Falling Behind (Falling Series) (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Reese

My eyes felt like they were glued
shut. It hurt to touch them. They felt swollen. I didn’t understand why. I finally pried them open and made my way across the hall to my bathroom.  Looking in the mirror, I grimaced at the swollen mess that was my eyes. Letting the cold water run over a washcloth, I brushed my teeth. Taking the now cold and wet cloth, I washed my eyes and face, leaving it covering my eyes for a minute before one of my sisters started pounding on the door. I removed it and my eyes looked a little better. A little better, but not much. That’s when I saw what Mom had observed last night. Four hickeys covered my neck, two on each side. Hopefully they cleared up before Dad got back. I let my hair out of the ponytail from last night and tried to use it to hide them. I didn’t need the twins seeing them. I was pretty sure I failed. I finally opened the door and Maddy was standing, nope, dancing in front of the door.

“About time!
I almost peed myself. We really need another bathroom!” She yelled as she pushed past me, slamming the door behind her.

“Good morning
, Sweetheart. How are you feeling this morning?” Mom was standing at the stove. The scent of pancakes, bacon and eggs filtered through the air. My stomach grumbled as I inhaled the delicious aroma.

“
Mmmm, that smells good. I’m doing okay.” I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek and whispered, “When’s dad going to be home? I would be a lot better if I knew he wasn’t going to come home and kill me.”

Mom’s laugh filled the small kitchen. She whispered back
. “I don’t condone what is all over your neck.” She pierced me with a death stare and pursed lips. “But I don’t want your dad to kill you. He won’t be home until this evening. I have to pick him up from the airport. After breakfast your sisters are going over to your Aunt Janice’s we’ll take care of those things, then.”

Smiling
, I squeezed her shoulders. “Thank you, Mom.” I shuffled around her, gathering plates and silverware. I helped make the twins’ plates before making my own. I sat down and bit into a forkful of maple syrup and butter covered pancakes. I let out a soft mmmm of approval. I loved Mom’s pancakes. I was savoring a smoky bite of bacon when my cell phone buzzed. I looked down and saw it was Candice calling me. “Mom, it’s Candice. Can I go talk to her?”

“Of course.
Let her know we love her.”

“Will do.”

I took my plate and jogged to my room before sliding my phone on to answer it.

“Hey
, C.” I paused, not sure what she was going to say to me.

“Hi. I can’t talk long. I just wanted you to know I don’t hate you. Thank you for telling your mom.” I could hear her mom talking in the background. She was still mad at me. Her mom was forcing her to say this. The smile on my face slid off. Tears pooled in my eyes
, again. I just wanted to hide under my pillow.

I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” And then the line went dead.

I fell into bed
, sobbing. I hated crying. I hated that I loved her so much that her being mad at me, for doing what everyone says was the right thing, broke my heart. I cried for her. I cried for me. I cried because I didn’t want to have sex again with Josh. I cried because I couldn’t turn him down. I cried because Candice could have died the night Alex choked her. I cried because I gave Josh my virginity. I cried because he took it. I didn’t know if it was two minutes or thirty minutes that I laid there, face down in my pillow, with hot tears dampening my jersey pillowcase, my breakfast cold and forgotten on the dresser. The next thing I knew, for certain, was that Mom was holding me.

“
Shhh, Baby Girl, it’s gonna be okay. You don’t have to stay with him and Candice will forgive you.” Mom spoke softly into my hair.

What did she mean
“I didn’t have to stay with him?” Of course I did. But how did she know I wanted out? Oh God, what did I say while sitting there crying?
No, no, no
.

“Yes
, Reese, it’s going to be okay,” Mom replied.

Crap
! Did I say that out loud, too? How come I can’t determine what I’m thinking and what I’m saying?

“
Maddy, get a cold, wet cloth, please.” Mom’s voice sounded clear and strong.

“
Mooomm.” Maddy whined.

“
Maddy, go.” Mom waited a second before she continued. “Okay, Reese, it’s just you and me. Tell me what’s going on.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t tell her about Josh. It was nothing compared to what Candice was going through. I opened my eyes. “How long have you been in here? Wait, how long have I been in here?”

