Forget Me Not

7. You're My Light in the Darkness

Derek's POV

Walking into the apartment I slam the door sliding down it trying to calm myself before Kennedy gets home.

It's okay. It just Marcus being Marcus. He likes mind games.

He's pretty good at them.

"Fuck!"

"Der? Umm. Dumb question but, are you okay?"

"Ken. Shit. Sorry. I didn't know you were home, and yeah, I guess I'm okay." I say smiling weakly at her.

"You sure? You seem kind of shaken up."

She makes her way to me, sitting to my left, grabbing my hand.

"Yeah babe. I'm good. At least now I am." I tell her, after some thought, kissing her knuckles.

"Good." She smiles getting up pulling me with her. "Oh and some guy stopped by for you, did he catch you after class? I told him about where he could find you I just wasn't sure if you were out already or how long you'd be—"

"Who? You didn't let him in right?" Great now she will know something is wrong.

"Um no...that's what I was about to say...he kinda gave me the creeps so I told him you were on campus and I was leaving. I walked to my car and waited for him to leave."

I let out a sigh and she continues.

"I think his name was Marcus?"

I felt the blood drain from my face.

He knows where we live. Shit.

"Babe." She calls to me snapping me from my thoughts.

"Huh? Sorry what?"

"Didn't you used to hang out with a Marcus? Like didn't we go to school with one, I think he would've been a few years ahead of us, maybe senior when we were freshman? I just remember the name, and he looked sort of familiar... I don't know but that Marcus creeped me out too. Something just seemed off."

"You have no idea." I say under my breath, throwing myself onto our couch.

"What was that?" she asks coming to stand in front of me.

"Oh. Nothing babe, just agreeing. He was an ass, really messed up." I tell her pulling her into my lap.

"Oh. Is that why you stopped hanging out with him?" she ask, as she runs her fingers through my hair.

"It's one of them." I tell her honestly.

"What are the others?"

"Nosey today are we?" I ask, looking up at her.

She nods.

Of course.

"Well, there were quite a few, but the most important one... it's you. I didn't want to continue down the path I was on as long as you were in my life and you were the best thing in my life so it had to stop. I didn't want to tell you how many people I cut off when we got together, well a bit after, but now that I'm telling you about Marcus.. There were probably six of us. They made choices I didn't like and I had to walk away. It cost me a lot but, it was worth it. I got you."

Way to put it. Now she knows, sort of. I mean this secret isn't one you just blurt out. Hell if she found out. She'd leave me, probably get herself killed and I would definitely get killed. She can't know. Not until we finish school and move far away from this place. Somewhere they can't find us.

More specifically I can't tell her all the terrible things I've done or even helped him do. She will see me so differently.

Kennedy's POV

Wow. I was not expecting that.

"Oh." I reply lamely.

Come on Ken! Get your shit together. He just told you he dropped what was probably all his friends, at least his closest, for you. Say Something!

"Why wouldn't you tell me Der?"

"I didn't want you to think that I was throwing everything away because I felt like I had to, to have you. It was a long time coming you just made me see light. Actually. You are my light. In my dark world, you have no idea how dark it was baby, you were the one that made me see what was happening around me. You were the light that brought me from a path of destruction. I never would have made it this far without you. Hell, there's a good chance I'd be dead."

"Oh I doubt you'd be dead." I tell him tightening my grip on his hand.

My heart dropped to my stomach when he looked to the ground.

"Babe. What did you guys do that could have gotten you killed?" I ask

"Nothing Ken Rose. Don't worry about it. Its's my past. Can we leave it there?"

I nod cuddling into him.

"So what movie did you pick?" he asks after a couple of minutes,

"The Best of Me." I tell him a smile taking over my face after what he told me.

I feel his chest rumble with laughter.

The Best of Me. I guess that's me for him. I know that's what he is for me. He is the one he broke me out of my shell and opened my heart to love. After my parents' divorce I never thought I'd fall in love. It didn't exist.

Until him.