Forget Me Not

12. One Day

           

Taking a deep breath I placed the key in its slot turning it listening closely for the click of the bolt.

      "You can do this, she loves you, she will forgive you." I mumble my lame ass pep talk as I push the door open.

    I've barely made it through the door before I hear laughter from the living room. Usually this wouldn't bother me, but I've been gone four days and it wasn't her laugh alone. Someone was with her.

     "Ethan quit!" she laughs again.

    I clench my teeth when I hear his name. Dropping my bag as I step into the room they spring apart.

    "Derek! You're back!" she jumps from the couch walking towards me with open arms.

    "Of course baby, just had some family things to deal with." I tell her while keeping my eyes on a fidgety Ethan.

    "Hey man." He greets me.

    "Yeah, hey man." I reply mockingly. "So um, what exactly is going on here?" I ask eyeing them both.

      Kennedy looks between Ethan and myself. "Nothing? We were studying. Remember we got paired for that project?"

      "Yeah it sure looked like you were working on the project when I walked in here and his hands were on you."

    "Man chill, you don't have any room to be mad at her you disappeared for a week with no explanation" Ethan chimed in.

       "Oddly enough I wasn't waiting for you to answer pretty boy. Kennedy do you care to explain to me, your boyfriend, what was just happening on that couch."

      "Well, we were studying," she says pausing when I raise an eyebrow letting her know I was doubting what she was saying.

      "But she's been so down since you left, I was just trying to make her laugh." Ethan cut in, again.

    My head snaps in his direction, and so does Kennedy's.

      "That doesn't give you any reason, nor does it explain why our hands were on her!" I say through gritted teeth.

     "Wow seriously Der, he was tickling me, you know how ticklish I am."

      "I don't care he shouldn't be touching you when you have a boyfriend."

      "Does she? Because lord knows if I bailed on a girl, zero contact for a week, besides a note that said she's better off, that the relationship is basically over."

    I took a step toward him only to be stopped by the small hand in the middle of my chest.

      "Right. Well I best be off. Ken, if you need me just call, no matter when okay?" he says sweeping his bag from the floor.

    She nods slightly, acknowledging his statement or agreeing to call, I'm not sure which.

    As soon as the door closes her hand drops and she steps away crossing her arms in front of her chest.

      "Did you sleep with him?" I ask before I really comprehend the words coming out of my mouth.

      "Dammit, I didn't mean to say that ken-"

    My words get cut off by her hand making contact with my cheek.

      "I deserved that, and I'm sorry. Okay?"

      "Why did you leave? And don't say family stuff because supposedly you haven't talked to them in months. At least that's what you've been telling me."

    "It was family stuff Ken and I really can't tell you anything more. Not yet. One day I will, I swear.

      "Yeah, sure." She mumbles walking to our room slamming the door behind her.

     I don't even know hw long I sat on the couch tying to convince myself jus how much to tell her about this pat week. It's not safe to tell her but she definitely deserves to know.

    How much can I tell her to keep her from worrying, but also little enough to keep her safe. She already knows Marcus is around and that's more than I really want her knowing.

    Marcus is a wild card, even tough he is working with my dad. He may have promised protection but Marcus makes his own decisions, often reckless. That's one of he many reasons I told my dad I didn't want to work with him.

As I came from my thoughts I could hear her crying in our room. Unable to listen to her crying I pushed myself from the couch and approached them bedroom door unsure of what to tell her.