Lethe Vita

Chapter 13

She understood him.

In a relationship, their compatibility would easily transition into combustibility. They were onions and strawberries: two foods that went well together, but had to be surrounded by other foods such as mixed greens to work.

They had both befriended a world without light. They had stumbled into that world again and again; usually, without their consent.

But not always; for, on more than one occasion, they had warmly embraced that world.

That was Dylan and Valerie, and the twins were their mixed greens.

They had both come from demolished families. They both lashed out when hurt or angry. They both lied. Cheated. Stole for the hell of it. Used alcohol and other substances to numb a pain that never numbed.

They had both acquired laundry lists of regrets.

Dylan regretted hurting Brenda.

Valerie regretted hurting David.

Had regretted.

It seemed inconceivable to regret hurting someone who took no issue in spilling secrets that weren't their secrets to spill.

Valerie had thrown herself into the project, determined to help get Brenda to the point where she wouldn't run away if she became overwhelmed.

Val believed Dylan's music idea would help, but she couldn't see why she had been tasked to work with David on it.

On a rare day off, Clare joined them. Steve usually dropped in once or twice a day. Val liked when Steve joined. His boisterous laughter served as a nice change from the otherwise awkward silences between her and David.

Silence broken only when they debated on the rating of a song and whether they should have lined up an artist when they were co-managing the After Dark.

David had been staring at her for a quarter of an hour before Val finally acknowledged his stare.

"What?" she asked.

"I just can't get over how beautiful you are," he said.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"You know what."

"Val, I'm not doing anything," he said with a laugh.

"You're trying to flirt, David. It's not gonna work. I'm not Bren. You're not Dylan. We aren't trying to repair what's been broken for the sake of the family we don't have. I'm not your great love story you fucked up along the way. Neither of us have lost memories that need to be recovered, although it could be argued that you lost your mind in other areas."

"If this is about me helping Dylan and Steve crack the truth about your false pregnancy, a. I didn't know what they were trying to expose and b. I've already apolo -"

"Try more like telling my secrets," Val interjected. "Telling Kelly, of all people, what I told you in strict confidence. If I'd known you were gonna go blabbing things to Kelly, I'da never told you."

David set down the CD case he had been holding. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"What am I talking about?" echoed Val incredulously. "I'm talking about you, telling Kelly about my father! What the fuck, David? I thought I meant something to you, and then you go and do a thing like that."

David became ashen. "She said you were completely damaged, Val. That you were always a victim, that you were inhuman."

"So you, what, decide to show Kel how human I am by telling her what my father did?"