Hey girl you know you drive me crazy
One word puts a rhythm in my head
Still I don't understand why you hang around
I see what's going down.

Tick-tick-tick, the silence of the room made the echo of clock all the more louder. Anything. I needed anything to break the silence. I look at Caroline. "Look at me." Nothing."Look at me!" I say in a harsher tone.
"What!?" Caroline snaps back, looking up at me. My eyes travel down to the bruise on her right cheek. My jaw clenches as anger flows through me. Fuck, I hated the bastard.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"Caroline just shifts in her seat and blows the bangs out of her eyes. "Car tell me." Nothing. "Car-"
"For fuck sakes just drop it already!" Caroline shrieks, glaring at me.
I give her a small glare back, "Drop it, you want me to drop it? Well, that isn't going to fucking happen!"
"I'm dropping it."
"I can't that's the thing," I get up from the chair, pacing around the room. I came across a photo of me and Caroline when we were younger. I pick it up.
"We've been best friends for like 23 years. I should have known what was going on."
"Well you didn't and it's ok."
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is."
"No."
"Ye-"
"It is not ok! You're sitting here expecting me to be ok that some loser was beating on you?! Well, it's not ok! And here I was in Chicago asking how things were and I believed you when you said everything was great! You'd give me a smile like this one in this stupid photo," gesturing to the photo in my hand "..and I believed you. I fucking believed you. All of that is not ok."
"Yes, it is."
"For fuck sakes are you fucking four years old?! Save the yes/no argument for later!" I yelled, annoyed.
"How about you fucking drop it and I won't have to act like I'm four years old. I was dealing with it perfectly fine."
"Yeah, by being a punching bag." I reply sarcastically.
"So," she shot back.
"Stop it."
"Nope."
"I'm serious."
"I am too. And, I say it's no big deal."
"Stop acting tough!" Caroline looks at me surprised.
"If you wanna fucking cry, then fucking cry. If you want to punch something, then beat the shit out of a fucking wall," I pause, "Just don't pull the tough Caroline act. It's me, you don't have to be strong for me," I mutter. Caroline crosses her arms and turns her head away. I sigh, walking toward her pulling her into me.
"I'm not going to cry Corey Crawford!" Caroline replies stubbornly.
"Alright," knowing full well she would.
Tick-tick-tick. The silence again making the noise of the ticking clock known. "Y'know I'd watch your games."
"Really?"
"Mhmm. They were good. Caroline paused, swallowing. I pulled her in closer to me, knowing it was the push she needed. "I know full well what you're doing Crawford."
"What?" I asked, feigning innocence.
"You're doing that thing where you pull the girl in, hoping that it will get the girl in bed."
I pull away and smirk,
"Is it working?"
Caroline scoffs and pauses, pulling herself into me. Caroline hesitates, "God, I missed you. I-" Caroline lips quiver. "I-I wanted you to be here for so long. I wanted to be able to feel you and not a glass screen and I wanted to hear your voice without it being miles and miles away. And, I wanted to smell you because your shirt lost its scent ages ago, plus Richard smells like the equivalent of a c-cheap whore with all of the Axe he uses, but you use Old Spice sparingly and I can just breathe that in for ages! I couldn't do any of that with my phone!" Caroline bawled, burrowing her head into the crook of my shoulder. We just stood there for a few minutes, me rubbing Caroline's back.
"We should ice your bruises."
"Ok." Caroline pulls away, going into the kitchen grabbing a bag of ice and a cloth. She comes back and I tell her to sit down. I take the bag of ice from her and wrap it in the cloth.
"Take your shirt off." Caroline complies, taking her shirt off. My eyes travel down to each of the bruises she has. I breathe through my nose keeping myself from voicing a string of profanity. I place the ice pack on the bruise running down on her left side. Caroline flinches back from the coldness. "You know closing your eyes apparently helps you deal with the coolness." I lied. Caroline closes her eyes. It worked. My eyes begin travel along her upper body, still placing the ice pack on the left side as to not cause suspicion. My eyes rest on her collarbone. I swallow. Well, you're a fucking perv Crawford. Feeling guilty I look away. But how many times have you gotten a chance like this? I look back, and my eyes fall to her chest, but again quickly looking away. For fuck sakes, can I maybe not act like a horned up teenage boy excited for his first time for once with this girl. I look up at her face and smile; Caroline's forehead was scrunched up in concentration. "Is it working?"
"Not really, no."
I ruffle her hair with my free arm, "Well, now we know."
Caroline opens her eyes and grins. "Well Cap'n time for bed, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah, here," I walk to my bag, digging in and throwing her a shirt.
"Corey!" Caroline happily yells, throwing the shirt on. She smells it, "It smells like you!"
"Good, now come on to bed," laying myself down, patting the side next to me."
Caroline crawls up beside me, shutting out the light.
"C'mere," extending my arm out.
Caroline pulls in closer. "Yes?" placing her head on my chest.
"Love you Cara-doll."
"Love you too, Cor."

Notes