Words 2180
EMERY.
"Hey..." I speak up, making both, dad and mom, turn towards me. Dad immediately gives me a small smile and he walks over and pulls me into a hug.
"Loosen up, she's fine." He whispers and I nod my head, inwardly beating myself up for looking so damn uncomfortable. "I'll be outside." He explains aloud, giving mom a warm smile before pushing the door open.
Shit... I hope dad and Cole don't fight in the hall. That would be fucking terrible.
"How are you feeling?" Mom asks immediately once dad leaves and I shrug my shoulders. Shouldn't I be asking her that?
"I'm fine." I reply, shaking off my nerves and sitting down in the seat beside the window. It's quiet for a moment, mom's eyes following my movements. "I'm sorry about everything..." I suddenly blurt out. Did I plan to apologize? No, not really. I am sorry, but apologizing makes everything dramatic. I guess my mind had other plans I wasn't aware of.
"It wasn't your fault." She gulps and turns her head to look at the ceiling. "You couldn't have known someone was going to break in."
I freeze, my lips opening in shock. She doesn't know? She hasn't pieced the puzzle together? Well fuck, that's why she wanted me to visit her. She hasn't even found out the worst of it. "I know but..." I trail off, deciding whether or not to tell her the truth, "I should've stopped him whether I knew he was there or not." I can't help but hear the shakiness in my voice. There is no way she doesn't hear it too.
She doesn't answer me for quite some time. I can see the gears turning in her head. "He's dead now." She says, "a cop came and told us he fell on his knife and they couldn't save him. The knife had damaged too much to fix... or something like that."
I sigh with relief, a small smile surfacing onto my face. "Good." I feel a big weight being lifted from my shoulders and I sink down into my chair. She gives me a frown, an expression saying, 'why would you think that is good?' She doesn't understand what a relief it is to me. If anything, She should be relieved too. He did stab her in the fucking abdomen.
She stares at me for a moment, scanning my attire, my attitude, and probably all my goddamn flaws. I don't feel bothered like I would've a few days ago. "You knew him, didn't you?" She questions, but she says it as if it's a fact.
I feel guilt spread through my chest and all throughout my body and I move uncomfortably on my seat. I take a deep breath to maybe defuse the spark of regret and guilt. I nod my head vigorously as I feel tears come to my eyes. I keep my mouth shut, because I know if I open it, only sobs would come out. What the fuck happened to being the emotionless one in the family?
"It's okay." She says in a whiney voice, reaching for my hand. I can see tears form in her eyes, or at least I think they do. My eyes are brimmed with tears, making my vision blurry. "It's over now, it doesn't matter anymore, okay?" She pauses and I nod my head, "it was not your fault, Emery." She says a little more sternly and I nod my head again. I wish she'd just stop talking. She's making it harder to hold these tears in. She sighs and looks at the ceiling. "I feel bad for your father. This has already happened before..." she quickly looks over at me with realization and she shakes her head, "never mind. He probably would want to tell you himself."
"His mom." I sniffle, using my hand to wipe my nose.
She squints her eyes, "you know?"
I nod my head, sniffling again. "Yeah, I read the book. Well, some of it. I skipped through a lot of it." I sniffle again.
She gives me a small smile, "I didn't think you were going to read it."
"I wasn't going to, but... after this I kinda felt like I had to." I let out a pathetic huff, shrugging my shoulders. "I had Cole get it from my room."
"You're with Cole?" She questions immediately and I nod my head.
"Well, no. Not together, if that's what you mean. He just... he's been paying for a hotel for us. He said he has money in his savings from a job back in New Hampshire, where he's from." I pause, suddenly confused on why he would even help me. I never thought about that. I know he likes me, but this is a lot to do for someone you like. And why stay in the hotel with me? "I don't know why he stays in the hotel with me... I guess because I'm alone— or whatever." I roll my eyes. I'm getting too personal.
"You have your father." She suggests and I shrug my shoulders. I guess that is true, but his comfort is different than Cole's comfort. Dad is kind of forced to comfort and love me. He probably would despise me if I wasn't his child, that's how difficult I am.
That's another thing I don't understand about Cole. What the fuck does he see in me that he wants to continue to help me and... I don't know, even be near me? I'm definitely frustrating as fuck, so why is he still around?
"Cole is good too. He's very cute." My mom says, giggling softly. "Don't tell you father I said that. He'd hate him even more."
"Is that even possible?" I tease, chuckling along with her. Once we settle down, I continue, "I don't know what the big deal is. We're just friends."
Friends who fuck.
"Well, just know I approve." She explains, quickly adding, "Not that you need my approval or anything." She pauses, "you might need your father's, though. He's pretty upset about what happened—" she turns to look at me, checking to see if I'm uncomfortable. I shrug my shoulders. "He just wants to protect you."
I sigh, leaning back into my chair. "He doesn't have to worry about Cole. He wouldn't hurt a fly..." I trail off with a chuckle, "seriously, he is the most innocent guy I have ever met."
