Find You In The Dark Part 13

Rachel flushed red and turned away from me, which surprised me. Rachel wasn't one to skimp on information. So her sudden hesitance to talk threw me. "What happened last night? Did you guys talk?" I prompted, urging her to tell me.

Rachel covered her face with her hands and groaned. "Ugg. I don't know. I guess we worked through some things. We talked." She said through her fingers. I reached out and pulled her hands down. "Why are you so embarra.s.sed? That's not like you. I mean, is everything okay?" I asked, getting a little worried.

And then I saw the huge grin spread across Rachel's face and I relaxed. She closed her eyes a moment and touched my arm. "We're more than okay." Well, that was good. But she still wasn't explaining much. She must have seen the frustration on my face because Rachel suddenly laughed.

"Annoying isn't it? Wanting to know something and your best friend not giving an inch?" She raised her eyebrows at me knowingly. "Yeah, yeah. I get your point. Now, just spill it already before I have a litter of kittens here." I smacked her hand playfully.

Rachel flopped back on the bed, pulling me down with her so that we lay side by side. She stared up at the vaulted ceiling for a minute before finally answering me. "Well, I was p.i.s.sed. No, I take that back. I was bordering on a murderous rage when Daniel came in after talking to you." I snorted, knowing how true her words were. No one could do vengefully angry like Rachel.

"And..." I said, prodding her on. "And, he apologized and I yelled at him some more and he apologized again. And somewhere in the middle of all that he kissed me." I sat up and looked down at my friend, questioning whether I heard her right. I wasn't expecting Daniel to take that plunge. At least not yet.

"He kissed you? For real?" I asked her, still in disbelief. Rachel nodded. "Yeah. And it was beautiful, alright. I know what you're thinking, that I'll just get hurt. And I told him as much. But we sort of hashed everything out."

"Including where Kylie fits into this happy little picture?" I asked a little more harshly than I meant to. I was just worried that Daniel would hurt Rachel and then our threesome would be irrevocably damaged. But I had wanted this. Had wanted them to get their acts together and acknowledge that there was more than friends.h.i.+p between them. But now that it was finally happening, I was scared of the change. And selfishly I worried about what all of this meant for me.

Rachel looked momentarily hurt by the mention of Danny's ex. "Yeah. We talked about Kylie. And Daniel admitted she has been more of a bad habit he just hasn't been able to shake. But that he wants to give us a try. And, in spite of all the doubts and worries I have, I want that too."

I flopped back down beside Rachel and took her hand in mine. "If he hurts you, Rachel, I will rip off his nut sack and shove it in his ear. I love him, I really, really do. But us girls need to stick together." I swore to her as she laughed.

"He knows that, Maggie. Trust me. Your reaction was a source of some serious angst on his part last night." I snorted at that, knowing that Daniel would be freaking out over how I would take all of this. Fine, let him sweat.

"Well, as long as it's what you want. Just try not to let your friends.h.i.+p become collateral damage. Promise me that." I implored, squeezing her hand. Rachel rolled her head to the side so she was looking at me. "I promise. I won't let that happen." Promises were easy to make but even easier to break, I thought as we lay there silently together.

We were still like that when Clay came into the room. He saw us and started to back out. "Sorry. I was just seeing what was taking you so long. But if you're still talking, I'll give you some s.p.a.ce." Rachel sat up and got to her feet. "No, Clay. You're fine. Thanks Maggie." She leaned over and gave me a loud kiss on the cheek.

She gave Clay a grin before disappearing down the stairs. Clay came over and kissed me, sitting down on the bed beside me. "Was everything okay?" He asked, putting his arm around me, pulling me up against his side.

I snuggled close, burying my nose into the soft fabric of his s.h.i.+rt and spent a few seconds just enjoying the scent of him. "She's great. I guess she and Daniel finally got their c.r.a.p together." I told him as he rested his chin on the top of my head.

"That's great." Was all he said, leaning down to kiss the skin below my ear. I felt heat erupt inside of me and I let out a tiny sigh. "I wish we could stay here. You know in our own little bubble." I said mournfully as Clay placed small, s.h.i.+ver inducing kisses on the underside of my jaw.

He nuzzled my neck as he spoke. I could feel his warm breath on my skin and the tickle of his lips.

