Blue's Purple

Chapter 8

///Penelope's POV///

It was late when I closed up the shop, locking the door and turning to leave. The air was cold, but the hot air coming from the homeless shelter hits my face, warming me instantly. My phone tweets and I smile without thought. "Hey beautiful." The voice hits me hard, sending cold shivers up my spine, sending signals to my brain; telling me to run.

I don't run. Instead I shove my phone in my pocket and I turn to face them. "How was prison?" His smile, his toothless, crooked smile creeps into my mind. "Scarring." I nod, backing away slightly, "Good to hear it."

There has to be some kind of law, restraining order; something. Though, he's never really liked the social convention. "I missed you." My hands start to shake, so I shove my fists into my jacket pocket, "Gee, well this has been great, but I must be getting home." He grabs my wrist, hard, and glares, "How's the shit head?" I push at his chest quickly, wriggling free, "He's great, I'll be sure to tell him you said hi." He steps forward as soon as I step back.

A car horn distracts both of us long enough for me to realize who it is that's driving. The car stops, and I can't imagine what he thinks this looks like. He throws his car into park and jumps out, walking half way around the car, "What's going on here?" The man I used to know answer quietly, "Leave us alone hero, family business." Ty's eyes open wide, stepping forward, "Not anymore it isn't."

He looks different. I mean, besides the soccer shorts and glasses, which is new to me as well; but he just looks; different.

Jacks eyes glaze over from Ty's comment, "An why's that?" His posture changes, and his fighting stance turns to Ty. "She's my girlfriend, and I don't like the way you're holding her." My eyes widen; no! No, Jack will use whatever weakness he thinks I have, and use it against me and my brother; and now he thinks Ty is my weakness. "What's your name kid?" I step forward, opening the passenger side door, "Let's go." I say, looking directly at Ty, and his eyes catch me off guard.

It's dark out, yes, but it's different. The look I give him must work, but he waits until I'm in the car to close his door behind him. He throws the car into drive and does a U-Turn, speeding off.

He doesn't talk until the third stop sign, "Pen, are you okay?" That's not what I expected, but I nod tiredly, "Yeah." he nods, looking over his shoulder and switching lanes. "I thought you didn't have your license?" He sighs, "I don't." I wait for further explanation, but I figured it was fair, because I'm not telling him shit.

"Penelope." I hum in question, but decided to answer before he has the chance to ask, "I don't want to talk about it." I look at the window, following the lights. "I know Pen, I need your address."

"Oh." I say dumbly, mumbling the street name, not knowing the number yet.

"I went and saw Grey, that's why I was out, not following you." I laugh, "You mean I don't have my own stalker? damn." I glance his way as he chuckles, glancing back at me as he looks both ways, "Hey," I say quickly, I swear the light hit his eyes weird. He glances my way and his eyes widen, he jerks his head to the left, swerving onto my street, "House number?" I shrug, trying to look at him, "No idea." He looks at me in question, "What, how do you not know where you live?" He looks at me like I'm insane at the same time that the street light beams into the car. "Holy shit," I whisper.

~~~

I shut the front door behind me, leaning against it gently. The thought that was in my head for the last twenty seconds leave immediately. "Dam?" I lean away from the door, whispering . I look around the house, locking the door and creeping into the cheap living room, "Damien?" I call out for my brother once again. "Where the hell were you?!" I sigh, resting my head against the wall I'm leaning on. "I was closing up the shop." He nods, holding a tire iron, "Yeah, no I went by the shop; it was closed."

Yeah, I'm still staring at the tire iron, "Jesus Dam what are we? ghetto?" He shrugs, lazily throwing the tire iron towards the pile of shoes, silencing the noise. "Might as well be. Penelope," He pauses, staring at me, "Where were you?" I inhale, and walk towards the kitchen, him following close in step, "My friend Ty helped me." He nods, glaring, but I can tell he's grateful, which will make asking him for a job easier, "Helped you with what?" I shrug, grabbing a coke out of the fridge, "He's out." Dam's eyes darken, because he knows. He know exactly what's going on and who it is that is going to ruin our new home. I look away from him, "I miss it here." He looks down at his feet, "Me too Penny, me too." I walk over to the pantry and grab out a bag of chips, "How's mom doing?" He looks up at me, but his head remains low. Making his 6'6 almost seem shorter than my 5'7. "Dam?" He throws his head back, groaning, "Penelope, worry about what you need too; mom isn't it."

I think to tell him to shove it, but I don't; instead, I do Ty a favor, "Can my friend have a job?" He looks up from the pile of bills, "The one who helped you?" I nod slowly, throwing away what once was a full bag of chips. He closes his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips, "Yeah, Yeah I'll see what I can do." I give him a grateful nod, "Goodnight." He returns the nod, and exits the kitchen; bills in hand. I lean against the island, that is destined to crumble any day now, and sigh heavily, closing my eyes, breathing for what seems like the first time tonight. My mind wonders to Ty, and at the thought, my eyes open and my heart rate increases.

His eyes.