Your Everyday Hero

Chapter 3

   "Uh yeah sure. Is everything okay?" I grab a piece of my wet hair and twirl it around my pointer finger. What does he want to talk about?
   "We need to talk about what we're gonna do about Tevin. He can't get away with what he did to you." I can see the fire in his eyes light up while he talks about it. I don't see why he cares so much. It's over and I should've known. I shouldn't have been so blind.
   "There is nothing to talk about." I say this while walking to the room with Kai following close behind.
   "Why not?" I can hear the anger in his voice.
   "Because we're not going to do anything." Shouldn't it be obvious? I was blind to Tevin's disloyalty. I should've seen this coming.
   "Again I ask why? He hurt you and was unfaithful!" Why is he persistent? "You don't deserve that Cora." I try to hold the tears back, but I couldn't help it. I sit on the edge of the bed before I try to explain.
   I look up at Kai, awkwardly standing by the door. "I should've seen this coming. You told me before, but I didn't listen. If you're going to be dumb you have to be tough, right?" I look down at my lap and feel the drops of tears hitting my legs.
   "Cora.. You never deserved this. He never deserved you, you're too good for him!" I can't take this. Why can't he understand that this is what I get.
   "No, Kai. You're not understanding what I'm saying."
   "No I don't! I can't understand how you can say you deserve this! How you can tear yourself down for some deadbeat is incomprehensible to me!"
   "Why do you care so much?! Why does it matter that Tevin gets punished? Or that I get what I really deserve?"
   "Why do I care?!" He walks over to me and grabs my face gently to make me look up at him. He is face to face with me. My breath hitches and suddenly I'm lost in his icy blue eyes. I never noticed before, but he has specks of darker blue scattered in his eyes. "I like you Cora. I care about you and not as a friend. I'm always here for you and you don't deserve some piece of garbage like Tevin. You deserve more than that." He looked at me as if he was waiting for a response, but all I could do was look at him.
   He stayed there for a few minutes then straightened up and walked out the room. I was lost for words. I never knew he felt that way for me. I wanted to go after him, but my legs wouldn't work. I wanted to call after him, but I couldn't make myself say his name.
   I look at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed and saw the time was 1:44 in the morning. I couldn't believe it was that late. I lay in the king size bed looking at the ceiling thinking of Kai and what he just told me. I don't think I'm getting any sleep tonight.
   Why me? How couldn't I tell? I've always felt some sort of attraction towards him, but I never really put much thought into it. What am I going to do? I can't think about this anymore, I need to sleep. I pull the big dark blue comforter up to my chin and eventually fall asleep to the familiar man cologne that makes me feel safe and secure and the flashing red numbers on the clock.
                               •••
   The first thing I see is the blurry image of the clock, I rub my eyes and finally I can see it's 11:45. I'm surprised I slept for so long, usually I'm up by 9 o'clock whether I went to bed late or not. I'm very reluctant to get out of bed, I don't want to see Kai right now. I'm confused and I don't know how to feel right.
   As if he knew I was thinking about him, he knocks on the door. I hurriedly lay back down and pull the comforter up to my chin, acting as if I was sleeping. I hear the door squeak open and then his light footsteps.
   "Cora?" I decide to ignore him and let him believe I'm still asleep. "I'm grabbing some clothes and then I'm heading to work with Danny. I'll see you later." He says this as a whisper. I hear the drawers open and close, he was out in less than 5 minutes.
   I wait till I hear the front door close to get out of bed. I walk out to the kitchen and by 12:30 I'm walking out the door with $40 and my cellphone. I'm going to stop by at Nikki and Leah's house, just to hang out because I don't know when Kai will be home tonight.
   First, I'll stop at Tevin's to get all of my belongings and to tell him there is no way we will get back together. I should've seen it coming, but it doesn't mean I'll take him back. He's about 20 minutes away, so I start walking under the hot sun beating down on me.
                               •••
   Once I reach his street I see the same grey Kia that was there yesterday, my heart starts pounding and my adrenaline is pumping through my whole body. I can't stop my body from shaking. I almost turn around and completely forget about it, but I keep myself going for Kai. He deserves to know how I feel about him, but I have to sever all ties with Tevin.
