Naturals by Truitt Tiffany

Author:Truitt, Tiffany [Truitt, Tiffany]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Published: 2013-04-01T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

“Where the hell have you been? I was looking all over for you!”

I sluggishly moved my arm to lay it across my eyes and groaned, shifting in a vain attempt to get comfortable on the cot. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight with Henry. It had been a rough afternoon, and combined with the effects of the drink, I felt really tired. The pain in my chest was lessened, but I felt listless. When I didn’t answer, Henry pushed his cot all the way against mine, taking a seat.

It was hard to keep him in focus. The room was spinning.

“You’re not looking too good.” Henry’s anger morphed into concern.

I tried to speak but only a hiccup came out.

“Are you drunk?” he asked, not even trying to hide his disapproval.

I sighed. “Yes. So what?” I gathered all of my strength to turn over onto my side, showing him my back. I hoped he would interpret that as I meant it: I didn’t want to have this fight tonight. He wasn’t my guardian, so he had no right to ask me where I was or what I was doing.

I was the leader of my own life.

“I waited all afternoon! I thought something might have happened to you,” he said.

“Nothing happened to me. I just wasn’t feeling well and Lockwood took me to see Sharon. She told me to rest, so why don’t you stop nagging me so I can.”

There she was. The old Tess. The girl angry at the whole world. Was the alcohol to blame? The sickness? Or would she always live in me?

“Lockwood. Of course. I don’t trust him, Tess. Any of them. If you were feeling sick, you should have come to me,” he said.

I shifted so I was lying on my back and turned my face so I could look at him. “You’re being ridiculous. You can’t be there for every little moment. I’m allowed to have a life outside of you.”

His face fell. He took a shaky breath. “I know that.”

I wasn’t being fair. I didn’t want to be this girl, and Henry didn’t deserve my anger.

With a good deal of effort, I got myself up on my feet. I’m not sure why, but I needed to be level with him. I needed us on the same page. I reached my hand forward and touched him gently on the back. He stiffened. “You’re upset for no reason,” I said softly.

I was exhausted, and I didn’t want to argue, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hurt him. Besides, I was sure a fight with Henry would only lead to questions I wasn’t ready to answer. My feelings toward him weren’t black and white. I cared for him, and sometimes, if I was honest, I wondered would it would be like to be with him. He knew me in ways no one else had. He was my oldest friend. That had to mean something.

I was never going to see James again. He would only ever be a memory, and I couldn’t live forever deep in my thoughts of him.

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