"So you're actually going through with this?"
I glare at Michelle as the two of us stand in the front entryway. "Did I seem like I was joking?"
Michelle raises her eyebrows and crosses her arms. "Well, I wasn't sure. You haven't been your normal self lately so, I don't know. I though maybe..."
"What do you know about my 'normal self?'" I snap. The second the words are out I look at the ground, trying to hide tears. This isn't me. I sneak a glance back up at Michelle whose determined look as been exchanged for one of utter confusion.
"Maybe not as much as I thought," she whispers.
I swallow hard. Did I just hurt Michelle's feelings? Michelle, who hardly let anyone ever hurt her...? Or at least, she didn't show it ever...
I sigh. "You'll be better off without me anyway," I mumble.
Michelle's arms drop to her side. "What did you say?" she demands.
I clutch the handle do my suitcase. "Nothing," I mutter.
"Gen..." she pushes, desperateness n her voice. "Why would you think that?"
I can't hold her gaze. And the words she says next break my heart right in half.
"Gen, if I ever made you feel like that I didn't mean it!"
I lift my head back up abruptly. "Oh no! No, Michelle, it's not you, I just-"
"Who else in this house would be a big enough jerk to make you feel like you couldn't stand it here any longer?" she demands, willing herself not to cry. "Don't go because of me, Gen. I swear... You've changed something in all of us for the better. I can't put my finger on it but... Especially Bridget. We won't be the same if you go, Gen, please..."
I glance all over the space before I'm under enough control to walk up to her.
"Michelle, come on now. No one here did anything that made me want to go... I... Let's just say I'm not..." I trail off and shake my head. Michelle seems to feel better that it wasn't her fault but now gives me a look of curiosity as it what I was trying to say.
"You're not...?"
I shake my head again and jump back into talking by saying, "Maybe this isn't forever. My heart lies back in Lincoln, though. There are things I have to mend with Aunt Cassie..."
Even as I say it, I know my intention was never to try and forgive Aunt Cassie for what's she's done to help rip my family apart.... But maybe... Just maybe...
Michelle hisses under her breath. "What'd that... That witch do to you? I swear I'll-"
"Hey," I cut in gently.
"What'd she do, Gen? She's hurt you, I can tell which is what I don't get. Why are you going back with her?"
I glance at the ground again. Then she repeats the dreaded question. The same one Bridget and just asked upstairs.
"Gen, if not for the rest of us, what about Lacy?"
My shoulders tense up and my eyes refuse it listen to me plead them to stay dry. Michelle notices my sudden emotional reaction when Lacy is mentioned. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her whole demeanor change.
Gosh, darn it. She's catching on. I can feel it.
"Gen," she places her hands and places them roughly on either side of my face and jerks my head up so I'll look at her.
She stares at me for a few awkward moments before repeating that tender name. "... Lacy?"
I purse my lips. Then I open my mouth to try and come up with some sort of response to that. Words won't come and I just stand there, my mouth gaping and Michelle still staring at me, her hands still holding my face.
Megan walks in on this rather unusual scene.
"Mitch, what in the heck are you doing now to her?"
Michelle takes her hands off me and stands up straight again, rolling her eyes as she goes. "Nothing. And don't call me Mitch. That's weird."
Megan usually laughs at pretty much anything that Michelle says but in response to this, she just shrugs.
Megan makes her way towards me slowly. It almost reminds me of that day, only three months ago when all the twins, Liam and Ben met me for the first time. They were hesitant and yet, eager to see who I was. I see her eyes shift from me over to the suitcase.
"Gen, are you... Leaving today?" she asks. Her eyes light up with shock and she licks her lips.
"Yeah...?" I mumble.
Megan looks at Michelle.
"She can't go today... Right now," she hisses. "At the very earliest she should go tomorrow."
I raise one eyebrow.
Even Michelle looks as if she's clueless to why Megan is so desperate for me to be here for tonight.
The doorbell rings.
The sound of footsteps and voices resound through the house as the rest of the Tolias make crowd into the entryway.
I open the door. There stands Aunt Cassie. Her blue Prius sits in the driveway. I can barely make out the forms of Josie and Franklin waiting in the car.
I raise one corner of my mouth towards Aunt Cassie.
She does the same. "You ready, baby?"
I can practically feel Michelle vomit in her mouth a little when she calls me "baby."
I nod. "Just one sec."
I turn around to face the group of people who were kind enough to call me family. Part of me wanted to scream, "I promise I'll come back to see you!" But another part of me couldn't. No. I couldn't promise that. Another horrible part of me whispered, "You can't have anything to do with them ever again."
Forbidden tears escape once more and I rush into Bridget's arms. She holds me, holds me like she's never held me before.
"I... I'm sorry," I whisper.
Bridget doesn't seem to know how to answer that.
"Ummm... Hi guys?"
I turn around abruptly at the sound of a deep voice.
Megan groans as Michelle exclaims, "Oh crap!"
"Am I the only one who remembered?" Megan asks.
"Ben!" Mrs. T greets. "Ben, I thought you'd be here a little later tonight."
Ben... Well... Yay?
Ben clears his throat. "Uh... Yeah we... Uh... We were ahead of schedule if you can believe it," he chuckles trying to add some sort of humor.
Aunt Cassie awkwardly stares at the ground. Another woman with incredibly tan skin and smooth black hair walks up and hooks her arm through Ben's.
Michelle's eyes go the size of golf balls.
"Ben! Is this your adorable family I've heard so much about?"
Aunt Cassie has begun to discreetly back out of the doorway by now.
Ben clears her throat. "Yeah! Guys, meet Lauren. Lauren..." He looks at all of us, a sight to see I'm sure. All red eyed and tear stained. "This is my family!"
He glances down the line of us, as if taking a head count.
Something suddenly hits me...
"Guys..." Ben starts. "Where's Lacy?"
His tone of voice suggests that he expects the answer to be that she's just at a birthday party or something. But you can tell by the way his eyes go wild that he knows deep down its something more serious....
Oh for the love of waffles...
Oh gosh.... Poor Ben... His family stinks at getting messages to him...
Lol. Anywho sorry for the long wait for an update but I hope you enjoyed this! I know you just met Lauren, but what do ya'll think of Ben having a girl with him???? Lol! Later lovlies!
