Gonna Fly Now

Chapter Sixty-Five - Jack D and Jim B

Derek put the covers over Bonnie.

- You did the last page, right? Derek asked.

- Yeah.

- Really? Can I trust you?

She only smiled, which made him laugh.

- I'll see you tomorrow. Go right to sleep, alright?

- Okay.

They both heard the front door open and stumbling of heavy feet. Bonnie's face fell. She hated when Letty was like this.

- Go to sleep. It's okay.

He kissed the top of her head before turning off the light. He closed the door behind him. He found Letty in the kitchen. She leaned over the sink, drinking water. She turned off the water, turning her head and spotted Derek.

- Hi, baby. She said, smiling.

- C'mon, let's get you to bed.

- Yeah... Let's go to bed.

Unbalanced, she stumbled towards him, putting her hands behind his neck. The person Letty had turned into the past week was unlike anything he had seen before. She had never acted this way. Going out without a word and coming home late, hammered. Every day, every night.

- C'mon.

He led her to the bedroom and he sat her down on the bed. He pulled off her boots and while he removed her jacket, she put her hand on his belt. She smirked, biting her tongue while looking up at him. Only that would usually make him wanna take her right there and then, right away. But he was neither in the mood nor happy with her at the moment. Derek grabbed her hand.

- Sleep it off. He told her.

- You're no fun.

He grabbed her legs and put them on the bed, making her lie down. She hugged the pillows, closing her eyes. She was out like a light. Derek sat down on the bedside and watched her sleep. He thought the worst thing was to see her not move from the bed and not talking to him. But now she had replaced that with going out, doing God knew what, getting drunk and coming home. She'd sleep it off and then get drunk the next day again. Even during the day. Bonnie had noticed it, too and it scared her to see her mom like that.

≈

Derek came straight home after dropping off Bonnie and Letty was out of bed by then. She was hugging the toilet and emptying her stomach into it. Derek didn't say anything to her as he left the room and went to the kitchen. If he comforted her, he didn't want her to see it as him supporting it.

She finally came out of the bedroom, wearing one of Derek's sweaters, the hoodie covering her head.

- Coffee? Derek asked.

She sat down at the table, the hoodie shifting and revealing her naked thigh. A large blue bruise was on the side of her right thigh.

- What happened to you?

Derek put down the cup of coffee on the table in front of her. He sat down on the chair next to her and he touched her thigh, brushing his thumb close to the bruise.

- I guess, I fell.

- You guess? Where were you last night?

- Out. I wasn't that late, calm down.

She drank from the coffee.

- Look, if you keep acting like this, people are gonna notice.

- I don't give a shit about people.