Unexpected

[14] Forgiveness

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been pretty bust the past few weeks. I totally had this ready and waiting and then I never posted it... But you're probably all sick of my apologies, so without further ado, here it is!

Hope you like it! If you do, PLEASE give me a vote and/or a comment. Thank you! Love you guys!

Clara.

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Sleep was futile that night. When I finally braved the house, it was around two-thirty in the morning. Even though I went straight to bed, it took a long time for me to fall asleep, and when I finally did it was restless. My dreams were filled with horrible visions of Mom’s accident. I kept watching her driving on the road and then an incoming car smashing into her. One time, I dreamed that Ryan was in the driver’s seat and jolted awake on the impact. The last one was around eight in the morning, and I decided to just get up for the day. I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower, where I stood under the water and simply let it pour over me for a good ten minutes.

    Once I’d showered I felt a little better, but I was still exhausted so I went downstairs to make coffee. There were several random people passed out in the living room and I shook my head. As I sipped my hot coffee five minutes later, I looked around at the house to discern the damage. Nothing appeared to be broken and there were no holes that I could see, so that was good. I hadn’t been outside yet, but I could see the trash littering the grass and floating in the pool. I started to clean up the kitchen to pass the time and a few of the sleeping teenagers slowly came alive. Seeing them made me think of Ryan and the fact that I would have to return his car sometime this morning. Anger still boiled in the pit of my stomach and seeing him was the last thing I wanted. But I would rather drop his car off at his house than have him show up here unexpectedly.  

    There were footsteps on the stairs, followed by a loud yawn, and I looked up to see Dean shuffling down. He walked groggily into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. His brown hair drooped down, brushing the top of his eyebrows, and his eyes were a little bloodshot.

    “That for me?” He asked, nodding toward the coffee pot.

    I silently poured him a cup and handed it over. Dean accepted it in equal silence and for a moment we just stood there drinking the rich, black liquid.

    “Where’d you disappear to last night? I saw you go outside around twelve-thirty and you never came back in.”

    “I had to drive someone home and then stayed in the garage for a while. I was waiting for the party to die out a little so I’d have a chance to get some sleep.”

    He just nodded absently and I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d been afraid he would ask me who it was I’d driven home and I would have to tell him about Ryan. Speaking of, I probably should take his car back. It was like a band-aid: do it quick and the pain won’t last as long. Anger was still boiling in the pit of my stomach as my thoughts turned back to the events of last night. Or I guess, rather, this morning. There was still a small part of me that didn’t want to believe it had happened, that wanted to pretend it was all a dream. But I wasn’t stupid, or naïve; it had really happened, and it would take a while for me to decide what to do. Did I forgive Ryan for what he’d almost done, or make everyone in my life ecstatic and cut ties with him?

    I took a deep breath and clenched my jaw. Whatever I did, I would need a few days to figure it out. I sighed and pushed away from the counter I was leaning on.

    “I cleaned up vomit yesterday. That’s as far as my help goes.”

    Dean laughed, nodding. “Fair enough, thanks for the food.”