“Over an hour. We heard you scream and came running in here. That’s when we found you curled up in a ball. You would mumble, cry and then scream.” She turned my face to look at her. She was still holding me in her lap like I was a small child. I guess to her I was. “You scared the crap out of me. I’m still not convinced you’re okay.”

Her eyes scanned mine before she
patted my head back to her chest. I closed my eyes again, and took several breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth. “I’m okay, now. Candice called. Her parents made her call and tell me she wasn’t mad at me and to say thank you. But Mom, I could hear the hatred in her voice. I could hear Cecilia coaching her on what to say.”

“Reese
, she will forgive you. Just give her time. Now”—

Maddy
walked back into my room. “Here, I’m going to watch T.V. I can tell I’m not wanted in
here
.”

“
Maddy.” Mom chided.

Maddy
was already gone. Mom looked down at me. “Let me get them over to my sister’s house before we continue this conversation.”

“Okay.” I
whispered my throat sore and voice horse.

Mom released me and stood to grab my plate of food. Before we made it to the kitchen there was a knock on the front door. I groaned
, louder than I meant it to be. Mom turned, questioning me with her eyebrows.

“I don’t know. I just don’t feel like dealing with Josh
, yet,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. I headed for the door, but Mom stopped me.

“Let me get it.”

I nodded and hid in the kitchen. Yeah, it was a chicken shit move, but I really didn’t want to see him right now. Especially not after balling my eyes out because he took my virginity, the one thing that should have been mine to willingly give away to someone that I really, truly loved.

“Hi
, Titus, come in.” I heard Mom say. I pushed off the counter, where I was leaning, anxious to see him.

I stopped in my tracks when I heard him ask
Mom, “How is she?”

“Not good.” Mom’s voice lowered
, but I could still hear her. “Something is going on with her and Josh, but I’m not sure what. Has she said anything to you?”

“No
, but I noticed something was weird the other day. And it’s something other than him thinking I want his girlfriend.”

I stepped closer
to the door to hear them, but heard nothing more than a noticeable click from a door shutting. I looked around the corner, but they had gone outside. I waited in the kitchen popping grapes into my mouth. I wasn’t hungry; but I needed something to do with my hands and mouth so I didn’t run out there screaming at them to stop talking about me. I couldn’t tell them what was going on but I could start planning what I would say.

The f
ront door opened and Titus and Mom came back in. I came around the corner and took in all of Ty. He really was gorgeous. His ice-blue eyes shined, his black hair was disheveled and perfect. The black t-shirt with bright blue writing matched his hair and eyes exactly and made everything pop. Even his dark-wash denim jeans were perfect, just tight enough. My gaze finally landed on his eyes and he smiled slowly, as if unsure how I would react. I smiled back and stepped close to him, squeezing my arms around his waist.

“Hey
, Ty, what’s going on? Why aren’t you helping your mom?”

He chuckled. “I helped her this morning. We got everything done we needed to. I
wanted to come check on you and C. I went over there, first; but her parents wouldn’t let her out of her room. They told me she was doing okay. Upset, but okay.”

I led him over to the couch and we sat down
, my leg brushing against his jeans. “Well, that’s good; I guess. I mean, as long as she’s okay.”

Titus turned his head toward me and quirked his right bro
w up. “Did you get attacked by a curling iron?”

I laughed and mom came back from the kitchen, laughing a
nd caring two plates. “Go pull your hair up and put on a t-shirt or tank top so we can get rid of those.”

“Be right back.”

“
Hickeys.” Mom said.

“Oh, I see.” Titus laughed.

“Enough laughing at my expense. Let’s get rid of these before Daddio gets back, huh?”

“Yeah, I’ll work on these while you eat some fruit. You haven’t eaten all day.”

“Mom, I’m not really hungry.” I groaned, but grabbed more grapes, popping them in my mouth as my mom pulled a chair directly in front of me and sat down with a plate containing spoons. Frozen spoons. “Mom what are you”—

“Hush
. Unless you want your dad to see these, you’ll be quite and let me work on them.” She handed Titus two spoons. “You cover the two on that side with the back side of the spoon, press hard and hold them there until they are no longer cold. Then we’ll get new ones. Make sure you press hard or it won’t work,” She instructed.