   I walk up to the door and knock lightly three times. I hear some commotion inside and 2 minutes later Tevin is at the door with a swollen eye and a cut on his cheek bone.
   "Yeah?" He says with anger in his voice.
   I stand up straighter and look him in the eyes, "I came to get my things."
   "Okay, wait here." He walks over to the raggedy tan couch and picks up a box containing all my stuff. "Here."
   "Thanks, have a good life Tevin." I go to turn around, but I stop, "Also I just want to make it clear, we are over completely with no possibility of getting back together."
   "Okay." He says while slamming the door. I'm so glad I'm done with him. How could I have ever liked him? I storm down the wooden stairs and make my way to Nikki and Leah's. They only live 2 blocks away.
   As I walk towards their driveway my heart starts to pound. My dad's truck is in their driveway. I walk closer and try to see if both my parents are here, as I get within 20 feet of the car I hear the front door open. I duck behind a big tree, I hope no one saw me. I peak from behind the tree and I only see my dad.
   He looks tired and worried. You can see the wrinkles on his face from all the years of stress he has gone through and from age. I think I see a tear roll down his cheek and I hate to think it's because of me.
   I walk out from behind the tree, "Daddy?" He whips his head around so fast it could've given him whiplash.
   "Sweetpea!" I can see the worriness in his eyes fade quickly away and he doesn't seem so old anymore. "Thank the lord, you're alright. I was worried sick about you! Are you okay?"
   I can't help the tears that well up in my eyes. It's just wonderful to hear someone cares enough to worry about me. I look my dad in the eyes and all I see is love in his eyes, no disappointment or disgust like my mother. How can someone so loving be with someone so hateful?
   I try swallowing the knot stuck in my throat, but it was useless. All I could do was stand up on my tippy toes and give him the biggest hug.
   "I missed you, Daddy." I could feel his hot tears drop onto the back of my shirt. I rubbed his back and said, "Everything will be okay. I'll be okay."
   Once he gets himself together he starts walking towards the truck. "Get in the car."
  "But she's not going to let me into the house. She doesn't want me there."
   "That's my house and I want you home. She's not going to tell me who can and can't live in my house." I walk to the passenger side and hop in. What could go wrong?
   The entire car ride there I was waiting for him to ask where I was or who I was with, but he never did. I don't even know what I would tell him. It's probably for the best that he didn't know.
  I feel the phone in my back pocket start to lightly vibrate and I'm pretty sure it's Kai. I secretly pull it out and look to see what he sent.
   Kai: Where are u? U are not at the house, but ur stuff is here. Is everything ok?
   Me: I stopped by Nikki's and now I'm in the car with my dad omw home. Idk what's going to happen, I'll keep you updated.
   He replies within seconds.
   Kai: ok... be careful. I'm a call away if I need me.
   Me: Thanks Kai. I appreciate everything you've done for me.
   By the time I send the last message, we are pulling into our gravel driveway, I can hear the crunch of the rocks under the tires. My dad is the first to get out and I take the time to take the money I have on me and shove it into my shoe.
    My mother comes out looking ready to fight. I see Kelsey and Annie standing behind the screen door and couldn't help, but smile at their gorgeous faces. I slightly wave at them before turning to my mom, preparing for whatever she has for me.
   "You're not coming into my house." I can see the fire in her eyes. She's ready to pounce if she needs to.
   "Yes, she is Becky. No arguing about it." My dad says, while grabbing my bag and walking towards the door.
   "No, she is not. This is my house and I don't want her here."
   "No! She's coming into MY house because I pay the damn bills for this house, you don't! If you don't like her being here, then leave! My daughter isn't staying at someone else's home. She's staying with me, whether you like it or not."
   My mother's face was so red, I thought she might burst. She took a long deep breathe, "Fine!" she storms off into the house and slams the front door.
   The girls run out of the house, slamming into me and telling me to promise to never leave again. I look down at their gorgeous little faces with the biggest, most genuine smiles. Annie has such chubby little cheeks her eyes almost disappear when she smiles and Kelsey has such beautiful little angel kisses all over her face. All I could do was stand there, trying to memorize every detail of their faces and thanking God over and over again for making them, my little girls.