I Promise (Explicit Version)

~Chapter Twenty-Eight~

After making up with Darren and standing up, I went over to Clark. It felt right for some reason. "Are you sure?" Clark whispered to me.

"I'm positive. I made him promise to stop meddling," I muttered back.

"Okay. Are you going to do well tonight?"

"If my biggest struggle is figuring out if I'm going to sleep alone, with my cousin, or with my brother, I'm pretty good," I said.

"Well, your ride home just left, so I think you have a bigger struggle," Clark pointed out. I looked around and realized that everyone left.

"I should probably figure that out," I said, calling Robert.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Where the fuck are you?" I asked him.

"We left like five minutes ago, right after I helped you stand up," he said.

"Why did you leave me alone?" I asked.

"I didn't. Brian dragged me and Mere was too tired to notice. We arrived and Brian literally passed out. I have my license in Australia and I don't know where Chuck is," Robert explained.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked.

"I don't know, go with Darren or Clark. I can't get you and neither can anyone else. I'm sorry," he said. I heard the genuine sincerity in his voice.

"Okay," I said, reluctantly hanging up. I looked around and Clark was the only one here.

"Your case didn't sound easily fixable. You're coming with me," he said. Realizing I had no other option, I chose to go with him. When we arrived, it was quiet. I followed him to his room. "There's nowhere else," he apologized.

"It's perfect. If it weren't for you, I would be sleeping at the theater," I said.

"Okay. Do you want to borrow...? Well, actually, I'm not giving you an option," Clark said, tossing a t-shirt to me. I caught it, though just barely. I took off my shoes and got semi-organized. "Here's a charger," he added, handing it to me. I found somewhere to plug it in. After getting ready, I was at a loss for what to do. "Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah," I uttered. Clark patted the space next to him, where I curled up.

The next morning, I was very confused. I had a few memories, but they were fuzzy. Very, very fuzzy. "Good morning," Clark said. I sat up.

"What happened last night?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Brian and Mere left you and passed out the minute you got home. Your dear cousin was with them, but without a license. Chuck was missing. I brought you here because I figured you didn't want to sleep in the theater," Clark explained, starting to change.

"Oh," I said, barely audible as I raked my fingers through yesterday's braid, letting it out slowly. I tied my hair back up.

I was first dropped off at home while everyone else left to get a lunch and dinner for later. "I'm sorry that we forgot you," Robert apologized, hugging me tight. I silently accepted everyone's unspoken apologies.

"Um... I made you coffee," Brian said awkwardly, handing me a mug.

"Thanks." I smiled, taking it gratefully.

The shows continued in a pretty normal manner. Soon, I realized I had two more nights until I returned to LA. Most likely permanently. I wasn't ready for this big change, but then again, I never came to Chicago looking for a love life. Alas, I had found one accidentally. After the last show, I was staying here for a week to pack, and then I was moving back. Sure, I wanted to go live with my family, but these past few months were so weird. First, I found my family. Then, I moved from the only home I had known up until that point. After that, I moved again and found a love life that I wasn't quite ready to give up.