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Caden heard his father's men in his head, glancing around. "You hear that?" He asked Rose, unsure if she heard it too.
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"Swear I keep hearing him," He muttered, starting to become paranoid. -You're a disgrace!- "I just heard him again, I swear I heard him." Caden mumbled, standing, eyes going wide once more with the same fear, no, more fear then they had in Russia. They went wide because he was scared he couldn't protect Rose, or himself. He walked in, running a hand through his hair. The man kept muttering to himself as he walked downstairs, to the kitchen, and opening up the liquor cabinet. Caden grabbed a bottle of brandy and shakily uncapped it, taking a few sips quickly, setting the bottle back onto the counter. The liquid burned down his throat, it settling in his chest, feeling as though he'd swallowed lava. He gagged slightly, pressuring himself into taking another few swigs. The man waited until the alcohol took effect, sloppily making his way back up to the room. He was still paranoid, the fear still in his eyes as he slif back down on the balcony, eyes a ocean of trauma, breath smelling strongly of liquor, and a mind he couldn't figure out. "I just feel like crap, that's probably the reason behind it." Caden mumbled benath his breath, resting his head on Rose's shoulder once more. Every muscle in his body was tense, veins pulsing from stress. A cold sweat had broken out across his skin, and his mind was going nuts. His usual broad, muscular build had turned lean, the defanition of his muscles becoming fainter and fainter each day. Even if the process was slow, his body was slowly stressing itself to its limit. He was only ten or twenty pounds heavier then Rose, having not eaten or drank anything in numerous days. Edited at March 15, 2025 09:38 PM by RFS Thoroughbreds
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Rose followed him, curious and concerned. When he touched her shoulder, she took his face in her hands. "Hey, no matter what happens....We are here-safe-right now. I'm here, with you, safe, alive. You're alright."
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Caden took his face from her hands, breaking their gaze and instead looking at the floor again. He brought his knees back up to his chest, gazing back out at the moon. "I really hope you're telling the truth,"
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"I'd do anything to protect you, love"
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"I know," Caden's voice was stark, contrasted against their comforting silence that burrowed around them like a cover. "At this point you protect me better then I protect myself, and that's not a very good thing." He confessed, hencing the mental protection he could barely keep from his mind drowning him out.
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"Well at least you know that." She said softly, trying to catch his eyes. "But I can't help you if you don't help yourself. I've seen what this kind of thing does to you and I won't let you be like that again, do you hear me?"
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"How do I help myself at this point?" He asks, meeting her gaze for a second before chuckling once. "I'm not even happy with you anymore, not since we left here. I'm not happy being with you or Murphy, not happy driving around, rum isn't doing shit which it usually helps but for now it sucks." Caden explained, still looking out at the moonscape. "I guess it's just one of those phases I go through, i'll get out, i'll be fine, life'll be normal again," He paused, lowering his voice to mumble under his breath. "I hope,"
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Rose's chest tightened as he said he wasn't happy with her anymore. "What....What do you mean you're not happy with me anymore?"
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