Corren's Fight

Chapter Thirty - Adultery

- Corren -

My head was pounding, and I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, but it all but dissipated once I realized Emily was asleep beside me. I held her close and caressed her arm until she woke up.

"How are you feeling?"

She groaned a little. "Sore... but satisfied."

I kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I tried to be gentle. I know it was your first time."

"It was expected." She mumbled. She sounded as if she wasn't quite awake yet.

"Yeah, especially when taking advantage of me while intoxicated."

"Hey! You started it! I didn't hear any complaining."

I tucked her hair behind her ear. "How could I complain about having the most beautiful girl in the world in my arms?"

Emily sat up and kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'm sorry we fought last night. I never should have gone to that party."

"I'm sorry too. I said some things I didn't mean, but why were you there?" Emily asked.

"I found Scott's journal the other night."

There was a pause.

"Scott had a journal?"

"Yeah, and I know why he killed himself. He even wrote me a suicide note."

"Oh my God... Corren..."

The words tumbled out without my command. "His girlfriend, Audrey- he got her pregnant. They were going to raise the baby together, but her dad found out and he forced her to abort it. Then he moved his family away and got a restraining order on Scott. It was so hard on him. He couldn't live with himself. He felt like a failure that he couldn't protect her or the baby. He wanted to raise it so badly. So he turned to drugs as an escape. It explains his toxicology report. He was addicted to cocaine and some other things he didn't name. He felt like he couldn't escape, and the guilt was too much. He wanted me to promise I wouldn't fall into his footsteps. I feel like I'm almost there sometimes."

"Corren, you're not," Emily cupped my face and made me look into her pleading eyes. "You're not going to be like Scott. You have a future. You have me. You have Jem and your parents aren't too far off."

I looked down.

"That's why you went to the party, wasn't it? You wanted to forget for a while."

"You know me- impulsive when in pain. I swear Sweet Heart, I never meant for Hannah to come onto me. I thought about you everyday. All I wanted was to be with you, but you were so far. I didn't know how else to deal with... what he wrote."

Emily titled her head as she frowned. "You have called me."

I shook my head. "No, there are some things you just can't explain over the phone."

Emily ran a hand through my hair. It felt nice. We began to hear the sound of pots and pans downstairs.

"My parents are cooking?" I wondered.

"Jem probably is." Emily said, then picked up my shirt from the floor and put it on. "I'm going to go shower."

I smirked. "Mind if I join you?"

Emily blushed "Maybe we should save that for another time. Go check what's going on downstairs."

"If you say so." I pulled on some pants and left the room.

My dad was watching the morning news in the living room while I found my mom and Jem cooking in the kitchen. It was strange to see my mom making any sort of human interaction again. Jem soon noticed me watching then grinned and walked over.