A History Of Violence - Violentine AU

Chapter Sixteen: Bearer Of Bad News

Violet snapped her head around as soon as she heard the door being unlocked. She leaned against the kitchen bench facing the front of the apartment and her heart began pounding. She had been waiting all day to talk to Clementine, to find out just what was going on. After Clem had left that morning, Violet took AJ for a walk to buy ice cream. On her way back, she noticed Clem's car still sitting in the lot out back.
Her first thought was that Clem had been able to come home from work early, but the apartment was empty when they got in. Her mind frantically tried to make sense of the situation. Initially she had thought that Clem had suddenly run out on her. It wasn't unheard of, people running off on their partner without a word, leaving their children behind. Clem had seemed upset that morning, apologising to her and cooking the large breakfast, maybe it was her way of staving off the guilt? It seemed unlikely, that wasn't the kind of person Clem was.
It could have been nothing, but the car being left behind didn't make sense if she really was going to work. The bar was a ten minute drive away, it would have been much easier than walking.
Things didn't add up, Violet was a nervous wreck all day trying to figure out what the car being left behind implied. Hiding her worry from AJ had been exhausting. Thankfully, Clem was home now and her questions could finally be answered.
"Hey." Violet said quietly as Clem walked in the door.
Clementine silently gazed at her with a tired look in her eyes. Clem came up to Violet and wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulders, closing her eyes and sighing deeply.
Violet slowly reciprocated the embrace, feeling Clem's shuddering breaths on the back of her neck.
"I missed you." Clem uttered huskily.
"Where were you today?" Violet asked with some hesitation.
There was an excruciating period of silence between them before Clementine spoke.
"I... was at work."
Her answer was far from convincing.
"Clem...."
Violet began to get choked up. Clem was hiding something from her, lying about where she had been.
Was she cheating on her? Is that something Clem would do? Violet prayed it wasn't the case, just thinking about the possibility was crushing her.
"Your car was here all day. Where did you go?"
"I..." Clem croaked.
Violet broke off their embrace, folding her arms over her chest defensively. Clem looked positively small, her usual confident posture replaced with a more guarded one.
"I can't..." she finally managed.
"What do you mean you can't?"
Clem shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I just... can't."
"Can't what? Can't tell me where you went?"
Clem shook her head again.
"Why not?" Violet felt the urge to yell, but AJ was in his room playing, so she stayed quiet.
Clem didn't say anything, she just stared at her feet.
"Are you cheating on me?" Violet asked, agonised.
"What? No!" Clem immediately looked up at her. "Violet, I would never do that."
"So then tell me where you were today." She pleaded.
Clementine looked around the room with a pained look on her expression.
"It's not safe. If I tell you, you're a part of it and I don't want that."
"Clem! Don't do that, don't shut me out. I did the same thing and it fucking ruined my life for years! If there's a problem, let me help."
Clementine was silent for a while before she hesitantly spoke.
"If I tell you, I'm worried you'll... look at me differently."
"Clem, come on."
"I used to be a fucking terrible person, Vi. Now it's come back to bite me on the ass and... fuck." She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
She felt Violet take her hand, placing the other on her cheek. Clem opened her eyes and found herself staring into Violet's own ocean-green eyes. A wave of calm washed over her, it never ceased to amaze her how Violet simply being present could put her at ease.

"When I was fifteen, my dad got fired. The school he worked at was low on funding and had to fire a bunch of people, he was just unlucky enough to be one of them. We were... having a hard time. He was working like three shit jobs and it still wasn't enough, sometimes he'd skip meals so I could eat."

She stopped for a moment, motioning for Violet to follow her. They sat on the couch, it was going to be a long story and Clem preferred to get comfortable before launching in.