Loving Kinnick

You're The One Who Put Us In This Peculiar Predicament

I couldn't have prepared for what would happen when I came home. My dad is never home before me. The lights inside were on, and I listened as a woman's laugh floated through the house. My dad's followed shortly after. When I stepped inside, I saw a woman sitting on my living room couch with a wine glass in her hand.

"Oh, you must be Boston. God, Seth, she is more beautiful than you described her."

The blonde woman stood up from her seat to pull me into a hug. When I didn't wrap my arms around her, she pulled back, laughing it off. My dad was telling me to be nice, but I couldn't get over the fact that another woman is in our house.

"This is Ashely," dad motioned towards her. "We work together."

"Nice," I fake interest. "I have a lot of homework to do."

"Who dropped you off?"

"Excuse me?"

"Who dropped you off?" He repeated the question as if he already knew the answer.

"A friend."

"He's a criminal!" He spat. "Do you understand what that boy is capable of?"

"No," I retort. "Maybe you should tell me! All I heard is how bad he is, but there isn't a single explanation as to why. Remember when you left me at the gym? Kinnick walked me home. The criminal walked me home to make sure I made it safely - not the police officer, who I call my dad."

"I had a call -"

"Remember you used that same excuse when mom was dying, and I was trying to get ahold of you as I watched them pull her burnt body from her car?" I snapped.

"Boston Marie Bennett," he growls as I walk away.

I flip around. "It didn't take you long to get rid of her stuff, though. Quick enough for another woman to slide in and fill the void, right?"

"If you keep up with the attitude -"

"You'll what?" I snapped. "You can't hurt me - I've already been broken. My mom died. I needed you, and you were busy on a call! What call was more important than your wife dying? You know, I can't fall asleep without smelling burning flesh. Do you know what that's like? No. You don't because you weren't there."

He didn't call after me as I walked to my room. I expected him to come stomping up the stairs when I slammed my door - he didn't. When his lady friend's laughter filled the house, I flipped on my music, letting it blast through my room.

How dare he bring another woman into my mom's house. We haven't had the chance to discuss her death or how he was the only police officer absent from the scene that night I watched her car engulf in flames.

Then he brings a co-worker home and expects me to sit and chat. No offense to Amanda or whatever her name is, but what did she think was going to happen? I wasn't going to call her mom and run into her arms. She will never be Elizabeth Bennett - no one will.

I reached for the closest object to my right and chucked it against the wall. The shattering of glass almost masked the sound of my phone ringing. I grabbed my device, ready to snap at whoever was calling because I was angry, and for some reason, I thought taking it out on someone else would make me feel better. That was until I saw Kinnick's name flashing across my screen, and I paused.

The quickened pace of my chest rising and falling seemed to stop. I furrowed at the screen before swiping to answer.

"I threw a rock at your window, but you never came. Is everything okay?"

"You are aware two police officers are downstairs in my living room, right?"

"I will take that as a yes," he chuckles. "Come see me."