sweet sixteen (kellic)

chapter 31

31

hated thinking about things too much. I felt so anxious because I had no clue what was going to happen now. I should have been feeling happy or relieved that we got rid of Parsons, but instead my fear about Parsons was replaced with my fear for mine and Vic's relationship. I was honestly terrified that things wouldn't work out with us. Maybe I was too young and immature for him.

A knock on my door startled me a little. I sat up straight, my heart pounding rapidly. I relaxed when I realized it was probably only Vic.

"Kellin? I'm going to come in now." He warned me. I didn't say anything. I swung my legs off the side of the bed and sat there, staring at my hands. I really did hate fighting with him, but I was still so angry. I was furious, but still feeling timid to the confrontation. I felt like this conversation was going to be intense, maybe even difficult, but it was a conversation which had to happen. This was make or break.

He opened the door and I looked over at him. He didn't look mad. He just looked like normal Vic. He sat next to me and I kept my eyes on him.

"Are you done with your temper tantrum?" He asked. Was he patronizing me? I knew I was young but that wasn't a reason to treat me like a child.

"My temper tantrum? Do you understand why I'm so upset?" I asked, trying to keep myself calm even though I felt like exploding.

"Of course I do." He said. He went to take my hand but I moved it away. His eyes held so much disappointment.

"It just hurts me so much to know that you'd rather save your business than help me when I had someone like Parsons trying to...you know..." I trailed off. I couldn't even speak about what Parsons wanted to do.

"You don't get it, Kellin. You know that my business isn't the only reason I didn't want to go to the police. I could have lost you." He said, but I shook my head.

"You don't know that." I said quietly. It was a topic I had been ignoring and didn't want to talk about. I pushed it away whenever I thought about it because in all honesty, I was always afraid that something would drive us apart. It wasn't just the threat of Parsons, but it was more knowing that we were in an illegal relationship and in a second someone, anyone, could find out and it would be over. It was constant anxiety so it was easier to just pretend that it wasn't an issue.

"Yes, I do. The police would have found out that we're living together and they would have taken you away. They'd force you to go back with your parents, and if they still didn't want you then you'd be put in a foster home. We might not have ever seen each other again. And what if the police did find out about my business? Yes, I would have lost it, so what, but I would have been thrown in jail. That means you would have been on your own. I wouldn't be here for you when I need to be and I'm sorry for being selfish but I cannot lose you. I would do anything to hold onto you." By the time he finished his short speech, tears were starting to fall down my cheeks.

I hated that I had been so ignorant about this. What he said was so assuring. I was stupid to even think for a second that he didn't care, especially after everything he's done for me.

"I'm sorry," I said, blinking past my tears and choking back a sob, "I'm so sorry. I just didn't know what to do."

He got on his knees in front of me and I looked down at him. He wiped the tears from my eyes then held my hands, and I didn't pull them away this time.

"I know it was tough to deal with. This whole thing with Parsons was something you should have never been a part of and I'm sorry you were." He said. He sounded almost guilty. Yes, Parsons probably wouldn't have come after me if it wasn't for him seeing me at the club, but that wasn't Vic's fault. I squeezed his hands tightly.