PSA: ALL tweets/texts/links in this work are FAKE and recreated to fit into the FICTION of this story. NOT intended to cause harm or ill intent. These are only created for the purpose of FICTION.
"Good things take time, but not when you keep running...
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Zak
Just by sending that simple text, I couldn't help but feel that Tori was aggravated by something. Was it because Sam was running late? Or was it that I forgot to delete my text messages with Sherry before I left to meet her, but in my defense, I didn't expect Tori to ask to use my laptop because hers was dead. I didn't have anything to hide except for that text message, and I hoped that if she did see it, she would understand why I chose to not ask her about her past, because now that I've seen the police report, I'm very glad I didn't ask her how her childhood was.
When I walked into the house, Tori sat at the kitchen counter that also served as a breakfast bar, still on my laptop with one hand under her chin while Gracie lay next to the chair under her feet, and I could tell by the look on her face that something was up.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head subtly, "Nothing."
"I don't believe that, sweetie."
"How did it go "getting your registration"?" She arched her brow at me. Yep, she must've seen the text message from Sherry.
I forced myself to act like I didn't know what she was talking about, reaching into my jacket pocket to get the receipt from the County Clerk's office, "Good? I do it every year. Not fun spending a hundred dollars to get tags for the car."
"It takes over an hour to go and get your tags then come back?"
I knew at this point I needed to stop gaslighting her, even though I was doing it to prevent her from having to talk about it. I've learned a long time ago that when Tori asks me a question particularly, she already knows the answer to it and is just seeing if I'd lie to her, and I was about to learn that lesson again.
"It can, yeah." I did it again. I should've just come clean right then and there, but I really didn't want to remind her about her past by telling her the real reason why I was at the County Clerk's office.
"Really? Because I've never had that problem when I went last month around the same time you did," She arched her brow. I broke my eye contact with her to look down at Gracie, who was still laying beneath Tori's feet and looking up at me as if she were saying, I already know why she's upset, Dad. Looks like I'm sleeping in your spot tonight. "So you didn't stop by and see someone named Sherry?"
Yep, she knew. I'd be stupid to lie to her again.
"I did."
"Hm. So how did that go? Get all of the information you inquired about?"
She looked fighting mad, and I didn't blame her, but at the same time, I really didn't know how to bring this up to her. I didn't want to give her a reason to not trust me, but I just needed to give her my reason.
"Tori... Just... Hear me out about this."
"Why did you take it upon yourself to do your own research about your own girlfriend when you could've just asked me?"
