Ethically Speaking

3.0

•- Quincie Jackson -•

"Dad?"

My heart drops to my stomach as I push open my apartment door.

Elijah stood behind me, his hand still in mine as we had just finished saying goodnight.

I drop his hand quickly in hopes that my dad doesn't see, and thanks to Grace blocking the door, it's quite possible he didn't.

"What are you doing here?"

There were few times I'd ever seen my father angry. He was a relatively relaxed man who never pushed his emotions to the surface. Yet, if this were a cartoon I have no doubt smoke would be blowing from his ears.

"Where have you been?" He ignores my question and pushes Grace to the side. "Elijah? What the hell is going on?"

I turn around having realized Elijah still stood behind me. I thought he might've run as soon as my dad came into view, but he hadn't.

"I live in the building," Elijah's quick with his words but not in a way that sounded suspicious, "I saw Quincie in the lobby and it's pretty late. I thought it'd be best to walk her home."

I could see the questioning look in my father's eyes as he sizes up Elijah Fields.

When I meet Elijah's emerald eyes, I see no bit of fear in them whatsoever. He was calm, collected, and not budging with his story even as my father's intense gaze keeps him steady.

"This is a family matter. You should go," my father turns on his foot and walks deeper into my apartment with Grace hot on his tail.

"Call me when he leaves. I don't care the time," Elijah whispers for just us to hear.

I nod my head as I look back to the kitchen. They'd disappeared behind the wall and I take this time to press a gentle kiss to Elijah's cheek.

"I will. But you should go before he thinks the worst."

Elijah takes off for the stairs in a steady walk. If I were him, I'd have run like my life depended on it.

Perhaps because it does.

As I close the door to my apartment I fall back against it.

My relationship with my father this year has been suffering in ways I never thought possible. But I'd come to my senses about his constant control over my life, even as an adult.

I kick off my heels because a conversation like this was not worth the pain of my shoes. As I enter the kitchen I hear Grace in a low whisper trying to console my father's anger but once he sees me, all her progress is lost and his rage takes over.

"I got a call from Katie," he says in a tone that lets you know he was trying to steady his voice but failing miserably. "She said you cursed her out in front of your entire class and when I looked at the roster, you had missed class the rest of the week."

I know I shouldn't be jealous. I know that Katie was not a pertinent figure in Elijah's life anymore. He'd chosen me, yet an ache in my stomach does not cease to exist. If anything, it grows more intense by the second.