Obvious

Chapter Five

Danny had packed his belongings up and was out of the touring home by Thursday.  It surprised everyone, especially Ronnie.  But I knew why.  He still couldn’t bring himself to be around Ronnie and Jordon, no matter how happy they were.  Something he wanted for both of them.  But just wasn’t ready to look at every day.  And the guilt that made him move out.  He wanted to be around his wife, to show her exactly how much he loved her.  And with Ronnie around, his thoughts were always cheating.  Regardless of the outcome.

            “I can’t believe he just decided to up and leave!”  Ronnie sounded frantic.

            “Honey, he just wants to be around his wife.  He’s expecting his first child!”  Jordon tried to console her.

            She turned to me, my slumped figure leaning over the kitchen counter.  I only raised my shoulders in response.  If Danny didn’t want to tell her, then I had no right to be the one to tell her. She returned my gesture with a look of concern and for a moment I thought she knew I was hiding something.  But she only turned back towards Jordon.

            “Why the long faces?!”  Samantha’s bubbly figure appeared in the doorway.

            “Danny left.”

            “Where’d he go?”

            “Back home.”

            Jordon cut in.  “He needs to spend time with his pregnant wife.”  I had never really seen Jordon so relieved.

            “That makes sense.”

            “No…I mean…no it doesn’t.  He wanted to be here.”  Ronnie tried to make sense of her emotions.

            “Eh, he probably changed his mind as the whole fatherhood thought really set in.  He had been a little nervous to tell us in the first place.  Maybe he had wanted to keep it a secret for a bit.  Wait until she was far enough along to actually show.  I don’t know.  I wouldn’t worry too much about it.  He’ll be back before ya know it.”

            Ronnie quickly shut her mouth as Jordon squeezed her hands.  I couldn’t watch anymore.  Ronnie cared for me, but didn’t love me.  She never did.  She loved Danny.  Her best friend who had always been there for her.  And the thought of her best friend hiding something from her was driving her crazy.  She desperately wanted to be the one he spoke to about everything.  But that wasn’t the case anymore.  He was growing up; realizing that his wife is the only woman he should be running to.  He was making the hard decision that I knew sooner or later I was going to have to make.

            She loved Jordon.  The man who was going to be her future husband.  Sure they had only known each other for a short time, excluding the years that she had been held prisoner and the months that she had spent trying to remember him.  But it was painfully obvious just how much he meant to her.  How much she meant to him.

            I turned away, not wanting to see either of them anymore but caught the attention of Ronnie’s sister, Samantha.  She was watching me carefully, studying every little movement I did or did not make.  She was analytical.  I’d have to watch my actions and emotions around her the most.  I didn’t have the strength to deal with those emotions anymore.  To deal with a new woman in my life, one who would undoubtably want to ask me questions about what had happened.

            “Jorel.”  I felt her intense gaze staring at the back of my head as I made my way towards the fridge.  I moaned a response.  “George, Matt and I are going out to some bar that they have been talking about non-stop about.  I asked these two love birds, but it would appear they have other plans for the evening.  Maybe Dylan will want to join.”  I could almost hear the eagerness of wanting to spend time with him in her voice.  I buried the small pang of jealousy deep within me.

            Instead I buried my face deep within the cold contents of the fridge and answered to the day old burger patties.  “That’s fine.  I got nothing else to do.”

            “Sweet.  Make sure you wear a pair of comfortable shoes.  There’s talk of dancing afterwards.  Or during.  I can’t remember, should probably listen more.”

            “Dancing?!”  Yelled Ronnie.  I looked over the edge of the fridge door as her hair flew across her face towards her sister.  “You didn’t say there was dancing.”

            “I added that.”  She laughed.

            “Jordon, can we go?”

            Jordon sighed.  “We’ll see if we have time.”

            There it was again, Samantha catching me watching her sister.  I pulled away, sending my line of sight for the contents of the fridge once more.  I would have to be more careful.  A lot more careful.