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She was studying my face and told me that it didn't look so bad. I had forgotten all about it and that in and of itself was a miracle. How could I forget that I looked so beastly and almost disfigured? That was what being around Kimberly did to me. It made me forget everything, for better or for worse.
“So, what don’t you like about Tommy?”
“I don’t know. He is just off somehow. I am sorry if you two are like good friends or whatever. I just would rather stay away from that guy.”
“Well, don't worry about it. I don't hang around him that much. We aren’t good friends or anything. He has helped out since I got hurt. He’s been cool, so I try to see the good in him.”
Kimberly didn't say one thing one way or another. It would seem like she didn't want to say anything bad, but it was quite clear how she felt about him. She didn’t have a high opinion of him at all by the looks of it.
“Well, Dennis, I need to get to class.”
“Are you leaving me?”
“Well, yeah, not all of us have a football scholarship that takes care of everything. They won’t smudge out a bad grade for me.”
“Yeah, that does come in handy. I feel like laying around today.”
“I bet. So, what are you really going to do today?”
I told her that I wasn't sure, but I knew that I would not be going to school. I had a reputation to keep, but at the same time, I had my mental health to think about as well. Not knowing who had done this to me, wondering every time I looked at somebody if they were the one, was not a way that I wanted to get to class. I wasn't too interested in much that I learned there anyway, but there was no way that I was going to retain anything at this point. How could I?
I gave her a kiss and stopped myself from pulling her in for more. Her body was so warm and pliant. How hard would it have been to talk her into more? I didn't think that it would be that hard at all.
“Am I going to see you later?”
“I don't know. I don't know if it would be a good idea or not. I am still trying to figure out how I'm supposed to leave. Do you think they would be okay if I just left out the front door?”
“I am sure that it would be fine. You don’t have to worry about anything. He’s just trying to keep everyone away, until we know more about what’s going on.”
“Okay, but he threatened me last time, so if he says anything, I’m calling you.”
“Do you want me to go down with you?”
She disagreed, but then was quick to say that she didn’t mind if I wanted to help her out and call him first. I didn’t think it was necessary, but Jeffrey must have freaked her out. It was probably all too much for her and I didn’t want to overwhelm her again. There was no going back now, so I needed her to be comfortable in all that was going on. I didn’t need her questioning everything, like I was doing. Kimberly might come to a different conclusion, one that didn’t involve the two of us together, and I think I feared that more than anything else.
We settled on me sending him a call and she seemed relieved. I asked her to come back here when she was done for the day, but Kimberly didn’t look so sure of it. I asked her what she wanted to do. I offered to go meet her anywhere, as long as I got to see her. That’s all I was worried about at the moment.
“No, I will come back here, as long as you keep your guy out front in line.”
I assured her that I would and kissed her one last time, before I watched her go. I was of mixed emotions, but the strongest one of all was longing and need. She’d been gone less than a minute and I could already feel the loss of her presence. It was certainly hard to feel anything else.
A detective called while I was musing about the night before. Kimberly filled my memory, and I was replaying all of the good parts. She was the kind of woman that made me happy to be a man. Kimberly was also the type that made me question every other relationship, wondering if it was all a waste of time. It sure felt like it.
The detective pulled me out of my thoughts though. He had some news and he wanted to talk to me in person. I had no idea what was going on, but since I wanted to figure out who it was, I was willing to go and do what needed to be done, to make sure that it happened. I was determined to make sure that I didn’t have to look over my shoulder every time I turned around.
I told him that I would be round in a while and I hung up. Detective Grouse said he had a lead, and I was hopeful that it would be enough to get me out of my head and back to feeling how I was.
* * *
“I just can’t believeit. I mean, are you sure? This isn’t a small thing you are accusing these people with.”
The detective sat back in his chair and asked me why I was so adamant that he was wrong.
“It’s just hard to take. I know these people, really well. I just talked to Tommy this morning. We are friends, I thought we were anyway.”
I was questioning everything, and Tommy wasn’t even the surprising one. The man was sure that there was a ringleader as well and who he thought it was, blew my mind. I know that I was just sitting there, slack-jawed, mouth open, and I probably looked like an idiot. I felt like one, if he was right.
“Look, I am glad that you came to me and all, but this can’t be right. I’ve known those two for too long. I just don’t see this being something that they’d do.”