Titus nodded took the spoons and pressed them
into my neck. I jumped at the cold metal pressing hard into my left side. Then I jumped again when Mom pressed her two into my right side.

“Reese, sit still. I know they
are cold and it’s uncomfortable, but you did this to yourself and just be thankful Titus and I are willing to help.” Mom pressed in harder and so did Titus, copying her movements.

“Will this really work?” Titus asked
, his gaze glued to my neck.

Mom shrugged
. “It’s supposed to. I Googled it, last night. This was the first option. There was something about using a coin, but one review said it was painful. I thought about doing that one.” She looked intently at me. “You know, to teach you a lesson.”

“Well
, I’m glad you decided against that method.”

For twenty minutes
, we sat there making small talk as they held the spoons to my neck. When a timer on mom’s phone went off she got up, taking the spoons from Titus and going back to the fridge. “We’ll let you rest a while before we start, again.”

“Look Diane, they already look much better.
We probably only need to do it one more time. Luckily, they’re kind of light.”

Mom nodded
. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Titus got up and sat in the chair in front of me. His eyes raked over me before they settled on mine
. He grabbed my hands. “Reese, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on with you and Josh. I know it’s more than me antagonizing him. What. Is. Really going on?”

“I don’t know what you and my mom think is happening, but it’s nothing. There is nothing to say. He gets upset because he thinks you like me. I’ve told him over and over again
that it isn’t like that. He’s wrong. But, Ty, I need you to…” I dropped my head and felt my heart break as I told him he needed to go. “I need you to leave me alone. I need to put some distance between us to give my relationship with Josh a chance. I can’t make him believe there’s nothing between us without asking you to do this.” I looked up into his shocked face. “I’m so sorry. It has to be this way for now.”

Titus dropped my hands and left without another word. I fell onto the couch
, crying once again.

Chapter Ten

Titus

I saw it in her eyes
, when she lifted her head. She didn’t want to be telling me to leave. She didn’t want to give her relationship with Josh a chance. Why? Why did she just break her heart and mine? There was a reason Reese felt like she had to give them a chance and, after talking with her mom, I had a pretty good idea what that reason was. The dickhead took her virginity. He stole it from her. Furious, I forced myself to go home and not go looking for him. His time would come. He would get his and I would deliver it.

Storming into my house, I stopped when I saw
Mom sitting on the couch, phone pressed to her ear and tears streaking down her face. She met my eyes with a sad smile. “Okay, Diane, I’ll talk to him. Thank you, again, for calling.”

Great! Diane had already filled
my mom in. Not that I wouldn’t have, eventually; but I hadn’t even made it home before she called. “Diane called, huh?”

Mom patted the seat next to her
. “Have a seat, Ty. We need to talk.”

I sat down
, stretching my legs out and throwing my back into the couch. Resting my head back on the pillow, I closed my eyes. “So talk.”

“I told you to please be patient and let Reese be. When will you learn to listen to your mother? I was a teenager myself once
, and know what I’m talking about. She needs time and space.”

“Yeah, she told me to leave and to put some distance between us. But I’m sure you already knew that
, right?” I glared at my mom. Her and Diane were worse than gossiping teenagers.

“You’re right
, I did. Diane heard it all and called me to let me know that you left hurt.” She squeezed my hand. “I know what Reese said she wants; but when you left, she fell apart. Diane said she’d been crying all morning over Josh and Candice, and then started crying all over again about you. This time it was worse. Her heart is breaking, Son; and you need to be there for her by not being there for her. Don’t hate her over this. She thinks she’s doing what she needs to do for her relationship with Josh.”

I sat up and twisted my body to face
her. “How the hell am I supposed to be there without being there, Mom? That makes no sense.”

“
By doing what she asked you to do, and not hating her for it.” Mom patted my hand, lovingly.

This sucked. Everything was falling apart. This year was going to be the year I got together with Reese. Not the year I lost her
, completely. Then there’s the whole Candice situation. I don’t even know how to help her. “I get it, Mom. I’ll try.” I fell back on the couch.

“That’s good
, Son. That’s the right thing to do.” She stood up to leave and I stopped her with my next question.

“So I can’t kick his ass
, then?”

She laughed
. “No, that would hurt her more.”

