Between Us (all of us #1)

E I G H T

T R E N T O N

I woke up at noon, flat on my stomach on Diesel's futon.

He wasn't anywhere in the room. He didn't even wake me up this morning like he usually does when he's up before me.

I took my time sitting up, ruffling my hair as I checked my phone for messages and emails.

Marina: Good morning. *heart emoji*

Marina's a sweet girl. So sweet, it makes me want to keep my distance from her even more. A guy like me doesn't deserve a sweet girl. A guy like me isn't good for a sweet girl and I can't be responsible for killing someone's innocence.

I send her a good afternoon back with a smiley face emoji before I finally get up and stretch. I dig through Diesel's closet and pick out some of my clothes to wear, brush my teeth, and then head down the hall to see where everyone is and why no one woke me up.

"I just...I don't get it. How could you let this happen..." says Aubree, her voice breaking like she's on the edge of tears. "After everything I've told you. Everything I expected from you, you still..." she sighs and I imagine her palm covering her face.

I assume she's on the phone with Roger. He's probably finally told her he's leaving her or cheated or something. Nothing to be surprised about. It's about time.

I slow my pace, stopping beside the kitchen wall to listen in.

"I don't know." Diesel breathes out his words and I draw my head back in surprise that he's the one she's talking to.

"I tolerate so much from you, Diesel. All I wanted in return was for you to have a chance at having a good life. For you not to do something stupid and ruin it before it's even gotten started."

"Is that how you felt about me, then? That I ruined your life before it started? That I kept you from a good life?"

"No. Never. I've never regret you, Diesel." She speaks frantically as if she can't say it quickly enough. "Never. That's not what I meant."

"That's what it sounded like."

"What I mean is, you've just made your life a whole lot harder because of this. This isn't going to be easy, for you or Chloe." She breathes in a way that convinces me she's crying or on the verge. "How am I going to tell your dad?"

I drop my eyes, wondering if I should interrupt this with a joke to lighten the mood. Probably not. I know how Diesel sounds when he's pissed, and his mood is unredeemable from the sounds of it.

"I'll tell him myself," Diesel grumbles.

"No. It'd probably be better coming from me."

"I can handle dad just fine on my own."

I hear the chair creak and turn to step away, but I feel him behind me as soon as my foot hits the ground.

I swallow thickly as I turn back around to face him. Waiting for the inevitable to leave his mouth.

"Chloe's pregnant."

I tilt my head, staring at him in dismay. "A—are you...sure it's yours?"

He scoffs like he isn't in the mood and storms down the hall, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

Before I can take a step in his direction, already mentally preparing myself for all the groveling I'm going to have to do to get him to come out of his room, I hear Aubree's small sobs from where I'm standing.