"We'll just have to move the bubble back to Davidson is all." Clay said confidently. "But bubbles have a nasty way of popping." I was being really gloomy, but I couldn't help it. Nothing good ever lasted.

"Then we'll just make a new bubble." Clay murmured as he pulled me into another mind blowing kiss. And I let my pessimistic thoughts go as I thought that my forever was starting right now.

Chapter Eighteen.

But I was right. The bubble did pop and it was loud and painful. It started with my month long grounding that came courtesy of some very p.i.s.sed off parents. I was so deliriously happy from my night with Clay that I was oblivious to the twenty some texts I had received over the last 24 hours from my parents.

Turns out my mom had called Rachel's house looking for me when I hadn't returned her phone calls or texts. She wanted to confer with me on pancake recipes, or something equally asinine. Of course, I wasn't there. And Mrs. Bradfield -(who Rachel had annoyingly told the truth to-) filled her in about our lovely evening away in the woods. To say my parents were angry was an understatement. I'm surprised I lived through the epic screaming that followed my arrival back at home.

My father confined me to my room until Monday morning, only allowing me to leave to use the bathroom and to eat. I was grounded for a month and I was not allowed, under any condition, to see Clay outside of school.

Of course, they blamed him almost entirely for encouraging me to lie to them and to go away overnight with him. (-The fact that my friends were there was inconsequential to them-). Even when I, very maturely I might add, tried to take responsibility for my choices, my parents insisted on viewing Clay as the villain.

I was able to send Clay a few quick texts before they confiscated my phone. Busted. Grounded until I'm fifty. Love you. I received his reply less than thirty seconds later. I'm so sorry, baby. Any way I can bust you out of Alcatraz? Should I send a file in a cake through your bedroom window? :-) I love you!

I smiled and furiously typed back, trying to be sneaky so my parents didn't flip again. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll meet you at school. Dad will be driving me. No file necessary, though I may be forced to resort to cyanide tablets from the sheer boredom. xoxo I quickly turned off my cell. My dad took the phone, unhooked the internet in my room and confiscated my car keys. Yep, I was a prisoner. And I was also receiving the silent treatment. My mother barely acknowledged my presence and my father just shot me looks of hurt and disappointment. Disappointment was 100 times worse.

They were the champions of the guilt trip. So I sat in my room all of Sunday evening, alternating between catching up on my homework and staring blankly at my wall. And all I could think about was last night and everything that had happened between Clay and me.

I hadn't taken off the b.u.t.terfly necklace he had given me. I felt it lay warmly above my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. It was almost like having his fingers touch me. I was still so blown away by his thoughtfulness. And the words he had told me, how he opened up and revealed things about himself that were painful, only made me love him more.

I tried not to let our earlier fight taint my memories of our evening together. But no matter how much I pushed them away, they simply bounced back, bringing with it the memory of his anger and my hurt.

But despite the painful start, the night ended in the most romantic and toe curling way possible. I hugged my pillow to my chest and let the delicious memories of us together fill me. I s.h.i.+vered as I remembered his hands touching me and the feel of him as sank inside me. I rolled onto my back and groaned. h.e.l.l if I knew when we'd have a chance to be together intimately again. I may be under lock and key until I start collecting social security.

I thought about Clay whispering how much he loved me and how he wanted to be with me forever. And I, in my naive, young- adult mind, thought that it would happen. That, of course, Clay and I could overcome anything and we would follow each other off into the sunset.

I ignored the nagging voice in my head that whispered doubts and concern over Clay's intense need to be with me. How he used me as a bandage for all of his other problems. I pushed aside the annoying realization that perhaps that wasn't a healthy way to be...that I couldn't make everything better for him; as much as he told me that I was all he needed.

Instead, I focused on my memories of making love to him and holding him the entire night. Of feeling safe and secure as his arms wrapped around me, purposefully ignoring any and all thoughts of what had occurred before that. The point was that I couldn't imagine ever loving someone the way I loved him. And I swore I never would.

"Wow, grounded for a month with no cell phone or car! You might as well be dead, Mags." Rachel said sympathetically as we sat around the lunch table commiserating over my horrible fate the following day. Clay squeezed my hand tightly, pressing close to my side. It felt like a week since I had seen him, when it had been less than a day.

