Misconception

16: Unwanted Visitor

Clementine's POV

I start taking my birth control as soon as it arrives in the mail and Mom is sure to tell me to keep it hidden from Dad and Vinny because she thinks they would flip if I even knew what sex was. Little does she know that her son is the reason I decided to start taking birth control...

Mom and Dad have been around too often for Vinny and I to even think about doing anything. I think they haven't been going away as much because they're afraid that as soon as they leave, Ricky, my "boyfriend" will come over. So, it's a pleasant surprise that at dinner one night they tell us that they're going to be going on vacation for a week in Europe for their anniversary. When they ask me to go to my room so they can chat with Vinny I'm not completely oblivious as to what they're going to talk to him about, so I eavesdrop just outside the dining room. 

"Vinny, we're asking you to keep a very close eye on your little sister this upcoming week what with her new boyfriend and all."

I hear my father scoff. 

"Nothing will be going on under my watch. Trust me."

I hear Vinny respond, sounding very believable.

Mom and Dad leave very early the next morning to catch their flight. Now that I do school at home and Vinny works quite a bit this is going to be a long boring week.

When Vinny gets home from work that night he mentions how Chris just "up and disappeared" and how he's going to drive by his house to see if he's alright. I don't know if it's harder for me to act oblivious or if it's harder for me not to scream at him to stay when he leaves. Ryan is filled in about what happened with Chris and nobody has said a peep as not to anger Vinny. Concerned, I grab my phone and shoot Ricky a text,

Me: Vinny's been talking about how he hasn't seen or heard from Chris in awhile and he just left to check on him...

Ricky: I doubt Chris will even be home. He's always out doing something. How have you been holding up? I miss you guys. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever.

Me: I'm okay. Kind of shaken up still I guess. My bruises are finally healed, so I don't have to worry about hiding them anymore, but it's hard trying to hide my nightmares from Vinny. I haven't slept much the last few nights...

Ricky: I'm so sorry, Clem. :( I hope you know you can always talk to me about this. I don't want you bottling it up and it getting to be too much for you. Also, Vinny just texted me asking him to come over and hang and talk, I'm assuming about why Chris is MIA... I'll probably beat Vinny there if he's all the way out by Chris'. Just letting you know so I don't scare you when I knock, LOL. Vinny knows I'm on my way.

When I hear a knock on the door a few minutes later I know it's just Ricky as I go to answer it. I barely get the door open before he embraces me in a bear hug. Just like that all the emotions I've been trying to hide for so long build up and just spill out of me. I didn't know that whole ordeal was weighing so heavily on me still. He shuffles us inside and shuts the door behind us. When there's a break in my sobs, he tips my head up to look at my face and wipes away tears with his thumbs.

"I didn't know this was weighing on you so heavily still, hun..."

He says. He takes my hand in his and leads me to the couch and sits down, pulling me to sit beside him. 

"Whatever's on your mind, let it out."

He says, and I do. I tell him how the look in Chris' eyes haunts my nightmares. I tell him how nobody's ever made me feel unsafe before. I tell him how hopeless I felt. I tell him how every little bump in the night I think is Chris coming back to get me, but most of all I tell him how hard it is not having anyone to talk to about it and having to keep it a secret. 

"Why would someone do that? Why wouldn't he listen to me when I kept telling him to get off me?"

I blurt. Ricky shakes his head as he says,

"Because Chris is used to getting what he wants. He's not used to girls turning him down and it's even more of a thrill for him because he's convinced Vinny stole Delilah away from him and he knows how protective Vinny is of you and he's been looking for any way to piss Vinny off. To Chris it looks like your his surefire way."

I sigh,

"Can't Chris find some other way? If he's not actually interested in me, why drag me into it?"

Ricky sighs as well,

"Clem, since the day Chris met you he's been begging Vinny to let him ask you out. He's been holding the whole Delilah ordeal against Vinny and he's convinced Vinny just doesn't want to see him happy. We all know how Chris treats girls though so we were all against him asking you out. You're far too innocent and I think that's part of the lure for Chris. He's only ever been with 'bad girls'."

Ricky makes the quotations with his fingers. We sit in silence for awhile before we start to wonder where Vinny is. Not long after that we hear Vinny pull in the driveway and when the door opens Vinny says,

"Look who I found!"

And in the doorway Chris is standing with my brother's arm around him. My stomach drops to the floor and I jump up.

"I-I forgot to s-submit an assignment I t-think..."

I mumble and stutter as I bolt upstairs and lock myself in my bedroom.