To Believe In Promises (Tumbling Down trilogy - DM fanfic)

Newsletter (Ch.13)

Woahhhhh I actually updated! Sorry, I know you all hate me.

Well, here it is!

•••

Winter break is right around the corner and I could not be more happy. I get to go home. Home, home.

When I'm dismissed from my last class, I don't even wait as long as to say goodbye to Mariah. I take my pre-packed bags and hop in my car.

It's a long drive back, but I don't care. I pull up to my house and rush inside.

Me: Hey! I'm home!

There's the sound of feet hitting stairs and scurrying. Then I see my family.

It's so weird the way it was not even three years ago. My family never wanted anything to do with me. Now, I love seeing them. And I feel like they love seeing me. What happened?

Whatever it was, I'm glad it did.

Maddie has been taking classes at a junior college and works at the ALDC as an instructor now. Here will always be home for her. It is for me too, no matter what, but I know I won't be living here for the rest of my life.

I'm going wherever dance - which I only do on my college's team, occasionally - or, life, for that matter, takes me.

Right now, it takes me to Tyler.

I drive the whole block and a half to the Stranton house because I don't feel like walking. Rushing up the driveway, I see the garage is open, which means someone is just about to leave. There's two cars, one grey and one red. The red one - Mary's - is on, so I know Tyler is home. And staying there.

Maybe it would be weird to just enter the house, but I'm beyond caring. Mary sees me as I enter the garage anyways.

It takes me no time to go up the stairs and to the door all the way down the hallway and to the right.

Since it's still 10 o'clock in the morning, I knock. No answer, so I just decide to enter. As I suspected, he's sprawled out on his stomach, out like a light.

Messing with him wouldn't be all that mean, would it?

I feel a smile creep to my face as I take off my shoes and coat. Once that's done, I pull the blankets so they start to fall off. That'll bother him. Me stealing his blankets always bothered him.

He shifts and pulls at the covers, only half awake. I can barely keep myself front burst-out laughing.

I keep pulling, even though he's stronger. Eventually, he says:

Tyler: Tori, stop it!
Me: Tori isn't this strong, I don't think. And she's not even home.
Tyler: Fine. Jessie.
Me: I'm pretty sure Jessie doesn't live here anymore.
Tyler: But you're always here.

I let go of the blanket and get on the bed, climbing onto his back.

Me: Jessie doesn't do this.

I kiss the side of his neck.

And in an instant, I'm flipped onto my stomach with him over me.

Me: Bad at distinguishing voices, huh?
Tyler: Not when I'm barely awake.
Me: Well you're awake now.

With that, he has his lips on me. Off center, desperate, but perfect. These messy, intense kisses are my favorite. And I'm definitely getting a lot of them right now.

When we catch a break, Tyler lied next to me, playing with the hem of my shirt.

Tyler: When did you get back?
Me: When do you think?
Tyler: Do you even go to see your family anymore?
Me: Yeah.

I smile. Genuinely. My family is so much more of a family now. Maddie is actually my sister and my mother is actually my mother. Greg has always been a father figure for me and I can't argue with having that. I tell Tyler so.

Tyler: Good. I told you, time was all it takes. Things turn around.
Me: I at least tried to believe you.
Tyler: I know, it wasn't easy. I hope it is now.

He moves his hand from my hip to my wrist, pushing up the sweater material. He's exposing my old, faded cuts, and the surgical marks from when I cut so deep I bled all over my bedroom floor.

Me: I don't do that anymore.
Tyler: Do you ever think about it?

Truthfully? Yes. I think about it all the time. I nod slowly.

Me: But I don't think those thoughts are ever going to go away. I'll always be damaged.
Tyler: You're not damaged. You're adapted.

I roll my eyes.

Me: My head is constantly thinking about the future. What's gonna happen? Will something send me into a relapse? And I don't know because...I truly won't know when it'll happen.

Tyler pulls me closer to him, even though it's not really possible. I'm already right next to him.

Tyler: What's gonna happen...is you will be stuck with me. For as long as you're alive. And you'll go and do whatever it is you wanna do with me right there with you.

I smile, looking down at his hands. I meet them with mine, lacing our fingers together.

Me: I love you.
Tyler: I love you too.

I can sense a sadness in his voice, no matter how much he does that little half smile. And as much as I don't want to ruin this moment, I have to ask.

Me: Is something bothering you?
Tyler: Why would anything be bothering me right now?

He presses a kiss to my temple. Which is bad. He only ever does that like that if he's either upset or hiding something. Or both.

I choose not to get mad about it, but it bothers me. I let the conversation drop and curl into him.

I fall asleep, waking a couple hours later when I feel him get off the bed. I groan and grab at him, latching onto him wrist.

Me: Where are you going?
Tyler: Just to the kitchen. Thirsty?

I nod and he runs his fingers through my hair, then leaves. I sit up and rub my eyes, getting up.

I take in his room, still looking the same as it always has. Guitar in the corner that never gets played, clothes pouring out of certain dresser drawers, closet open just a crack, the desk completely bare - wait.

For once, there's actually some sort of papers on his desk.

Bring curious, I walk over and start flipping through.

The first thing I see is a plane ticket. Addressed to Texas. Then a letter addressed to him.

Don't read it.
Read it.
Don't read it.
Read it.

I fingers carefully take the letter from its already opened envelope, then unfold it.

Blah blah blah...
You have been accepted...
More blah blah blah...
Training will start January 27th in Houston, Texas.

What?

I scan the other papers and find words I do not want to see: US Marines.

And the door to his room reopens. At this point, I don't even care.

Tyler: Kenz?
Me: I-I should go home.