The Red Market (mxmxm)

-Ch. 28-

Eli's P.O.V.

Kerri just sits there staring, her smile unwavering. Theres a look in her eyes that instinctively makes me scared but before anything happens the front door opens and Rosie walks in.

"God, it was a zoo!" She huffs out, shaking her shoes off before walking the groceries to the kitchen. "I got some snacks too while I was at it, figured we could watch a movie or something!" She calls out. I want to help her unpack but I'm too scared of Kerri right now to move. She still hasn't moved or said anything and it's honestly freaking me the fuck out.

"Is everything good?" Rosie asks stepping into the room. She looks at Kerri and her face falls. "Oh god, what happened?" She asks as if she knows exactly what that frozen look means.

"Sorry, I think I need to step out for a second." Kerri says softly as she stands up from her seat. She walks over to the back door that leads to the yard. She walks lightly, almost like a ghost, before leaving the house fully.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Rosie asks.

"I'm fine, we were just talking! I don't know if I said anything wrong? God, did I do something? I'm so sorry if I did something!" I blurt, starting to spiral a bit.

"No, no! You're fine! She gets like that when she's pissed at someone." Rosie says. "Not at you!" She says quickly. "She'd be passive aggressive if it was you," she explains. "You're- you're fine," she finally settles. "I'm just going to go check on her real quick," she tells me, patting my shoulder. She quickly leaves through the back door and I sit in the house alone.

Its silent until I hear a muffled "What?!" Coming from the backyard. Its followed by stomping up the back porch steps and the back door swinging open. Rosie stands there staring at me, utterly pissed.

"The Red Market!?" She asks.

"What?" I say confused.

"Conner and Marcus," she says, calmer, "they 'picked you up' at the Red Market?" She asks, her tone lower but still obviously upset.

"Yeah?" I say.

Rosie breathes out sharply and starts pacing the living room. "I'm going to fucking kill them," she says under her breath.

"Did you guys not know?" I ask, confused as to why they're so mad.

Rosie looks at me with wild eyes as if to say "of fucking course not!" But Kerri is the one to speak. "No. We thought you-" she cuts herself off, "Marcus had told us you met them at the club," she corrects.

"Oh." I say, not knowing what else to do. He probably told them that cause he was embarrassed that I'm from the Red Market. My heart sinks a little with that thought but I try not to dwell too much. "He probably just said that to make it less confusing," I tell them and they immediately look at me pitifully.

"Oh hun," Kerri says and reaches out.

I flinch back knowing I might cry right now if I'm touched.

"I'm fine," I say, less to reassure them, and more to convince myself I think. "I'm just gonna head upstairs for a bit if thats okay?" I ask.

"Of course," Rosie says, her wild anger subsiding as she looks at me with worry.

I manage to close the door and sit on the bed of the guest room before I start crying for the second time today.

———

I manage to calm myself down after a while and make my way back downstairs. Both Rosie and Kerri are sitting in the living room on their phones. I can smell the pizza in the oven as I take my seat again.