First, Best and Always

Chapter 27 Suspicions

Vin paced the kitchen impatiently, every few minutes he’d look out the window to see if he could see any sign of Raven. There was none. It was 5:10 and he was really starting to worry. He sat staring at the phone book. He’d found the number earlier, and now he was debating whether or not to use it.

“If I call and I’m wrong….he’ll tell her, use it against me and she’ll be furious.” “But if she’s there…if she’s there I need to know that.” “I could always call and ask for him, make some excuse about dinner, but if she’s there he’ll know I’m just calling trying to find her, and she’ll be furious.”

He stared at the phone…then reached for it and began to dial, “I have a right to know if she’s with him,” he said to himself as he punched in the first 3 numbers. He was just about to hit the fourth when he heard a car pulling up outside. Hanging up quickly, he looked out the window to see Raven getting out of her car.

“Okay,” he said to himself, “Whatever you do, don’t lose it, as far as you know she could have been at the damn library.” “She won’t lie…she won’t lie…she won’t lie,” he said repeatedly. “She’ll step over that threshold and tell you where she’s been, just like always, you won’t have to ask….you won’t have to ask.”

As she stepped through the door she was somewhat surprised to see Vin standing right there waiting. He tried to remain calm. “I just need to see her eyes.” he thought, “Just look at me.”

“Hey Baby,” he said calmly, he wanted so much to say ‘where have you been,’ but held his tongue.

“Hey” she said softly as she threw her keys on the table and moved to walk around him.

Vin thought his heart would sink to the pit of his stomach, “She didn’t look me in the eye and she didn’t even kiss me…” He couldn’t hold back any longer, as calmly and quietly as he could he asked,

“Where’ve ya been babe?”

Her reply was short and to the point, “Just driving.”

Able now to see the sadness in her face he moved to her side placing his hand on her waist and asked, “What’s wrong baby?”

As she opened the fridge she replied, “Nothing,” but as she retrieved a bottle of Avian she couldn’t hold it inside any longer. Leaving the bottle on the shelf, she turned to Vin, reaching to put her arms around his neck and said merely…”Hold me.”

He could see her face fully now, her eyes were puffy, and with Raven that was always a dead giveaway that she’d been crying. He gently slipped his arms around her and whispered softly,

“Come ‘ere baby.” Holding her tenderly, he gently rocked her from side to side murmuring in her ear,

“Tell me….whatever it is, tell me and I’ll make it right….”

She started to cry again, sobbing quietly into his chest. “It’s okay…he said softly, let it out…let it out baby…”

Then he reached down and scooped her up into his arms; slowly he carried her upstairs to her room and gently placed her on the bed. Easing on to the bed beside her he pulled her into his arms and held her, softly stroking her hair.

“That’s it baby” he said as her sobs grew into a full-fledged cry, “let it out….”

It was almost 5:30 by the time Eric got back to the house, his dad was sitting on the porch when he pulled up. Jumping out of the truck and racing up the steps he greeted his father with a quick “Hey Pop” as he dashed in the door. His dad called after him, bringing him back to the doorway,

“Ric!”

“Yes Pop?” he said with a breathless smile, leaning half in, half out the door.

“Did you get an answer?”

“Yeah I did…just like you said I would,” then turned and ran into the house and up the stairs to his room. Standing Elk just nodded and grunted, “Ummn! And returned to his newspaper saying under his breath, “She always answers….you just have to know how to listen.”

Tbc 28/59