a work in progress

Chapter 12 - Too Much Free Time

"Luca, where are you going?"

"I have an appointment this afternoon."

"Where? With who? How long are you gone?"

"What's with the interrogation?" he snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said wandering into his room where he was dressing.

"I didn't realize they were coming out like that. I just wanted to know how long I'm on my own today," I finished, sitting on his bed.

"Right," he added tersely.

"So....where then?"

"It's with Dr. Levi."

"Who's that? I don't think I've heard you talk about him before. Here let me help," I said pushing off the bed to help as he struggled with his tie. "Why so dressy?"

"It's not a he it's a she and she's a therapist that we have to start seeing this year. It's for graduation. I got it," he added swatting my hands away from his tie. "I'm not dressy. I'm just professional."

"Are you nervous? You seem really tense," I said reaching up to massage his shoulders

"I'm not nervous and I'm not tense; I'm just focused," he added with a large sigh, shrugging my arms away before pulling his tie from his collar and stalking to the closet.

"You want me to...I don't know...how can I help?"

"Just leave it, MC. I'm fine. I just need to find a new tie."

"Are you sure?"

"Noe!" he affirmed sternly and succinctly.

"Okay. I'll just leave then."

He didn't respond.

"Call me later?" I asked slowly making my way toward the door secretly hoping he would beg me to stay.

"Right. Later," he finally spoke emerging from his room and meeting me at his front door.

"Are you sure babe," I asked grabbing his chin and searching his eyes for truth.

"I really am good. I promise," he conceded and leaned in to hug me, giving me a hard kiss on the mouth. "I'll call you when I get back in."

"Okay, bye."

Luca I think was slowly becoming bi-polar or depressed or a mixture of the two. We were happy, but then there would be outlandish moments where a switch would get turned on and he was aloof and angry and there seemed to be nothing I could do or say to snap him out of it. Times like that were spotty so I figured he was just stressed about school. I refused to let myself worry about him going to that place and staying there without me.

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"Harper, you there? Pick up. Pick up!" I yelled over her voicemail willing her to hear and answer.

"What is it?" Harper answered voice raspy and full of sleep.

"You busy?"

"Is this some kind of booty call?"

"Searching for things to say. I seriously have no words," I said stunned by her comments.

"What do you want MC? Stop being weird."

"Oh my gosh you sound just like JJ. I'm not being weird. I'm bored. Want to go see a movie?"