Crashing Into You

Chapter 16 - Broken

Lisa

I could feel my hands still shaking as I pulled into the driveway. I wish I had never gotten in this car. As soon as I parked the car, I climbed out and turned to face Chris while we were still alone.

“Just in case you didn’t know already Chris, I did love you.” I said before turning around and rushing into the house. I heard voices in the living room and walked in, sitting as far away from him as possible.

“Everything ok?” Christina asked me.

“Oh yeah, everything’s perfect.” I said. She shrugged and sat down by Chris. It was then that I noticed Elijah had joined us as well.

“So Chris, you never told us what was in that box.” Elijah said, a little curiously. Chris sighed and opened the box that woman had given him at the funeral and pulled out a bundle of cloth. He unwrapped it, exposing the revolver that was inside.

“A gun?” Christina asked him, a little surprised.

“His old revolver. It used to be his father’s. This is the gun he taught me how to shoot with.” Chris said, before checking to see if it was loaded before handing it to Elijah.

“Ooh man, this thing is old. Does it still fire?” He asked him.

“Better than most guns they’ve given me in the military.“ Chris said.”Anyways, Lauren we need to talk.”

“Can you umm.. put the gun away first?” She asked him a little nervously.

“That’s probably for the best, although it wouldn’t be the first time Elijah’s aimed a gun at me.” He joked. Elijah handed him back the gun and Chris gingerly wrapped it up and placed it back in the box.

“Ok Lauren, first about what the Sergeant said..” Chris started to say

“I know, I mean i’d have to ask our parents…” She started saying. The rest of us just looked at each other nervously.

“You’re not going.” Chris said bluntly. Lauren sank back into her seat, the excitement she had a minute ago was gone.

“Wha..what do you mean?” She asked him.

“I mean you are going to stay here, with your family. Even if by some miracle your parents allow you to go, you’re not going.”

“Why not?” she asked him.

“Lauren, war isn’t pretty. If you think that going with me will be the same as they are now, you’re wrong. I won’t have time to spend with you, I won’t be able to. Trust me, you won’t be happy there, and it’d be easier for me knowing your safe here at home.”

“But I want to go.” She whined, her voice low.

“Yeah, I doubt you’ll think that soon.” He said.

“What do you mean?” She asked him, confused. Chris just looked over at me like he was asking permission. I sighed and nodded my head, bracing myself for whatever was going to happen.

“I kissed Lisa.” He said.

“You…you what?” She asked him, I could see her breaking apart on the inside.

“Your boyfriend kissed me, and he enjoyed it.” I said, leaning forward and smirking a little. It was after I said that, that I realized how cruel it sounded. Everyone in the room was glaring at me and Chris by now. Lauren just looked broken. Chris sank back in his seat.

“You two are just saying that so I won’t want to go.” Lauren said, her voice cracking, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.

“Amy, last night, me and Lisa left you two alone at the restaurant right?”

“Yeah.” Her and Elijah both said.

“I took Lisa out to eat somewhere else so those two could be alone. When I was getting the food, some jerk started hitting on her, so I kissed her to get him to leave. It was that or start a fight with that guy.”

“Chris, that’s not that bad then. I mean it didn't mean anything right?” 

“At first, it didn’t; but then we both started to enjoy it. Chris will try and deny it, but he enjoyed it just as much as I did.” I said. Lauren looked so betrayed hearing me say that. A few tears started to run down her face.

“Lauren.” Chris said, reaching out to grab her hand.

“Don’t touch me. I loved you, you know that right?” She snapped at him before turning on me. “And you, you’re my sister, I.. I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“Lauren, can we just talk about this?” He asked her.

“No, no, we’re done talking. We’re done Chris.” She said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out his house key before throwing it at him. “Don’t bother coming back here either when you get back, theres nothing left for you here.” She said before walking out of the room.

“I should probably go.” Chris said, his voice hollow and almost dead.

“Ya think?” Christina snapped at him. Him and Elijah got up and walked out of the house, probably for the last time. I heard their cars start and drive off.

“I don’t think we need to explain to you how badly you messed up.” Christina said to me.

“No, you don’t. All I know is before we told her, I felt like crap over a mistake.” I said.

“And now?” she asked me.

“I don’t know.” I said.

“Yeah well when you figure it out, you should probably find a way to apologize to Lauren.” She said before walking out of the room.

 I know I messed up, but why did part of me actually feel good about all this. I was the last one left in the living room. I spent the night down there, not wanting to face Lauren. I still don’t know why I said what I did. If I had said it any other way, it probably wouldn’t have ended so badly; but I was so mad at Chris, I just wanted him to feel what I felt for once, and now I’m paying the price for it.