The Driven

Chapter 20

Thea

Ava was around and was raiding Thea's closet for a dress for her date with Hank. Thea was almost regretting suggesting the date. She had felt cornered by Hank with his insistence that she told Jamal about what happened between them. First, he had told her not to tell, then he went on a two-day break and came back with a different solution.

"Why do you have so many formal clothes?" Ava asked interrupting her thoughts.

"You can have them. I was going through a phase when I got them."

"What phase? Thanks anyway, I'm sure they will come in handy," she laughed.

Thea picked the formal clothing off their hangers and threw them on the bed. She regretted trying to be so different from her true self. Jamal liked her for whom she was and she needed to be more of that, more confident also.

Right now, all she knew was that they were going to jointly work on their marriage. At some point in the future, she was going to tell him what happened between her and Hank. She'd rather take it to the grave but if they were ever in the spirit of sharing, she'd blurt it out. Thea was already trying to find them a therapist as they needed all the professional help they could get.

"Thea, what's going on?" Ava asked.

"What?"

"Are you pregnant? You've been acting weird lately."

"I'm not pregnant, I'm simply going through a lot."

"Jamal?"

"Do you know I used to resent you as a kid?" she deviated.

"Why? You had everything. Do you think this will look good on me?" She took a dress off it's hanger and showed Thea.

Thea ignored the last question. "You told me not to call your mother mom."

"We were just kids, Thea. I can't remember saying that if it makes you feel better."

"It doesn't."

"You're throwing a tantrum over what happened years ago. Thea, you never throw tantrums, that's more my forte. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I mean there's something going on of course but it's none of your concern."

"You don't have cancer, do you?"

"No. Find a dress already, I need you gone."

"Jesus! You're on a roll, I'm leaving."

"Fine."

She pouted. "Don't call me later to ask how my date went."

"Duly noted."

Ava took her purse and walked out of the closet. Thea followed her and quickly grabbed the cookies she made for her from the kitchen. When she met her cousin at the door and handed her the wrapped cookies, she raised her brows in question.

"You expect me to take that? Now? When we're fighting?" She looked at the cookies like the offending makeup gift it really was.