Chapter Forty-Three

2 0 0
                                    

David Minett

....

David didn't have a stylist friend.

Or a friend named Loki, but he watched enough movies to have a good idea who a dude with that name might be, and he didn't like it.

He merely let Lydia pick at the groceries, given he'd mostly shopped with her in mind out of habit, while opening up the envelope. However, before he got very far with it, certainly nowhere near determining what was in it, Lydia spoke up.

"Did you really almost hit him with your car?"

....

"You should be more careful. I don't know if I should be driving with you anymore," she teased, giving him a slight look.

But he wasn't entertained, mostly because he knew exactly who this was from. "The guy who left this," David said, raising the envelope with a frown. "....Not my friend. And for the record, he's a jaywalking idiot. Not my fault, either."

His phone buzzed in his pocket, likely with a retort. Well, he supposed it made a bit more sense now that he knew "divine expletive" was the Norse fucker Loki. David didn't...know much about any of that, but he knew that guy was a fucking twat.

Lydia's smile fell as she watched him pull out the envelope's contents. "Oh," she murmured. "....Is it safe to open? Maybe you shouldn't."

David didn't know, but he'd like to think that this wasn't anthrax mail. "He's an ass, but...." he started, shaking his head. He didn't...know if Divine Nutface was a killer or not, and he didn't want to find out, but his impression was that he was just a troll fucker, and he didn't want Lydia to worry.

Inside the envelope was a note and...an SD card.

....

Davie, buddy,

I couldn't help but notice life sucks ass, so I thought I'd bring back some of your old stuff to pick you up. I know, I'm fabulous. I tried to cut her hair too, but she said no. Have fun with the getting her to love you thing. You're doin' a great job, pal.

Merry Midsummer~!

Loki, aka, Divine Cunnyswaggle

"What's it say?" Lydia piped up.

"Uh," David murmured, shaking his head. "Nothing. Just a note." He instead turned his attention upon the SD card, which confused him. Part of him didn't want to know what was on there, knowing where it came from, but....

"Are you sure that's safe?" Lydia questioned as Dave was putting the SD card into his phone. "What if it's....I dunno, a virus? Shouldn't you get that looked at first?"

She had a point, but David was ignoring her for the moment, mostly in his own confusion. He popped the back cover back onto his phone and waited for the card to show up, as loaded, before trying to find what its contents were. Naturally, his first thought was images.

His phone's gallery had been quite bare to tell the truth, seeing as there wasn't much he'd seen as worth taking pictures of lately. But, seeing the album with the little SD card on it....Well, the preview image was enough.

No.

No, damn it.

Divine Fuckass had restored all his pictures from the old version of his phone, which meant it was now flooded with pictures of himself and Lydia. Together. In love. Married. Happy.

Not what they were right now.

"....David," Lydie spoke up. "What is it?"

"Nothing," the man murmured, putting his phone away with a frown. He was in a better state today than yesterday, so he didn't feel like he was about to shatter again, but...this wasn't helpful. "Lydia, honey, do me a favor. Don't open the door for anyone but Monica or my mother." Not wanting her to feel like she'd done something bad, because she hadn't, he stepped towards her and hugged her briefly, before stepping back again and giving her arms a soft squeeze. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...worried."

She nodded her head, looking worried as well. "....Okay," she agreed, returning to their hug.

It was appreciated.


Despite the visit from the God of Dickery, David felt much more...in control today. Obviously, he was torn on being happy or miserable to have his pictures back, but...they were easy to ignore, as long as he didn't actively look at them.

He was better. Things were better.

And thankfully Lydia picked up on that too, for she seemed better as well. Less...guilty.

Thank goodness.

The two of them were doing much of the same they'd done yesterday, which...was nothing, really, but sitting in front of a TV. The mood was much lighter than yesterday, and they were both feeling more comfortable in their situation.

Which...was likely why Lydia spoke up. "....Do you really think I was abused...?"

....

Dave let out a sigh. He sat up somewhat, having been leaning over on the armrest, and shifted to wrap his arm around her. "Yes, Lydia," he said, quiet but firm. "If you went back to him, his apologies would've ended the moment you were back in private. He would've hurt you again."

"....Twelve years...." she mumbled, shaking her head.

"I know," he replied, rubbing her shoulder. "But, y'know that's why this is so hard to believe. It's not easy to see someone you've known so long as bad all of a sudden. Even if...they've been bad the whole time." He decided to fib just a little, and bring details from the old reality into this one just to prove his point. "Monica once dated a guy that was a bit of an asshole. But, she couldn't see that. Even when the cops were picking him up and having sleepovers every other week. So....I know."

The woman exhaled. "....It just....It hurts...."

"I know," David repeated, pulling her into his side. She shuffle herself along as well, leaning herself against him. "But it'll be okay, Lydia. I'm not gonna let him, or anyone, hurt you like that again. You're safe now."

Lydia didn't respond verbally, but wrapped her arms around his torso. He squeezed her back, holding her as closely as their somewhat awkward position would allow, and dropping his head onto hers. He had to refrain from kissing her too, but...this would have to be enough. "You're not scared; are you?" he questioned, rubbing her far arm softly.

"....No, I'm....I'm not...." she mumbled, burrowing herself into his side.

Sigh.

"Good," he murmured. "Don't be. I've got you."

He'd expected the conversation to end there, but Lydia spoke up, "....Do you...still have a crush on me...?"

....

Oh, honey. I haven't had something as little as a crush on you for a long time.

But...like hell he could say that. Technically he hadn't known her since high school here. That'd be weird. But...it'd also be weird for him to claim he had a measly crush when he knew he slipped that it was much more than that. "I think it's a bit more than a crush, to be honest with you," he mumbled, glancing away somewhat as she picked up her head to look at him.

"....David," she murmured, just to get his attention again, seemingly, for when he looked back over at her she shifted herself forward somewhat, and her lips hovered just a breath away from his. David was the one that closed the gap, unable to keep this up anymore, taking an overwhelming amount of comfort from such familiarity as a simple kiss.

And then she let go of him, sitting back, and covering her mouth, her face gone pale. "....I should go to bed," she nearly whispered, lowering her hand and starting to stand up.

"Lydia," David said, reaching for her, but she was shuffling away already. He had every capability of following her, but he didn't want her to feel like she had nowhere to go. She wanted to be alone, that was what that meant.

So he would leave her alone.

....Even if he just wanted to kiss her all night to make up for the weeks he'd gone without.

You're Always YouWhere stories live. Discover now