the recipe for. See ya soon, Char."
"Third message, Wednesday 8:15 A.M.
Hello, Ms. Morgan, I'm calling to inform you that you've been selected to fly to Europe with two others for the low price of 699.99! This offer won't last long-"
She clicked the phone off and sat in silence, unbelieving. She could hear Kelly's feet shuffling lightly against the hardwood floor of the apartment, trailing closer with each step.
"When you start feeling a little better we'll go to the waffle house down the street and get something to eat." Kelly's tired voice floated through the door before his body did. "Hear me, Charlie?"
"Y-Yeah," she winced as her voice cracked.
Kelly poked his head in the door, his eyes narrowing as she wiped at her face hastily. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she shook her head lightly. "It's nothing."
Kelly climbed onto the bed in front of her, his hands stretched out to gather her much smaller ones. "Charlotte, you can talk to me about anything, you know that?"
She nodded, guilt eating at her stomach. "Yeah, I know."
He gave a solitary nod, his thumbs rubbing across the backs of her hands. "So I'll ask again: what's wrong, baby?"
"Uh," she chewed her lip to control her emotions before continuing. "I got a call yesterday morning- I've been suspended for the rest of the year. Arden's uncle claimed I provoked him."
"That's bull," Kelly growled. "There were witnesses!"
Charlotte nodded somberly. "I know, but they contacted the sheriff's office and what's done is done, I guess."
"I'm sorry," Kelly offered, wrapping his arms around her. "Listen, you can stay here as long as you want, okay? Shay loves you, and I love you and we want you to be happy."
Again, tears clouded her vision. "I love you too," she whimpered, "both of you."
Kelly sat on the couch with Charlotte, who'd fallen asleep nearly an hour before, watching re-runs of 90's sitcoms; Charlotte admitted that when she was feeling down it was her go-to, as was ice cream, which Kelly had gone out and purchased by the gallon. An empty half-pint of Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked sat on the table, turned onto it's side.
He heard the door open up and craned his head to get a view of Shay walking in quietly, a bag of chocolate in her arms. "How's she doing?"
"Better," he whispered. "Thanks for picking that up, it means a lot. Especially to her."
Shay nodded, a sincere smile on her full lips. "Of course."
Kelly glanced down to Charlotte, her head on his shoulder, smiling when she snuggled closer into his side. "I'm gonna get her to bed," he told Shay. "I'll be back in here in a little while."
"Stay with her," Shay said. "I'll be fine, I'm just gonna make a snack and go to bed."
"You sure?" Kelly raised a brow.
Shay nodded. "Take care of your girl, Kelly."
He nodded and rose from his spot on the couch, lifting the girl with ease. "Goonight, Shay."
"Night, Kel."
Charlotte burrowed herself into the thick blanket when he put her down, and he couldn't help but smile when she groaned from loss of contact. He quickly pulled his shirt from his body, leaving him in his favorite lounge pants, and slid into bed with her. He pulled her closer and let her soft breathing lull him into a peaceful sleep.
"Kelly," she whispered, her pretty lips twisted into a small smile. She grabbed the hand draped against her middle and brought it to her lips, littering small kisses against his knuckles. "Wake up, handsome."
Kelly groaned lightly before the urge to stretch overtook him; he let out a large yawn and snuggled his face into the back of her neck, his gentle breaths creating a line of goosebumps along her spine.
"How ya feeling, gorgeous?" He asked through butterfly kisses, his voice husky with sleep.
Honestly, she felt like she'd been dropped right out of a Looney Tunes episode; her head felt like an anvil had been dropped on it and her body ached like no other, but she wasn't about to tell him that, so she shrugged her shoulders as best she could.
"Not as bad as you might think," she lied. "D'you work today?"
She felt him shake his head. "Nah, I told Chief what happened and he was happy to let me have a personal day. He sends his best."
"He's sweet," she mumbled. Her eyes traveled to her phone and saw three new voicemails, although she didn't want to move from the paradise that was Kelly's arms she knew she needed to check them. She wiggled out of his grip, turning only to press a kiss to the side of his mouth before she sat up slowly. Immediately alarms went off in her mind and pain raked over her body, which in turn triggered a grimace.
