The car ride seemed to last forever. Tyler managed to blast the radio so loud that I literally could not hear myself think so I wasn't thinking about what had just happened. What made it uncomfortable was the palpable amount of tension filling the air, so thick it became suffocating.
When we finally get to his house, he picks my bag out of the back seat and walks inside and I follow quickly after him. As soon as we walk in the smell of food hits me like a brick wall, making me realize that I haven't eaten since yesterdays lunch. My stomach lets out a dying whale song and Tyler laughs lightly next to me.
He calls out to his mom and a short older lady with a familiar face walks around the corner. Her blue eyes -identical to Tyler's- light up when she sees me. Right behind her is his dad who's smile is soon matching his wife's. Looking at Tyler between his parents is like looking at perfectly (and gorgeously) morphed image with half of each of their genes split in the middle.
"Rosaline! Oh how wonderful it is to see you around again! How have you been, darling?" His mom gives me a hug and I bend down slightly so she can kiss my cheek.
"Mrs. Penn, I've been alright. Its been a little rough but its getting better I suppose. How have you been? And you Mr. Penn?" I say as I give his dad a hug.
"Just because you left for a little bit doesn't mean we're back on a Mr and Mrs basis again. Avenlea and Zion, please. Will you be staying for dinner?" She looks at Ty expectantly and he starts to explain.
"Rosaline needs a place to stay actually. She's having trouble at home and I didn't want to leave her there for a while." He and Avenlea share a meaningful look, a silent conversation and nods.
"She can stay in the guest bedroom," she looks at me, "stay as long as you need."
Tyler heads upstairs and after a quick wave and a small smile, I hurry after him. He opens the door directly across the staircase to a bedroom with a huge white covered bed on the back wall. Its beautifully decorated and so much better than the dusty, messy, cramped room I've been sleeping in.
He sets my bag down on the bed without saying a word. He looks at me for a little bit then looks down again. "Dinner's in about 10 minutes. Other than that, if you need me, you know where to find me." With that he walks out, leaving me standing in the doorway, ready to cry again.
-
Dinner was filled with a lot of ostensible silences and awkward questions. Especially when Avenlea tried to clarify what we were, exactly.
"So when did you two start back up?"
Tyler and I stutter out that we never did.
"Tyler and I-"
"We are NOT-"
"Nope."
"Not happening."
The rest of dinner was just plain awkward. Tyler went to bed without talking to me. He avoided me as much as possible, even going to the extent of running down the hall when he saw me coming out of my room.
I sat on my bed in the dark for a while just staring at the light coming in from under the door, thinking that I wish I was like this room. So dark and yet beautiful on the inside, just letting a little bit of light in. Waiting for someone to open the door and let the light in so the beauty is what you can see.
But that won't happen.
I'm just a depressed girl with a soul so dark, no amount of light could expose any beauty. The tears start to fall before I can even feel them coming. I don't wipe them, I don't try to make them stop. I just let them come and wait for the pain to be over.
I don't know how long it takes but when the door opens, I have my head in my hands, crying silently and I don't look up, but I know its Tyler. He picks me up easily and sits on the floor, setting me in his lap. I let my head fall against his shoulder and he holds me tighter and plays with my hair.
"Why did you come? Earlier? Did you get my message?" I sniffled out quietly after a few minutes.
"I left you at the school. I knew you were waiting for me but the girl I was with -Sophia- she needed a ride to a class just down the street so I dropped her off. I took a little longer than I intended to but I swear, I came back for you. By the time I got there, you were gone so I went to the theater but you weren't there either. I got your message on the way back home and I turned around as fast as I could.
Your mom was passed out on the couch and I went to look for you and then...I found you." He shrugs slightly as his voice trails off. He pauses and I look up at him. He's staring off into space and directly at the ground, his hand no longer in my hair but on my back.
"Ty...?" he looks at me finally.
"Just try to sleep. I'll stay until you do." I fall asleep easily in his arms, his warm skin against mine, reminding me that I'm really not all alone in this world.
