Sorry, I Love You.

2.19

"You want to talk to Teddy? Why? What has he done?" Zoe panicked as she stepped in front of him, both in a protective manner but also trying to get her mother's attention on herself.

Rin's threatening gaze fell from Teddy and landed on her daughter. "Who said he's done anything? I just want to chat. Maybe, he knows how you've forgotten to properly greet your mother."

Instantly flustered by her own mistake, Zoe placed both hands neatly across her stomach as she politely bowed to her mother. "Hello, Mother. Welcome home."

"It's too late for that, darling." Rin rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Zoe's shoulder to push her aside and remove the small obstacle standing between her and Teddy.

As Zoe stumbled over her feet from her mother's gentle shove, Teddy reflexively reached out to make sure she didn't fall. She didn't, luckily, but he still had his hands gently around her biceps to make sure she was steady. Zoe was too embarrassed to look up at Teddy or her mother, keeping her head down and hands on her stomach. Teddy frowned at the sight of Zoe being pushed around right in front of his eyes, by her own mother, and returned his attention to Rin, now ready to burn her alive with just his glare.

Rin wasn't paying any attention to him or Zoe, though, as her black eyes scanned the foyer and she took a moment to carefully examined her surroundings. A few of Bailey's and Malik's toys were still littered around the foyer but, the amount of shoes by the door was just plain obnoxious. There were multiple pairs from all four residents of the house and they were stacked on top of each other and toppled over and kicked sloppily aside. Howl and Fisher's shoes added to the problem but, they blended into the mess just fine.

Rin was disappointed when Carmen came to mind. She gave Carmen permission to seek refuge in this house and she obviously made herself very at home since then. Rin simply hoped Carmen would take better care of the place. Her children's things were everywhere and the floor in the foyer was dirtied by melted snow, dirt, salt, and car oils that everyone drug in from outside. Rin couldn't help but wonder how Carmen had been kept as a housewife for all those years if she couldn't even keep a tidy house.

Carmen could almost tell that Rin was thinking about her and that suspicion was confirmed when Rin looked up from a rubber duckling at her feet and instantly locked eyes with Carmen through the glass door separating them. They had come face to face once before but, Rin wasn't angry at her the first time they met. She was annoyed, obviously, since Ezra created a scene at their party. However, Rin looked much, much angrier now. Carmen worried that, if there wasn't glass between them, then Rin's glare would've drew blood.

"Oh, you have friends over. What a delight." Rin chimed as her attention shifted to Howl and Fisher. They both simply stared in awe, as if they were looking into the eyes of a dragon. "I guess I'll make my visit short then. Teddy, follow."

Rin didn't even bother looking in Teddy's direction as she made her commands and strutted forward to delve deeper into the house. Teddy was struck by her command, caught off guard by the fact that she just assumed he would listen. The last time this woman involved herself in his life, he was nearly beaten to death. There was no way he was just going to follow her without question. He didn't trust her. When she was miles from him, she set her dogs on him but, now, he felt like she would just grab him by the throat and strangle him without even flinching.

"I'm not following you." Teddy scoffed at Rin's ridiculous demand.

Zoe's head raised with a snap as she snatched his arm into her hand and desperately squeezed. "Teddy!" Zoe quietly scolded between gritted teeth, silently begging him to behave so nothing bad happened to him.

Rin stopped in her tracks and slowly turned on her stiletto heels, her eyes feeling even deader than when she walked in. Teddy didn't back down from her challenging stare as she slowly stepped towards him, the sound of her heels clacking against the marble floors echoing loudly in his ears. Rin didn't stop until she was inches from Teddy, and before he could react, she had his face in her tight grasp. Her long, sharp, black nails dug painfully into his cheeks as her fingers squeezed his jaw with an angry grip that made him gasp.