"I'm gonna get you something for pain," Kelly frowned, watching her struggle to sit up. He used his most gentle grip to help her into an upright position, then pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'll be right back."
She watched his back fade from her sight before she pressed the button, putting the phone to her ear.
"First message, Tuesday 12:33 A.M.
Charlotte Morgan, this is Principal Peterson. I'm calling to inform you that you've been suspended from your teaching position at Abraham Elementary School. The sheriff's office had to be contacted upon the events of what happened this morning and have required for you to be away for the rest of the school year; Mr. Jones claimed you provoked the attack. If you have any questions or need to express your opinion you know the number. Get well soon."
Hot tears filled her eyes as she listened to the next message.
"Second message, Tuesday 2:30 P.M.
Oh my God, are you alright?! Kelly told me what happened," Shay's concerned voice filled her ear, "I'm so sorry, honey. If you need anything you know where we live. Get some rest and I'll stop by after shift. I might even make you some of that rocking casserole you gave me the recipe for. See ya soon, Char."
"Third message, Wednesday 8:15 A.M.
Hello, Ms. Morgan, I'm calling to inform you that you've been selected to fly to Europe with two others for the low price of 699.99! This offer won't last long-"
She clicked the phone off and sat in silence, unbelieving. She could hear Kelly's feet shuffling lightly against the hardwood floor of the apartment, trailing closer with each step.
"When you start feeling a little better we'll go to the waffle house down the street and get something to eat." Kelly's tired voice floated through the door before his body did. "Hear me, Charlie?"
"Y-Yeah," she winced as her voice cracked.
Kelly poked his head in the door, his eyes narrowing as she wiped at her face hastily. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she shook her head lightly. "It's nothing."
Kelly climbed onto the bed in front of her, his hands stretched out to gather her much smaller ones. "Charlotte, you can talk to me about anything, you know that?"
She nodded, guilt eating at her stomach. "Yeah, I know."
He gave a solitary nod, his thumbs rubbing across the backs of her hands. "So I'll ask again: what's wrong, baby?"
"Uh," she chewed her lip to control her emotions before continuing. "I got a call yesterday morning- I've been suspended for the rest of the year. Arden's uncle claimed I provoked him."
"That's bull," Kelly growled. "There were witnesses!"
Charlotte nodded somberly. "I know, but they contacted the sheriff's office and what's done is done, I guess."
"I'm sorry," Kelly offered, wrapping his arms around her. "Listen, you can stay here as long as you want, okay? Shay loves you, and I love you and we want you to be happy."
Again, tears clouded her vision. "I love you too," she whimpered, "both of you."
Kelly sat on the couch with Charlotte, who'd fallen asleep nearly an hour before, watching re-runs of 90's sitcoms; Charlotte admitted that when she was feeling down it was her go-to, as was ice cream, which Kelly had gone out and purchased by the gallon. An empty half-pint of Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked sat on the table, turned onto it's side.
He heard the door open up and craned his head to get a view of Shay walking in quietly, a bag of chocolate in her arms. "How's she doing?"
"Better," he whispered. "Thanks for picking that up, it means a lot. Especially to her."
Shay nodded, a sincere smile on her full lips. "Of course."
Kelly glanced down to Charlotte, her head on his shoulder, smiling when she snuggled closer into his side. "I'm gonna get her to bed," he told Shay. "I'll be back in here in a little while."
"Stay with her," Shay said. "I'll be fine, I'm just gonna make a snack and go to bed."
"You sure?" Kelly raised a brow.
Shay nodded. "Take care of your girl, Kelly."
He nodded and rose from his spot on the couch, lifting the girl with ease. "Goonight, Shay."
"Night, Kel."
Charlotte burrowed herself into the thick blanket when he put her down, and he couldn't help but smile when she groaned from loss of contact. He quickly pulled his shirt from his body, leaving him in his favorite lounge pants, and slid into bed with her. He pulled her closer and let her soft breathing lull him into a peaceful sleep.