you?!”
“He has done plenty for me!” He was spitting with his words, again, angry as sin at me, and probably angry as sin at the world. He took a step towards me, his eyes blackened with anger. However, I didn’t care; I wasn’t going to step down. I loved the idiot, and I wouldn’t let someone take advantage.
I never thought—in a million years—that I would worry about someone taking advantage of Derek. And beyond that, taking advantage of Derek’s loving nature. Because if knowing Derek taught me anything, it taught me that Derek didn’t have a particularly loving nature. He loved when he loved, but it was rare. But here I was, worried that Joey was taking advantage of his nature.
Because it was obvious that Derek did care for him.
Why? I had no clue, but he did.
“Tell me what he’s done for you?!” I shot, taking a step forward with equal temper, staring him in the eyes—not wanting to break contact, not wanting to waver.
And then I watched, as his eyes widened and his breath slowed and deepened.
And then as quickly as he stepped forward in rage, he took a step backwards in fear and offense. I could tell that he was disappointed in himself for lashing out, for stepping towards me in rage.
He got quiet.
He looked sad, guilty even. About what, though, I didn’t know.
“Derek, what’s the matter?” I stepped closer again. Why did he look so guilty? I reached out, but he held his hand up to halt my movements. I froze and looked at him, as he leaned against the driver’s side door.
But he didn’t speak. He didn’t look at me.
“Can we just go home?” he asked, sweetly, clearly trying to avoid any more arguments…and I nodded. I was probably readier than he was, especially considering he had tried to break up with me just a moment before.
Chapter 2
How could Derek have been exposed to poisonous toxins? It didn’t make any sense. I knew that I was jumping the gun a bit; the results hadn’t come back in, but it puzzled me. If it was a toxin, how could it have happened? And what sort of thought process did the doctor have? Because he certainly didn’t say.
I balanced on the stepstool and reached above my head towards the ceiling. I held the testing strip at the area of the wall that met the ceiling and swabbed it.
I had no idea what I was doing really, but that’s what Walter, the magnificent hardware manager, told me to do.
As soon as we left the doctor, I dropped Derek off and went out to the hardware store to see if there was at all anything that I could do. I wasn’t sure if I thought it was really going to help, or if I really just needed to feel like I was helping.
But regardless, I was at least keeping busy. I had to…otherwise I would have gone stir crazy. With the new information that kept flooding at me about Derek, I had to do everything in my power not to go insane. So doing anything—even if it was no help, in reality—was better than standing by and waiting for the phone calls to pour in.
Derek didn’t have cancer. That’s what we were told. And there were signs of toxins….And because the doctor didn’t say what kind of toxins, or give any indication other than the fact that it wasn’t mold, I wanted to test absolutely everything else that I could.
And lead poisoning was the only other thing I could think of. I wasn’t a doctor, and I wasn’t a scientist. I had no clue what else could have been the problem…So I bought a do-it-yourself kit to test for signs of lead paint.
As I struggled with my arms above my head, I heard rustling and footsteps sound from the distance. The steps were growing louder and louder until I realized that they were headed towards me.
My head snapped over my shoulder, my body stiffening, until I saw Fredrick round the corner.
He smirked at the doorway, leaning against the molding, staring at me. “Hey, Fredrick…” I breathed, not really understanding how standing still with my arms above my head was really
“He has done plenty for me!” He was spitting with his words, again, angry as sin at me, and probably angry as sin at the world. He took a step towards me, his eyes blackened with anger. However, I didn’t care; I wasn’t going to step down. I loved the idiot, and I wouldn’t let someone take advantage.
I never thought—in a million years—that I would worry about someone taking advantage of Derek. And beyond that, taking advantage of Derek’s loving nature. Because if knowing Derek taught me anything, it taught me that Derek didn’t have a particularly loving nature. He loved when he loved, but it was rare. But here I was, worried that Joey was taking advantage of his nature.
Because it was obvious that Derek did care for him.
Why? I had no clue, but he did.
“Tell me what he’s done for you?!” I shot, taking a step forward with equal temper, staring him in the eyes—not wanting to break contact, not wanting to waver.
And then I watched, as his eyes widened and his breath slowed and deepened.
And then as quickly as he stepped forward in rage, he took a step backwards in fear and offense. I could tell that he was disappointed in himself for lashing out, for stepping towards me in rage.
He got quiet.
He looked sad, guilty even. About what, though, I didn’t know.
“Derek, what’s the matter?” I stepped closer again. Why did he look so guilty? I reached out, but he held his hand up to halt my movements. I froze and looked at him, as he leaned against the driver’s side door.
But he didn’t speak. He didn’t look at me.
“Can we just go home?” he asked, sweetly, clearly trying to avoid any more arguments…and I nodded. I was probably readier than he was, especially considering he had tried to break up with me just a moment before.
Chapter 2
How could Derek have been exposed to poisonous toxins? It didn’t make any sense. I knew that I was jumping the gun a bit; the results hadn’t come back in, but it puzzled me. If it was a toxin, how could it have happened? And what sort of thought process did the doctor have? Because he certainly didn’t say.
I balanced on the stepstool and reached above my head towards the ceiling. I held the testing strip at the area of the wall that met the ceiling and swabbed it.
I had no idea what I was doing really, but that’s what Walter, the magnificent hardware manager, told me to do.
As soon as we left the doctor, I dropped Derek off and went out to the hardware store to see if there was at all anything that I could do. I wasn’t sure if I thought it was really going to help, or if I really just needed to feel like I was helping.
But regardless, I was at least keeping busy. I had to…otherwise I would have gone stir crazy. With the new information that kept flooding at me about Derek, I had to do everything in my power not to go insane. So doing anything—even if it was no help, in reality—was better than standing by and waiting for the phone calls to pour in.
Derek didn’t have cancer. That’s what we were told. And there were signs of toxins….And because the doctor didn’t say what kind of toxins, or give any indication other than the fact that it wasn’t mold, I wanted to test absolutely everything else that I could.
And lead poisoning was the only other thing I could think of. I wasn’t a doctor, and I wasn’t a scientist. I had no clue what else could have been the problem…So I bought a do-it-yourself kit to test for signs of lead paint.
As I struggled with my arms above my head, I heard rustling and footsteps sound from the distance. The steps were growing louder and louder until I realized that they were headed towards me.
My head snapped over my shoulder, my body stiffening, until I saw Fredrick round the corner.
He smirked at the doorway, leaning against the molding, staring at me. “Hey, Fredrick…” I breathed, not really understanding how standing still with my arms above my head was really
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