You, Me, And The Divide

Chapter 20

My hand hovered over the call button as I sat in my truck. Danny's porchlight was on, and his car was in the driveway. It was late. I really shouldn't have come. Yet my finger just kept hovering over that call button. My cheeks were wet from crying, and it reminded me of how bad it was killing me to tell Danny about my mom. I let my finger fall on the call button, and my shaky hands brought the phone up to my ear.

"Hey," Danny said confused and drawn out. "Not that I don't love to hear from you, but what brings you to call me at 1 in the morning?"

His politeness was laced with immense confusion. I probably would've been the same way in his shoes. My voice rose in my throat, but it cracked. I had to clear it again before it actually held.

"Hey. Can you come outside?" I asked him hesitantly.

"Yeah. Is everything alright?" he asked me worried. There was a series of shuffling sounds as if to get up.

"I don't know," I told him softly and hung up.

I pulled my bag up my shoulder and hoisted myself out of the truck. It was cold and my sweatshirt would have to be swapped out for a heavy jacket soon. The breeze slipping right through my sleeves covering my skin in a layer of goosebumps. I crossed my arms and crossed the driveway. Danny opened the front door and buttoned his jeans that I suppose he just slipped on. His bare chest was smacked with the cold breeze as he scrunched up to keep warm. I climbed the steps quickly, and he closed the door softly behind me. Before I even said hi, his arms wrapped around me like I was a magnet and he was steel. He was warm, and his shoulder was soft and welcoming to rest my head on. He rubbed my back softly for several moments before he retracted and pulled away.

"What happened?" he asked me lightly as he lead me upstairs by a hand in the middle of my back.

I didn't say anything until we were safely in his room. My knees were pulled up to my chest as I sat in the soft chair by his desk, my usual spot. He rolled his chair over to sit directly in front of me. His elbows resting on his spread legs. His fingers were laced together, and those brown eyes watched me intently. My throat hurt, and words were almost too far to reach.

"It's my mom. I didn't tell you that she called because ever since Allen got hurt you've been so lost in your own thoughts. It felt selfish to add my problems on top of that, but she did call," I told him quite difficulty.

A flash of regret passed through him as his eyebrows furrowed. "Is, you could've told me. Your problems are no less important to me than my own."

"It wasn't worth bothering you over, but now, it kind of is," I told him and paused for a moment. "Toby said he wants to see her. He's a much bigger person than I am, but I won't make him go in alone. I'm going with him to see her when she gets back in town, and I just don't think I can do it."

I felt the tears whelm up inside again, and they streamed down my face like endless springs. Danny grabbed a box of tissues off his desk and set them in my lap for me. I wiped my face and felt my chest shrinking. It felt worse than dying. I felt sick to my stomach as my head throbbed. Thinking about it made me cry even harder.

"Why does she want to see you now after being gone so long?" he asked me lightly as he brushed hair out of my face.

"My dad said she has called for money the past few times he's heard from her. She said she wanted to see us and be home for the holiday season. My dad's very skeptical. I kind of feel like it's just a way to convince us to get her the money, but Toby wants to give her  a chance."

"It'll be okay. It's just one dinner then she's out of your life for good. Toby will see who she really is then that'll be it. You just have to handle her one day," he told me trying to coax me out of my fit.