Life With HIM: Rennillia Series Prequel (Companion Novelette) (2 page)

When I looked up from my shoes
, Hert walked in. Just the sight of him made me cringe.

 
Serious and right to the point, he sat at the table and laid a packet down, stating, “We can start with your accounts then discuss…” before Emerson broke in, saying, “Give her a minute. She just got here.”

  “I can’
t stay,” Hert stressed.

  Glaring at Hert, I snapped, “You mean
you don’t wanna stay.”

 
“I have to get back to The Office,” he snapped back.

Crossing my arms, I waited for him to say what he had to say then leave.

  “This is the paperwork for your checking and savings. The insurance money is in your savings and interest dividends will be deposited into your checking once a month,” he shared before saying, “Mr. Thomas is handling your account and Mr. Roberts has agreed to take care of the funeral expenses for you.”

  My head
started to hurt as I narrowed my eyes and informed, “No funeral.”

  Confused
, Hert questioned, “What?”

  “No funeral,” I repeated before sharing, “And if there is one, I’m not going.”

  I watched Hert’s jaw flex as he stated, “Alright, then there is the issue of your residence.”

  My
insides twisted as I yelled, “My house burned down, I have no residence!”

  “You need
a place to live,” he shouted back at me.

 
“I am fine where I’m at, Hert,” I spouted at him before he slammed his hands down at the table, fussing, “The hell you are.”

  All I could do was repeat, “I’m fine where I’m at.”

  Jumping up from the table, Hert yelled, “What the hell are you doing there with him!”

  “You really want me to answer that,” I spouted.

  Visibly angry, Hert shouted, “What, now that your father’s dead you wanna make sure he was right!”

  Hert’s comment cut me down to my soul as I stated, “I am fine where I am at.”

After kicking the chair next to him, Hert stormed out of the kitchen and then the house.

I gave a heavy sigh and just sat there. F
eeling Emerson’s hand touch my shoulder, I hopped up from the table.

  “I can’t do this,” I whispered
, heading right for the back door.

Swinging the back door open
, I started to rush out and ran right into Jackson. I glanced up at him before quickly making my way around him and heading to my car. I was almost in my car before Jackson grabbed the door and stopped me.

  Finding it incredibly
hard to look at him, I said, “I need to go.”

  “I am so sorry about your parents,” Jackson consoled.

  Nodding, I looked past him, saying, “Thanks, I really need to go.”

  Moving into my line of sight, he offered, “My parents said you can stay with them if you need a place.”

  Shaking my head, I stated for what felt like the millionth time, “I’m fine where I’m at.”

  “Ok, will I see you when I come home on break?” he asked.

Nodding as I looked away, I couldn’t stand one more minute with him.

Quickly leaving after talking to Jackson, the sadness I felt turned to anger the closer I got to Henley’s. By the time I pulled up past the gate,
I was furious. Flying out of my car, I traipsed through puddles as it started to sprinkle again.

Flinging his front door open, I stomped in. The shock on his face from me getting his floor dirty with my muddy shoes cause
d me to lose it.

  “Oh, am I getting your floor dirty?” I sarcastically questioned as I stomped up and down.

  “Why are you doing that,” he questioned, appearing hurt by my action.

  Pulling my shoes and socks off
, I threw them outside as hard as I could before running past him, shouting, “I told you I didn’t wanna go!”

~L~w~H~

Only getting up to shower and eat a little, I stayed in bed crying and sleeping. I felt Henley come to bed each night but he didn’t speak or touch me. I was so depressed I couldn’t bare the thought of anything other than sadness.

~

After a few weeks, I was finally up and around. I slowly walked into the living room, seeing Henley sitting on his couch. Staring at him, he looked distressed.

  “Hey,” I said
, meaning to sound more chipper than I did.

  Scowling at me
, he asked, “Do you need anything.”

 
Nodding, I stepped closer before breathing, “You.”

Yanking
me onto his lap, he kissed me. Feeling something other than sorrow drew me closer. Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I laid my head against his chest.

 
“Sorry I stomped mud on your floor,” I whispered.

 
Pulling my head back to look me in the eye, he said, “Anything for you.”

  The sad expression on his face caused me to say, “
Do you need anything?”

 
“I get to keep you, that’s all I need,” he replied.

Recalling the first time he brought me to his house and asked me if he could keep me, I snapped at him that I wasn’t a dog.
This time, I was a stray dog. Without a home, I didn’t even have shoes on when I wandered up to his door.

I didn’t want to go back to bed but I wanted him.
Wondering if he was opposed to venturing out of the bedroom, I pulled my shirt off.

  Unable to
decipher his expression, I assumed it was a no when he snapped, “Put your shirt back on.”

Sliding off of his lap, I nodded before
doing what I was told. I watched him standup and go to the other room. Thinking I had upset him, I sat there quietly waiting for him to return.

Henley walked back into the room. I noticed what was in his hand before smiling at him.

  “Stand up,” he stated.

I obeyed.

  Biting the corner of his lip, he said, “Start over,” sitting down on the couch.

Slowly complying
, I anxiously awaited my reward.

~

Lying on a blanket, spread across the living room floor, I drew in a deep breath before propping myself up on my elbows.

  “What if I w
ent to the doctor and got on birth control?” I asked.

  A look of disapproval spread across his face as he
replied, “Why?”