“Okay, okay. What about Candice?”

Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “What about Candice?”

“How do I help her?” I sat back up; my mind was racing
and I couldn’t keep still. I folded my hands together, resting my elbows on my knees dropping my head.

“For her
, Ty, you just have to be there. If you catch her with Alex or see any bruises or anything that would suggest she’s still seeing him, come talk to me. We’ll figure out what to do, together. You can always talk to me.” She reached down and grabbed my hands, tugging me to a standing position.

Mom wrapped her arms around me, her short frame
barely tall enough to place her head at my shoulders. “Thanks, Shorty.”

She slapped my chest
. “Just because you’re a giant does not mean you can call me shorty.”

“Alright
; thanks, Mom.”

I headed to my room, needing to be alone for a while. I turned on some music and started lifting weights. Not much else to do without my girls.
I needed to get a life. A life with some other, maybe guy, friends. Not that I didn’t  have any friends, I just never made time for them, in the past; and finally they all stopped pestering me to go out and do things with them. Now, I wished they would.

Monday morning sucked. Actually
, the whole damn day sucked. Candice was quiet and kept to herself. At lunch and break, she was nowhere to be found. I heard, through the grapevine, that she was sitting in the office during both.  Reese never even looked my way. Every time I passed her, my chest tightened and I plastered on a fake smile. It didn’t matter she never looked. She switched desks in the few classes we had together.

Candice was steering clear of
Alex, me and Reese from what I could tell. Reese was glued to Josh’s side, but she looked happy. She looked as if she was in love. I was starting to think my mom was wrong. It looked to me like their relationship was going to last a while.

We were all in the locker room
, showering and changing after P.E., when I overheard Monroe and Jonathan talking.

“Hey
, Monroe, what’s up?” Jonathon’s deep voice boomed throughout the room.

“Not much.
You going to the party tonight?” Monroe’s question surprised me. There wasn’t normally a party at The Orchard on Monday nights.

“Party?
Oh, wait, you mean the thing at Josh’s?”

“
Yeah, I guess it technically isn’t a party.” Monroe sounded irritated.

“Gen going?” Jonathan asked
, like she doesn’t go everywhere Monroe went.

“Yeah, she’s bringing her cousin to meet Josh. He asked about her and said he’s done with Reese.”

WHAT? If they were broken up then why wasn’t my friend back to being my friend? And why were they together this morning? Why did she tell me to put distance between us? Oh God, she doesn’t know.

I must have spaced out
for longer than I thought because the last thing I heard was Monroe telling Jonathan bye. I rushed out of the shower and got dressed and ready for my next class. I was early, so I jogged over to Mr. Wait’s room and knocked on the locked door.

His door swung open and
my Civics teacher stood there, looking confused. “Titus?”

“I need your help. Please
, Mr. Wait.”

“What can I do for you?”

“I need to talk to Reese. Josh, there’s something going on with him and I need to tell her. But I can’t talk to her out there.” I pointed behind me to the quad area, “He can’t see me talking to her.”

“Okay
, I’ll go get her. I’ve been worried about her, anyway; maybe you can talk some sense into her. I’ll be right back.” He walked out the door.

I slipped in to the first desk and hoped I could talk some sense into her.

Reese

I chewed my nails all morning
; and by break, my right hand was tender and bleeding. Josh met me outside my classroom and walked me to his truck. Reaching his truck, he opened the door and sat, pulling me onto his lap, trying to twist me toward him for a kiss. Public display was not okay with me. My teachers respected me; I was a good student and never got into serious trouble. Kissing in the school parking lot, right next to the gym and cafeteria, was not going to happen.

When I stood up and stepped away,
Josh looked hurt. But this wasn’t something he could sweet talk me into.

“Reese
? You and your friend should not be in the parking lot during break or lunch. This is your first warning.”

My cheeks flared red.
I felt the warmth travel all the way up. Mr. Wait was my AP Civics teacher. “Yes, Sir.” I had his class next, with Titus. I did not want to have a conversation about this.

“Oh
, and Reese, I need to see you in my class before the bell. I’m heading there, now.” He smiled at me and turned toward his classroom.

“You better go, run to your teacher.” Josh slammed his door and walked away toward his group of friends.

