While in Verona

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Confrontation

 The kitchen door slammed open to reveal a grinning Jeriah, a suitcase in one hand and a duffle over his other shoulder. "Bibi, I'm home!"

With an equally wide grin, she gave him a questioning look. "I can see that."

He sighed and let go of all of his luggage. "A precious pop-culture quote wasted on the likes of you."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist and held her tight. They stayed like that for a while, just welcoming each other home.

At last, they pulled away. Jeriah looked down at her with concern ash he brought a hand to smooth down her tangled hair. "How are you doing?"

Giving him a tired smile, she leaned into his touch. "I'm doing alright. Shaye took care of me."

A spark of excitement showed in his eyes at the mention of her, but heartache flickered in a second later. "She did, did she?"

Tabitha nodded and pulled his hand down from her head. "She did." Clenching his hand in hers, she stated, "don't give up on her just yet."

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

She clamped her mouth shut and looked at him with pleading eyes. "I can't say. But just-" she sighed and ran a hand through her tangled locks. "Just don't give up on her. She knows what she wants."

Before he could say anything else she grabbed his strikingly heavy duffle and trudged upstairs. Once in his room, she threw it down on his bed. The same bed she had occupied for the month and a half she had been there.

She could hear him in the hall when he said, "what happened to my room?"

Swinging to face him with a blush, she explained, " I- I may have done some cleaning."

His eyebrows raised. "As in you threw stuff out?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Just the really gross stuff." Looking down at her feet, she heard him walk around the room. "I cleaned all the laundry on the floor, and threw away all of the old food you left lying around."

He sniffed the air. "Why- why dies it smell fruity in here?"

Biting her lip harder, she could feel the warning signals blaring that she took a step too far. He was going to kick her out. That was the end of it. She was about to be the first hobo of her family. "The smell of the food was bad, so I sprayed some air freshener to kill some of the smell before you got back."

"And are those my clothes you are wearing?"

She nodded as she felt tears build up. Trying to ignore them, she charged on while still looking at her newly painted toes. "I-I don't have any clothes that aren't' my school uniform so-" she hiccuped, her ignored tears slipping down her face like rainwater.

"Hey, shh." He rushed over to her and pulled her into his chest. "It's okay. I'm not mad."

"But you aren't happy that... I messed with your room... and now you're gonna kick me out... and I'm gonna be live on the street-"

"Shh," he kissed the top of her head. "No one's living on the street. I promise. It's just new. That's all, I swear." She nodded, still sobbing into his t-shirt.

There was a chiming of the doorbell downstairs, and it echoed throughout the house. Jeriah sighed and pulled away. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he asked, "will you be alright if I go and answer the door?" She nodded and he took off as the doorbell rang again. "I'm coming! Jeesh, hold your horses!"

As she collected herself, she heard Jeriah skipping steps to reach her. Once she saw his face, caution filled her. It was question on his face. "Bibi, someone gave this to me at the door." Looking excited, he handed it to her. "I think it's for you."