Broken Pieces

Chapter 13

She was doing it again but this time she wouldn’t crack. No matter how hard I tried talking to her she would just ignore me. I was sick and tired of playing this cat and mouse game. I’m 100% sure I did nothing wrong and yet she still wants to ignore me? I understand this whole dating thing is new to Lacey but still it’s aggravating. 

“Seth?” I snap out of my daze turn my attention to Keith. “What’s up with you and Kate?” he questions and I sigh. 

“You’re going to kill me.” 

Keith lifts an eyebrow. “What now?” he groans. 

“I slept with her that night Ryan and I went partying. I was drunk and not thinking right,” I explain and Keith shakes his head. 

“You know you screwed that up, right?” I glare at him. “That’s the most stupidest thing you could’ve done.” 

“You don’t think I know that?” I snap. 

Keith throws his cigarette on the ground and steps on it. “So then what’s up with you and Lacey earlier today? You tell her?” 

I shake my head and push myself off the tree I was leaning against. “She’s just being Lacey.” 

Keith and I were outside of the school waiting for our sisters; Keith’s sister is also a freshman like Emilee. They were late like usual and so we were just relaxing and talking seeing as we haven’t talked that much lately. We’ve just been talking about random stuff and filling each other on stuff that we’ve missed. Keith mentioned that a week ago Shay had a pregnancy scare and just random crap that we haven’t talked about. 

Since everything with Lacey, Keith and I haven’t really hung out like old times and surprisingly we met way before Ryan came into the picture so it was nice catching up with things. Keith and I are practically brothers with everything we’ve been through together since pre-school. 

“Sorry we’re late,” Keith’s little sister, Katie, announces as the two girls walk over to us. 

“Bye, man,” Keith says as we nod to each other and then Katie and Keith walk one way and Emilee and I the other way. 

“I haven’t seen Keith around in a while,” Emilee speaks up. 

I nod and unlock my car. “I know.” We get in the car and I drive off. 

Things have been a little weird between Emilee and I since Kate mentioned Ryan likes Emilee. She knows I don’t like the idea so she’s been keeping to herself lately, which is weird for her. Emilee is not one who keeps to herself, she’s usually loud and a social person. I guess I was just protective of Emilee, she is my little sister after all and I just don’t want to see her get hurt. 

“Sorry for being a sucky brother lately,” I apologize. 

Emilee laughs. “Seth, you are anything but a sucky brother. I understand that you’re just looking out for me and I thank you for that.” 

I chuckle. “We good?” “We’re good.”

I park my car in the driveway and Emilee leaves the car and heads somewhere in the house. I look over at Lacey’s house to find her car in her driveway, so I grab my phone and send a quick text to Lacey asking her to come outside. I needed to talk to her and she needed to talk to me, we really need to get this whole ignoring thing off our table. I take the keys out of the ignition and get out when Lacey walks out of her door.  Her attention snaps to me when I slam my door shut, I give her a reassuring smile as I walk over to her. 

“Can we talk?” I ask her and she nods. “Why do you keep ignoring me? We’re fine one minute and the next you act like nothing matters, I’m just confused?” Lacey sighs. “To be honest I’m just not use to anyone caring for me like you do and it kind of scares me, Seth. I really like you and that also scares me.” She answers and I’m shocked but I overcome that shock. 

“You need to trust me, okay? I don’t want you to be scared because I won’t hurt you and I care for you because I like you, Lacey and I just want to see you happy.” 

“And if I’m still a little scared?” 

“Tell me. That’s what I’m here for, you can tell me anything Lacey. I understand you’re scared but honestly it aggravates me when you ignore me.”

Lacey looks down at the cement. “I am sorry for ignoring you. I’m still just not used to this whole dating thing, sorry Seth.” She mumbles when her attention is set on her fingers and biting her lip. I grab Lacey in a hug and she stiffens but I still keep her in my hug and soon she begins to relax. 

“It’s okay to be scared, Lacey but I promise you there’s no need to be.” 

“But there is, Seth, there is.”