Unremitting Love

Chapter 13

Aubrey

I have never, not once wondered if Daniel does drugs.

Until today.

The second we got home, and everyone is with us, he went frantically digging through the house and came back with bug spray.

He insisted on spraying me down. His eyes are completely bloodshot.

He's sprayed the entire house, and now he's wandering around with the bottle.

I'm perfectly fine. The doctor told me and I can go on living like this never happened.

"Does Daniel do drugs?" Mrs. Schmitt asks, watching him.

"I don't know. I didn't think so until today."

"I think he had a weird dream." Roxy says. "He fell asleep and woke up acting crazy."

"She's right." Finn frowns.

I look at Daniel.

He comes inside.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me. "Itchy? Nauseous? You could be pregnant. Who knows!"

He laughs crazily, disappearing into the house.

"Daniel!" I call.

He comes back.

"Yes?"

"I gotta talk to you." I say, standing up. "Alone."

He nods.

I walk into the bathroom in our bedroom. He follows me. I strip down, getting in the shower.

"Sit in here until I get out." I say.

So he does, waiting.

I wash all the bug spray off and wash my hair and body, and then I go change.

He watches as I dress, and I walk back into the living room.

"I'll be right back." He says.

"You're not spraying me down again." I say.

He hesitates.

I sit down on the couch.

"If you were doing something wrong, would you tell me?"

"Yes." He says.

"Even if it could get you arrested?"

"Yes." He says.

"So um, you're not on drugs?"

"You think I'm high?" he asks.

"Your eyes are bloodshot and you're acting like a psychopath." I say.

Everyone is quiet, watching him.

He starts laughing.

"Aubrey, I'm so sleep deprived. I've been awake for thirty two or something hours, and I fell asleep for an hour or something, and I had a nightmare that you got bit by a fucking mosquito, and you were pregnant and the venom put you in a coma, and I had to pick between you and the baby because you'd get a C-section and you heart wasn't strong enough to handle it and you'd die, or they could abort the baby and you still might not have woken up."

I hesitate.

"What did you pick?" I ask.

He sighs.

"What did you pick?" I repeat.

He shakes his head.

"I chose the baby."