  Leaning my face closer to his, I whispered, “So we don’t have to stop in the middle of what we’re doing every time.”

  “Or so you can screw around and not get caught,” he sneered back at me.

  Shrinking back, I shook my head assuring, “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “What would stop you,” he questioned.

  Pulling up, I swore, “I belong to you,” before pressing my lips against his.

Rolling me over, he smiled reclaiming his territory.

~L~w~H~

Months went by. I had run into Hert while I was out a few times but the only real contact I had outside of Henley was Emerson. We had lunch in town. He was upset I didn’t want to come to the house but Henley wasn’t comfortable with my being there and honestly, neither was I. Missing Jackson’s first visit home, I was guilted, by Emerson, into dinner at the Thomas’ on his winter break.

~

Standing in the doorway of Henley’s room, I stared at him sitting on the couch. It didn’t matter that it was only for dinner, I knew he didn’t want me to go. Walking over to him, I stood there, waiting for him to look up at me.

  “You can say no,” I offered.

  Without looking at me, he said, “I shouldn’t have to.”

  Sighing, I asked, “What do you want me to do? Emerson already told the
Thomas’ I would go.”

  Standing up in front of me,
he griped, “Then go.”

I started to say something then stopped as he turned and walked away from me.

~

When I pulled up at the Thomas’ house, Jackson was standing outside waiting on me.
It took me a minute of staring at his smile and willing myself to smile back before I got out of my car.

 
“Hey,” he cheered.

 
Smiling back, I repeated, “Hey.”

  I started to step around him and go inside when he stopped me
, asking, “So you’re pretty serious with him?”

  Finding it hard to answer, I replied, “I guess.”

  Jackson gave me a strange look before saying, “Ya’ll are living together.”

  Nodding, I
agreed, “I guess that is serious.”

 
Laughing at me, he said, “You say it like you just figured that out.”

Taking a moment to think, he wasn’t wrong. I was so caught up in being with him, I didn’t realize we were living together.

  “I’m just staying there,” I assured, feeling as if I had in some way betrayed myself.

 
A soft smile formed as he offered, “If you’re just staying there, why don’t you just come stay with me while I’m down.”

  Shaking my head, I thought ‘Henley wouldn’t like that’ as I said, “
Jacks.”

 
Jackson took a step closer, saying, “I really miss you, Ren.”

Before I could respond, Mrs. Thomas walked outside. Giving us a cheery smile, she walked over and hugged me.

  I hugged her back before she pulled away, laughing, “I was wondering what was taking Jacks so long out here. Come on in, dinner’s ready”

Happy for the interruption, I followed her inside.

Dinner was the same as always at the Thomas’ table. Except now, I felt like I didn’t belong. Smiling and laughing with them on the outside my heart was breaking on the inside. This was never my family and I would never belong here. I belonged with Henley.

After saying my goodbyes, Jackson walked me out to my car.
I wanted our goodbye to be quick so I could leave.

  “Let me know when you come down again,” I said
, opening my car door.

 
Holding onto the top of my car door, Jackson asked, “Do you wanna go somewhere?”

  Caught off guard
, I questioned, “Where?”

  Smiling wide
, he replied, “Anywhere.”

  Rolling my eyes
, I genuinely smile at him saying, “Maybe later.”

  “I can wait,” he assured
, hanging onto my car door and smiling wide.

  Laughing and shaking my head at him, I said, “
I need to go.”

  Making a pouty face, he pressed, “
Please.”

  “I can’t,” I said
, unsure of how I was really feeling at the moment.

  With a disappointed expression, Jackson said, “It is serious.”

  Shrugging, I replied, “We’re still gonna be friends Jacks.”

  Nodding with a smile he agreed, “Always.”

Suddenly my eyes felt watery and I needed to get away from him. Sliding into my car, I pulled the door away from his hands and closed it.

~

I sat in my car, staring at Henley’s house, wondering why I came back. Conflicted and heartsick, I reminded myself Jackson was temporary. He was leaving again and Henley was always there. Henley was the only one there when I needed him. Everyone else had their own life and all he had was me.

Walking through the house, I was a little surprised that Henley was already in bed.
Changing into one of his t-shirts, I made sure to put my clothes in the laundry basket before I slid into bed.

  Reaching out to him, I whispered, “Are you awake?”

  “Yes,” he snapped.

 
Disliking his tone, I snapped back, “What the hell is your problem?” before practically flying off the bed and hitting the floor.

In the moment it took me to sit up and realize he shoved me off the bed, Henley was standing over me. Grabbing my arm, he drug me into the living room. Kicking my feet, the wood floor burned against my bare leg until I finally got my footing and stood. As soon as I did
, he shoved me again. Holding my hands out to catch myself, I slid across the floor on my arm this time.

Listening to
Henley’s footsteps to his room before he slammed his door, I laid there. My father’s voice echoed in my head, saying, ‘When you wake up on somebody’s floor it’s your own fault.’ Sitting up, I pulled one of my knees into my chest, wrapping my arm around it. Resting my head on my knee, I looked at my other arm and leg. Both with long red streaks and strawberry bruises forming, I wished I could go back and tell my father he was right.

Sitting in the middle of the living room floor, I started to cry. The pain from my arm and leg were nothing compared to the internal pain of regret.