Safe Haven

Chapter 15: Blindsided

Once the final bell rang I went to Sams locker to say bye. I waited there for a few minutes before he showed up with wearing a black polo with a coffee cup logo and khaki pants. He walked up to me and opened up his locker. "Hey, sorry I was getting ready for work. What's going on?" He asked. "Nothing I was just going to say goodbye before I left. Where do you work?" I asked him. "Diner across the street. It doesn't pay much but the hotel down the road gives me a discount on rooms. Four-hundred dollars a month. Beats anywhere else." He said putting on a black baseball cap with the little coffee cup logo on it. "Okay, well good luck. Imma go try to find out who's walking me home." I said chucking. "Okay, I'll message you later." He said giving me a hug. Then he grabbed his back pack and walked out.

I wasn't sure where to meet the others so I started walking around the school. I walked for like five minutes before finding Emma. "There you are, everyone's been looking for for you." She said. "Sorry I didn't know where to meet you guys." I responded. "Well everyone else walked back to the house so it's just you and I walking home." Emma said while putting on her backpack. We started walking down the road towards the house. I didn't know what to say to her. "So how did your day go?" Emma asked sensing how awkward the moment was. "Pretty good. How was yours?" I answered. "Pretty normal." She said. We didn't talk for the rest of the walk. I pulled my phone out to check my messages. I had messages from Gavin.

"Hav? What's going on? You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. It's been a tiring day lol"
"I wasn't going to tell you this but I don't think that's fair to you."

I was pretty sure he had found some other girl. What else could it have been?

"Okay"
"Reece messaged me a picture during lunch of you and another guy. She didn't say anything about it and she wouldn't answer any of my other messages. I'm not accusing you of anything and I'm sure the guy is just a friend. And I don't need to know who he is if you don't want to tell me right now. But I thought you should know."

Part of me didn't want to believe that she would do that. But Gavin had never lied to me. And how else would he have known I was with Sam at lunch?

"I don't know why she would send that but you have nothing to worry about. That guy is the only friend I've made and I can promise you he's not into me. Reece wouldn't know that because she's not talked to me all day. Sam is just a friend, I promise, Gav."

"I didn't think it was anything more than you talking to a friend. I just thought you should know that Reece did that. And for the record I completely trust you. I know you would never do anything like that to me. That's not the kind of person you are."

"Well I appreciate you telling me. I'll talk to her about it when I get to the home."

I was so mad I couldn't even think straight. Why would Reece do that? If she had any questions she should have talked to me first. We're sisters. All she did was try to start drama. And the last thing I need this week is more drama.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked looking at me weird.
"Yeah, I'm okay." I answered.
"You sure? You look pretty mad?" She asked again.
"Yeah, it's fine." I softly answered.
"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to go into the library for a bit. The home's just a few houses down." She said.
"Yeah, thats fine with me." I said.
"Okay cool, I'll see ya later." She said as she turned and walked towards the library entrance.

I walked the rest of the way to the home and walked through the door. I could hear the two girls arguing upstairs. I could hear someone in the kitchen clanging dishes around. Reece was sitting on the couch on her phone. I walked around the couch to her.

"What's up Hav-" she started to say before I took her phone out of her hand.
"Haven! What the hell? Give me back my phone!" She yelled as I went to her messages.

She fought me for her phone as I looked through her messages from Gavin. I found the picture she sent Gavin of Sam and I eating lunch together. I also read the messages Gavin sent her asking her why she sent it.

"Your asking me 'what the hell'?" I shouted.
"Okay, let me explain!" She pleaded.
"Explain what? Reece there is nothing you can say that will make what you did right." I yelled.
"Girls, what is going on?" Kevin asked walking into the living room.
"Ask her. I'm going to take a nap." I said grabbing my backpack and walking away.

I walked up the stairs and went to the bedroom. Gracie was sitting on the floor with dolls and clothes scattered all around her. I went to my bed and threw my bag on the floor. My bed looked so nice and warm. On my bed sat the pink bear Bernadette gave me. I grabbed it and crawled under the covers. It was time for a nap. I woke up to Haven tapping me on the shoulder.

"Hey, can we talk now?" She said with an attitude.
"You woke me up from a nap to talk to me about this?" I asked angrily.
"Kevin told me to talk to you." She said.
I got up to leave the room. "That makes me feel so much better." I said sarcastically.
"You have to listen to Kevin, Haven." She said.
I turned around as I opened the door and said "He's not our dad Reece.".

When I turned around I saw Kevin leaning up against the wall. He had a blank look on his face. Not mad, not happy. It it scared the hell out of me.

"I'm sorry, I-" started to say but he interrupted me.
"It's okay Haven. Can you come help me in the kitchen please?" He asked.
"Yeah" I said softly. I followed him downstairs and into the kitchen.
"You know how to cook anything?" Kevin asked while stirring a pot.
"Not at all." I said.
"Who used to make the dinner for you guys?" He asked.
"Well, our friends mom Bernadette would give us dinner a few days a week. But other than that Charlie would bring food home from the restaurant he worked at."
"He seems like a good brother." Kevin said.
"The best."
"What happened between you and Reece?" He asked.
"Didn't she tell you?" I asked confused.
"She told me a little bit, but I just wanted to hear what you had to say about it."
"I honestly don't know what all happened. My boyfriend told me Reece sent him a picture of me and a friend I made today. I checked her phone to make sure and she did."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I feel betrayed. If she had a question she should have come to me first."
"I understand. After everything you two have been through together, I'm sure that hurt."
I didn't respond. I just didn't know what to say. Yeah it did hurt. It hurt a lot. Being twins is a weird kind of relationship. Like there's part another you, or another part of you. Imagine if you randomly slapped yourself. That's pretty much how I felt.
"So, I was going to wait until tonight and talk to the two of you together. But that doesn't seem like the best option right now. Your friend, Bernadette, has stepped forward to pay for Charlie's funeral. They decided to do it tomorrow."
"Oh..."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I don't really know how to feel." I paused for a minute.
"How are Reece and I going to get there?"
"Well, I'll drive you."
"Oh, yeah, that makes sense."
I chuckled realizing how dumb the question was. What else was going to happen? We're we going to walk?
"Can, I go back to the room? I just really want to be done with today."
"Of coarse."
"Thank you"
With that I went up to the room. Reece was sitting on my bed.
"Can we-"
"Not tonight Reece." I interrupted.
"Haven please."
"Look, I don't have time to take care of you right now. I've got enough to think about. And believe it or not my first priority is making you feel better. It's finding a way to make it through our brothers funeral tomorrow without having a complete and total breakdown." I said as I grabbed pajamas and things to shower with. I walked out and to the bathroom without looking at Reece.