"Is he?" She smiles lightly, "I could see that."
"That, or he's playing a game with me." I frown, shrugging my shoulders. "If he is, then he's losing because I don't like him. We're friends."
Friends who fuck.
Suddenly the door opens and we turn our heads. Cole's head is peaking inside, "Hey, I'm going to go get something to eat. Do you want me to bring food back or come with?" He asks gently, his voice loud enough to carry across the room but it almost sounds like a whisper. I like his voice. It's husky, especially in the mornings or when he hasn't used his voice in a while. He must not be talking to dad, which is a big fucking relief.
I look back at mom, almost asking what she would prefer. I'd honestly prefer to go with him and be done with this visit. I could always come back. Then again, I haven't had a decent conversation with my mom for months. "Uh..." I turn back to Cole. "I'll stay. Where are you going?"
He gives me weird face as he thinks, tapping at the door, "ah... McDonald's?"
I shrug, "I don't care. I'm fucking starving."
"'Kay." He pulls his head out of the door but instantly pops it back in. "Wait. Nuggets?"
"Sure." I shrug. I don't fucking care what I eat.
"'Kay." And he's gone again.
I turn back to mom and she has a huge smile on her face. "He's so sweet!" She cheers.
I roll my eyes, crossing my legs. "Well, why don't you go ahead and date him then mom?" I tease and I see her frown. To lighten the mood I let out a small chuckle, letting her know I was joking. She lets out a breath of relief and nods her head. Well now it's awkward...
"They said I should be getting out in three days." She smiles proudly, "then we can go back home an-"
"I'm not going back home, mom." I shake my head in disapproval. "I'll stay in a hotel or under a fucking bridge if I care. I'm not going home."
She frowns, letting out a breath. "Well, Emery we are kind of stuck then. We don't have enough time to move out just yet. We'd have to stay in a hotel, which is a big waste of money when we have fine home."
"We do not have a fine home, mom." I snap, "you were hurt in there— I am not going back."
"Okay," she gives up, "but your father, Auden, and I are. We do plan on selling it, but that takes time. Until then, we'll have to deal with it."
"Okay. You do that." I roll my eyes, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. It's silent for a moment and I look down at the white floor and trace the thin, barely-noticeable, lines of where the tiles meet to occupy me.
"I think your father is going to pick up Auden tomorrow. I think I talked him into it." Mom changes the subject and I look up to see her lips upturned into a calm smile. She isn't upset that we just had a small bicker?
"That's good..." I trail off, letting out a small breath. "He's probably worried."
"I don't think your father told him much." She shrugs her shoulder lightly, "just that I was in an accident."
I nod my head, looking down at my lap again. It goes quiet again and I suddenly wish that I went with Cole.
No... I'm actually glad I stayed.
◉‿◉
COLE.
I walk through the sliding doors as they open, pulling my keys from my pocket. I hope Emery is okay if I grab some food. She sounded and looked fine. I just couldn't sit there beside her father anymore. He makes me uneasy. He could grab me from my shirt and press me against the wall at any moment like he did in her room. I know, what a fucking coward! I'd just rather not fight with her father. Especially in the hospital where she's trying to visit her mother.
Once I get to the truck, I pull open the front door and hop into the drivers seat. I reach for my phone from my pocket to pull up a map, but I guess my phone has different plans. Instead of cooperating, it slips from my fingers and down between the truck and the seat. Great.
"Shit." I mutter under my breath, trying to stick my hand through the small sliver that only a phone could fit in. I roll my eyes as I open the back seat door, reaching under the seat to pull my phone out.
For a split second I think I've got it. It feels like the screen side of my iPhone, but when I start to actually feel around... it actually feels more like a bottle.
I grab the neck of the bottle and tug it out from below the driver's seat, scanning it carefully. There's dust coating the glass making the brownish-yellow liquor look dingy inside. I scrunch my nose up in disgust. This is my father's truck. I thought he got rid of all the beer and— in this case, rum that he could get to. I guess he lied. I let out a frustrated sigh as reach over and plop the bottle into the passenger seat, sticking my hand under the driver's seat again.
I'm not only looking for my phone, I'm looking for a second bottle. This time, I actually feel my phone and I pull it out. My other hand then begins to dig around the back seats, searching for more fucked-up evidence that my father did not actually get rid of everything like he said. All I find is some dirt and hair and some crumbs of food every once and a while.
I check the passenger seat and the trunk of the truck before taking the single bottle of liquor and tossing it into the closest trash can. I begin to turn away when I think of something better. I fling the lid of the trash open and reach into the can, bringing out the bottle of liquor. I wipe the dust off of it, and put it back in its place under the driver's seat. No wonder my dad was wondering when I'd be back. I didn't only take his truck, I took his rum.
◉‿◉
𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎
The chapter you have all been waiting for! Was this a good chapter? Did you like it?
Chapter fifty one: Feb. 18, 2021