Sailing With Destiny

I Hate Halloween

I chewed on my bottom lip and lowered my gaze. "Mitch..."

"You don't want to." The disappointment in his tone made me feel bad. 

"It's not that," I began. "I just don't think I'm quite ready for that step as yet. I know we've shared a place before but that was different, we weren't in a romanti-"

"Shh." Mitchell placed a finger over my lips. "You don't need to explain yourself. I understand. I don't want you to agree to something just to make me happy so I'm glad that you're honest. And I know it's different living together as friends than a couple."

I let out a breath of relief and loved him all the more for understanding. "Thank you."

"For what?" Mitchell kissed my temple. "You don't need to do anything you're not comfortable with, alright?"

I nodded and he smiled. "But when you feel you're ready that invitation will still be there. Just say the word and I'll have your things moved over in no time."

I hugged him and loved how mature he'd gotten. I expected a fight or argument but he listened and understood my feelings. "I love you, Bitchell."

"Ew, don't say things that give me butterflies."

I playfully slapped his chest and he chuckled. Mitchell kissed the top of my head. "I'm going to take a shower and then we can have dinner." He pulled away and ruffled my hair before he walked off. 

"Oh." Mitchell stopped in his tracks and glanced at me over his shoulder. "If Kelsey calls tell her I'll call her back tomorrow. I'm down with work for the night."

"Got it." I nodded. "Anything else, sir?"

Mitchell stared at me for a long moment before he shook his head and headed toward the stairs. I went back to researching Leo's condition. Before I got up to warm up dinner, I purchased two books on leukemia online. 

Just as I placed cutlery beside two plates, Mitchell's phone that sat on the island rang. I glanced at the screen and it was an unsaved number. I assumed it was Kelsey from another number so I reached for the device and answered. 

"Finally!" I familiar feminine voice exclaimed. "I've been trying to get ahold of you all day. I even texted but it didn't go through."

My eyebrows slowly knitted together as I tried to figure out who the voice belonged. I was about to ask who she was but she was on a roll and didn't give me a chance to get a word out. 

"I know you basically hate me now but you're also still one of the kindest human beings I've ever known," she desperately said. "I don't know why I'm even calling you but I feel like I have no one and with my dad's relapse again, I don't know who else to turn to."

Dad's relapse? Liza.

I froze and didn't know what to think. She said Mitchell wasn't responding to her but could he have known she tried to reach out? He still failed to mention that Dad was at Kelsey's father's funeral. I didn't bring it up because I thought it wasn't something he didn't consider important but this was something I should've known about. 

Liza groaned. "I think calling was a bad idea. I'm sorry I disturbed you. Goodbye Mitch."

Liza waited a long moment before she muttered something incoherent and cut the call. I replayed every word she said and told myself that Mitchell must've not noticed she tried to contact him. Her number wasn't even saved and she mentioned her texts didn't deliver so it must've meant he blocked her number. 

I didn't want to overthink and stress about something else. I trusted Mitchell and we'd learned not to keep secrets so if he knew Liza was trying to get ahold of him, I knew he'd tell me.