Bad In Common

Chapter 9 ✔️

A little smile crosses over Tyler's face as he realizes that I've given up on trying to get rid of him. What he doesn't know is that I'll just pretend to be listening while I'm actually thinking of what take out I want. That way he gets to explain himself and I get to decide on different food options. Works both ways.

" Are you cold?" Tyler asks.

" Is it because of what I'm wearing that you are asking that?" I snap.

Deep breaths.

" Why are you so difficult?" Tyler whines as he runs his fingers through his hair out of frustration.

" Times ticking." I say in a sing-song voice while pretending to look at my non-existent watch.

Tyler licks his top lip before exhaling loudly. He doesn't say anything as he starts walking back to the beach.

" Going to the shack." he announces.

I don't say anything as I follow his lead. The shack is quite the walk from where the bonfire is still going strong. As we passed Emily's group she gave me a weird look. I replied by rolling my eyes and walking on. Soon enough we reached the shack. By now the bonfire is long gone and it's just the two of us. Tyler leads us into the shack and the both of us grab our chairs, just like we did the first time he brought me here. Just like the first time he lights a joint and hands it over to me. We sit in complete silence as we listen to the waves clashing together.

" I'm pretty sure five minutes passed like 20 minutes ago." I say as I exhale the smoke from the joint.

Tyler chuckles before he takes a pull. He throws his head back before exhaling the smoke.

" I have a younger sister. She's now a senior in high school. " Tyler announces.

I give him a confused look before allowing him to continue on speaking.

" We went to a 4th of July party last year while we were away for the holidays with the family in Georgia. She isn't much of a party animal but she eventually agreed to go to a party with me after I begged her the whole day. I just wanted her to get out a little and meet new people you know? " he continues.

I have a feeling I'm not going to like where this is going.

" We arrived at the party and I knew a few people there from the previous times we visited. I met a girl there and quickly got wasted. My sister came to me and told me she wanted to go home but I ignored her and kept on partying. She's 17. She could look after herself. That's what I thought. The next thing I know one of my friends pulls me away from the girl and tells me that he found my sister crying in one of the guest bedrooms. "

He takes a deep breath as he thinks back to that night. This must be hard for him. Why is he telling me this? We barley know each other and he's spilling the beans as if we've know each other for years.

" When I got to the room he said she was in, she was shaking uncontrollably. I asked her to explain what happened but she just kept on shaking her head and sobbing. I noticed that the dress she was wearing was ripped and then -" he takes another deep breath.

" Then I saw the blood on her thighs. "

Oh God. He looks over at me and the pain from that memory was visible in his eyes.

" She was looking for a room to sit and wait while I finished partying so that I could take her home when some guy walked in. He was drunk. She tried fighting him off and one thing led to another -" his voice breaks at the end.

" He forced himself onto her." I finish his sentence.

He nods before resting his head in the palm of his hands.