Instead of standing there, watching him walk away, I spun around and headed to my locker. I might as well grab my books and head to class, early. I reached my locker and noticed someone walking toward me from the corner of my eye. I continued putting in the combination. Once I got the door open, I used it and my hair to hide myself. Peeking around it, I saw the Principal standing right beside me.

“Hi there
, Reese, everything okay, today?” Mr. Gustin and I got along great. He was a joker and would tease me during my Office Aide period.

“Yeah, fine Mr.
Gustin.”

“Okay
. Well, Candice’s father was in my office this morning, Alex didn’t come to school today and I noticed that you and your other friends are not together as you normally are. It concerned me.” He stepped closer and put a caring hand on my shoulder. Most students think he gets to close and personal, I think he just cares about his students.

“It was a heck of a weekend. It’ll turn out all right.” I closed my locker, arms full of books
, and looked up at him. “Do you know if that is what Mr. Wait wanted to see me about?”

His forehead scrunched in concern. “No, I don’t believe he knows, unless kids are already talking.”

“Okay, well I better go see what I’ve done.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing.” He patted me on the back and fi
nished his walk down the hall. I opened the door to Mr. Wait’s room to find him talking with Titus. “Hi, Reese, your friend asked me to go find you.” Looking up from his paperwork he noticed the tears and mouthed, “Are you okay?”

I shook my head
. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to step in to the library for a few minutes. I will be back before th
e bell rings. I’m trusting you two in here alone, with the door locked.” He looked at both of us, pointedly. “Please do not disappoint me.” He reached the door and turned back toward me. “Reese, what I saw in the parking lot, today, was upsetting. You are better than that.”

I just nodded
and brushed away a tear.

“Tissues
are on the desk; you have five minutes.” He walked out shutting and locking the door behind him.

Titus
waited a whole thirty seconds before coming to me. “What’s wrong?” He wiped my tears and hugged me. “Just don’t cry. Please.”

“Josh, ugh,
nevermind.” I slumped down in one of the desks, crossing my arms on top and laying my head down on them. Warm tears fell down my cheeks and pooled on the desktop.

“What did Josh do?”
I could hear the anger in Titus’ voice.

“Nothing,
everything. I don’t know. Right now I’m more disappointed in myself for sitting with him in his truck during lunch. I didn’t allow anything to happen, but what Josh did do, Mr. Wait saw, and the look of disappointment on his face killed me.”

Titu
s sighed before he spoke. “Reese, what’s going on between the two of you?”

I snapped my head up. “What do you mean?”

“I know you cried all day Saturday, first in the morning over Josh and Candice and then later because of what you had to tell me. If it makes you that unhappy to not be my friend, then why do it? If you’re not happy with him, then why are you still with him?”

“I have to Titus. I have to
keep you at a distance. I have to stay with him. You wouldn’t understand.” I shook my head. The door jingled and I knew class was about to start. I got up from my desk and grabbed a tissue.

Titus grabbed my hand smoothing his thumb over the top of it. “I
would understand. It doesn’t have to be this way, Reese. Trust me, you can talk to me.”

I gripped his hand before letting go as the door opened
. I whispered, “I wish I could.”

After school
, I practically ran out the front gate and headed home. I barely made it to the corner when I heard Josh’s truck pull up. “Reese, get in please, Baby, we need to talk.”

I looked over at him and he smiled that sexy crooked grin
, as he reached over and popped open the passenger door. “I’m so sorry for the way I acted at lunch; and for ignoring you the rest of the day. I just don’t know how to feel when you turn me down.”

“Josh you know I”—

He brushed his thumb against my mouth to stop me from talking. “I know you don’t like PDA. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I’m sorry.” He looked up at me through impossibly dark thick lashes. “Forgive me?”

Nodding
, I slid into the truck. He owned me. What else was I suppose to do? I wasn’t about to let something so silly ruin my relationship, especially since he was my first. I needed it to last more than a couple months. I didn’t want to be some notch on his belt.

“Can you please take me home? It’s been a rough few days and I need some me time.”

“But, Reese”—

“Please, Josh? I just want to go home.” I drop my head staring at my hands in my lap. He had already passed my street. I knew where he was headed and I didn’t want to go there.