Collision by Mary Kate L

Author:Mary, Kate L.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2014-06-10T04:00:00+00:00

Derek and I have the apartment to ourselves since Dex has a date—I don’t know who it’s with—and we’re laying on the futon in the living room watching reruns of Firefly on the Syfy channel. He was outraged when I confessed I’d never seen it. I’m starting to accept the fact that I’m going to have to learn to really like sci-fi if I want to be with Derek. And I do. Want to be with Derek, that is. The sci-fi thing is still a little iffy.

My head is on his chest, and he’s playing with my hair, and all I want to do is kiss him. But he keeps making a big deal about taking things slow. Maybe it has something to do with Steph.

“Steph did talk to me a little,” I say out of nowhere.

Derek stiffens. “What did she say?”

“She told me not to hurt you.” I expect him to laugh—even now it sounds so ridiculous. But he doesn’t relax.

“Is that all?”

I prop my head up with my arm, so I can see his face, but he doesn’t look at me. He’s studying the ceiling like we’re in the Sistine Chapel instead of a dirty college apartment.

“Derek, are you alright?”

“She must have said something else.” He still won’t look at me, and his voice is flat. Just like it was when he told me his parents and brother were dead.

“She just said that you’re different now.”

He practically pushes me away and rolls off the futon. “That crap again.”

“I’m sorry, Derek. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I thought it was going to bother you.”

He paces the room like a caged animal looking for a way to escape. I don’t know what happened.

“She went on and on about that after my family died. Like I could have been the same person after that!” He runs his hand through his hair and throws himself into a rickety chair that wobbles under his weight.

I sit up, but don’t go over to him. He stares at the floor, and he looks so sad. I have no idea what to do about it.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

My throat burns and I know any moment the tears are going to explode out of me. I’ve been holding them back for too long. Every text I get from my mom, every text I don’t get from my dad, it’s all fodder for the tsunami of emotions building up inside me. Before long it’s going to strike and wipe me out completely.

Derek’s head jerks up, and his eyes soften. He crosses to the futon and sits down next to me. “No, I’m sorry. That wasn’t about you.” He studies the back of his hand. “She tried to be supportive; I know she did. But it was too much. She was always there, and she questioned everything I did. She didn’t like any of the choices I was making and all I was doing was trying to deal with it all the best that I could.”

He throws himself back and stares at the ceiling so intently that I almost turn to look.

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