Jellyfish

18. The Right Direction

Cain and I talked longer than I cared to admit. Long enough that I had to text a worried Winter where I was before he sent out an amber alert. He had a lot of questions for me and I'd told him I'd answer as honestly as I could which, for the most part, I did. Figuring he already had more than enough facts about me to do damage, I threw caution to the wind. A lot of the things I told Cain were things I didn't think I'd ever end up sharing and it was all for the sake of trust. In order to get Cain to trust me, I needed to put a little trust in him. Of course, it wasn't as simple as that. It was going to take a long while to get Cain trusting and, for lack of a better word, normal again when he'd spent so long playing the villain. For that reason, I did my best to teach him from experience. I tried to illustrate the changes I'd made and the decisions that made me what I am, and by the time the door swung open, I think he was actually starting to understand.

We both looked up, halting in conversation to find an understandably confused Isaac Moon at the door. He looked between us as if not comprehending a thing and I couldn't blame him. I was probably the last person Isaac expected in his bed today, and I had a sneaking suspicion it was the first time in days Cain had been sitting upright and holding calm conversation. To say it was surprising was an understatement, which is probably why the bewildered Isaac simply stood in his doorway and called for Miles. I didn't say anything as we waited, nor did Cain, probably assuming like I did that Frankie would better explain it all- because, of course, with Miles would always come Frankie and it was all his idea after all. They rounded the corner quickly, seemingly worried at Isaac's call until the pair of eyes landed on us. Miles, left out of the loop, looked just as confused as Isaac did. Frankie took one look at us and realized that things had actually gone well.

"It worked," he cheered. "No more feud right?"

I looked to Cain, leaving the decision up to him. He'd been asking me questions for hours but had hardly said anything in return, so I was still unsure where we stood. Luckily, Cain nodded and told him, "No more feud."

Both Isaac and Miles sighed in relief as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Miles jokingly said, "Great. Can't have you getting rid of my future boyfriend."

"You're still supposed to be mad at me Miles," I rolled my eyes. "This doesn't fix everything."

"I am," Isaac inserted happily. "I'm mad at you."

Nodding I replied, "Understandable."

"Yes, and now you're sitting in my bed which I'd like an explanation for," he looked to Frankie expectantly, arms crossed like a disappointed mother.

I tuned out Frankie's explanation in favor of further analyzing my new companion. I wasn't stupid enough to think Cain and I were automatically friends now. He was a broken man desperate for someone to understand and I just happened to be that someone. There was still animosity in his gaze and hesitance in his shoulders as he faced me, but at least we'd made some progress. Enough that when I stood and extended a hand, he took it with no comment. Isaac let us pass to my surprise, and the three followed Cain and I to Isaac's kitchen where Cain sought out the water he desperately needed. There was no telling how much he'd lost in the last few days and all three young men seemed happy to see him take a step towards self-care. When he slumped tiredly at the kitchen table, I decided I'd done enough for today. It would take time to lead Cain in the right direction, so for now I'd start small. Talking was enough and it was time for me to go.

"Contact me when you want to see me again, Cain," I startled him out of his stupor, and he gave me a tight nod. "I should get back before Winter loses his mind."

With the notion of seeing myself out, I slipped out of Isaac's kitchen only to be caught quickly by the calloused hands of Miles. He pulled me to a stop in the hallway saying, "Hold on a minute. I don't think that's the only conversation we need to have today."