Mute || ✔️

Chapter 13-Christian

I knew something was wrong immediately. It wasn't the way that Drew had uttered those words. I'm Sorry. What did that even mean? No, it was the way that Tara gazed at the man that sat, maybe a little to still on our couch and how he met Tara's gaze head on. He wore a grey suit and was slightly balding. But his gaze was almost apologetic.

What the hell was happening?

Tara started to tremble slightly. I touched her shoulder and she flinched back from me. I repeat she flinched back. From me. In the early days, she would flinch back from Molly. Sometimes Drew, but never me; she was always relaxed around me. Something in my stomach twisted into a knot.

 "Tara?"I questioned softly. She turned to me, her gaze...emotionless. Nothing appeared on her face. It was like the lightswere on, but no one was there. The more I looked at her, the more I realized Ihad seen this look on her face before, when we arrived to pick her up from herUncle Neil's. 

It's a mask. A voice whispered somewhere in my mind, like when I got arrested and all that shit happened after. That look was like the version of the look I wore during those days. The knot twisted tighter as she continued to gaze at me. After another moment of staring, she shook her head then padded to our room, shutting the door behind her. I pivoted towards my brother, who wore a look of disappointment. My gaze hardened. Whatever was happening, it wasn't good.

 ***

"What the hell do you mean he's taking her away? You have custody of her Drew! I thought that meant that you can't send her away and no one else can take her away!" I yelled, not even caring that the man I was speaking of was currently sitting on our couch. Drew glanced at him and I followed his gaze just in time to see him turn and look away.

My brother looked back at me, before grabbing my arm, dragging me into his room. He shut the door then turned to me.

"Aunt Maryanne's side of the family is contesting how her will was interpreted. I don't want to send her away. But with legal matters like this-"

"Legal matters like this? So that's it you're just going to send her away and not look back on her?" I interrupted him. He shook his head.

"No, Chris. I'm going to fight this. But right now, my hands are tied. It's not like I can stop him from taking her. That'll cause more trouble than actually helping right now." He said, but I was already out the door. I had to check on Tara, make sure she knew what was and wasn't going on. I had to make sure she knew we weren't abandoning her; that I wasn't abandoning.

 ***

"Hey," I shut the door behind me, but Tara didn't look up from where she was packing her things by her bed. A quick gaze around the room had me spying a note that rested on my pillow. Picking it up, I saw that Tara had question on there, waiting for me.

"Was this a game to you two? Some kind of cruel joke? Get me to relax then call my social worker and dump me off on someone else?" Ouch. Okay, that hurt.

"Tara, hey no. That's not it." I answered her, just trying to get her to look at me. But I also had this sinking feeling in my gut that when she did look at me, her face would forever be burned into my mind and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.

"Tara, we're not sending you away. Drew would never do that willingly. It's just that your Mom's family is contesting how the will was read and interpreted. But we're not sending you away." I gripped her wrist and pulled gently as I tried to still get her look at me. 

She turned to look at me and a hand wrapped around my heart and had begun to squeeze. Her eyes were dark, sad. Tears rapidly filling her eyes. She looked down, beginning to write in her notebook. Her hands were shaking as she wrote and they were still shaking as she handed it to me.

"It doesn't matter how it happened. All that matters it is happening." There was a water stain on it. I looked up at her. Tears were starting to fall as she shrugged her shoulders, in that way that people do when they're upset.

"Tara," I started to say, my hand reaching for hers. But she shook her head. Then she took a step back. My mind whirled. This was all happening so fast.

 It was then I found myself gazing around the room. Everything we had bought her, given her...was still there and in her hand was that small suitcase she carried with her when she first arrived.

"Why aren't you taking anything else with you?" I found myself asking. She wrote a note then handed it to me.

 "I've been through enough of these moves that I know anything else I take will either get lost or stolen." The writing was sloppy and hurried.

 "Tara," I grabbed her suitcase from her hand and put it on the ground then I moved in close and cupped her face. She didn't flinch this time. "Will you look at me? Please?"

She brought her eyes up to meet mine. Tears were still there. "This isn't forever. We'll figure this out. I promise. You'll be back here before you know it. I promise you." To seal my promise, I pressed my lips to her forehead.

That was the last I saw of my best friend for a month and a half...

***

Hey guys! I know this chapter is extremely short, but I felt like this was a good place to end it, because this is such an emotional chapter, but I already have next chapter planned out and  I think that will be ten times more emotional than this one. So stay tuned!