I turned my head and met his mouth, kissing him deeply, not caring who saw it. Pulling my lips from Clay's with a groan that made him smile, I returned my attention back to Rachel. Who was sitting closer to Daniel than usual. Daniel, when he thought no one was looking, would lightly rub her back and then drop his hand back to his side. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Daniel about everything-( you know, with the whole grounded until I die thing-), but you'd have to be blind not to see the change in their relations.h.i.+p. I couldn't help but smile at them, feeling happy for my two best friends.

"I know. But they went nuclear." I crunched on my carrot stick. Clay rested his hand on my lower back. "We'll find a way around it. Maybe I should start sneaking into your room after your parents go to bed." Clay teased. Though, looking into his eyes, I knew he was being serious.

"I thought you hated heights." I reminded him, lightly pinching his leg. Clay shrugged. "If that's what it takes to see you alone, then I'd climb Mount f.u.c.king Everest." I appreciated the sentiment. I really did. But I knew him doing something like that, given the precarious state of my relations.h.i.+p with my parents, could only spell disaster.

"Yeah, I don't think you sneaking into my bedroom is the greatest idea." I said, trying to dissuade him. Clay frowned at me. "Well, if you don't want me to come over, then I won't bother." His mercurial mood changed in an instant and he turned away from me, pulling his arm from my waist and started eating his lunch.

Rachel c.o.c.ked her eyebrow at him, and then looked at me. I rolled my eyes, trying to make light of it, though I hated when he did this. When he would become upset or angry and then shut down. I watched Clay from the corner of my eye and saw he was doing just that. His body language was stiff and he wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. Rachel and Daniel talked quietly to themselves, making a point to ignore the scene that was brewing between Clay and I.

I couldn't take this stupid wall that had suddenly gone up between us, so I scooted over to him on the bench and put my hand on his upper thigh. I leaned in and rubbed my nose on his chin. "Don't be like that, Clay. Please." I whispered. I felt him pull away slightly, but I didn't give up. "You know I want to be with you all the time." I insisted, kissing the corner of his down turned mouth.

I felt him soften and he covered my hand with his. "I just can't take not seeing you or talking to you at night. I need you." He told me urgently. His eyes met mine. "We'll figure something out. I need you too." I rea.s.sured him, kissing him gently.

That seemed to settle him down and I could feel his body relax beside mine. "I told my parents I was staying after school so I could get some extra help in Chemistry. Why don't I blow off my study group and we go to your house." I suggested, kissing him again.

Clay put his hands on my face, rubbing his nose with mine in a way that made my heart melt. I saw his eyes smolder as he contemplated what I was suggesting. "Mmmm. I like that idea." he murmured, wrapping his arms around me again and pressing his face into my hair. At that moment the vice princ.i.p.al, Mr. Kane, decided to make an appearance. "Enough you two. We have school rules about PDA. Do you need to come down to the office to review them?" He crossed his hairy arms over his chest and looked stern.

Clay and I broke apart as I gathered my messenger bag and tray. Last thing I needed was for Mr. Kane to call my parents because I couldn't keep my hands off of my boyfriend at school. That would make them love him even more. "No, sir. We're sorry." I stuttered, unable to look at the administrator. I could hear Daniel and Rachel trying to keep from laughing as Mr. Kane walked away, off to find other teens to terrorize.

"Well, that was just freaking great." I got up and went to dump my tray, my face stinging with mortification. Clay came up behind me. "Don't get so worked up, Mags. What's the big deal?" Clay was laughing and it irritated the h.e.l.l out of me. "Well, I don't like getting called out by our the vice princ.i.p.al for making out with my boyfriend alright? It's embarra.s.sing. I don't need to give my parents any more ammunition right now." Clay tried to grab me by the waist to pull me close again. I shoved him back. "Stop it, Clay. Give it a rest. I don't want to get into trouble."

Clay's face turned dark. "Fine. I'll see you after school." And with that he turned and left the cafeteria. I sighed and didn't bother to call after him, feeling zapped of all my energy.

Clay was at my locker after school, wearing an expression of contrition that I was becoming all too familiar with. "I'm sorry." He said, as I got in my locker to drop off my books. I wanted to bang my head into the wall. I was so sick of hearing I'M SORRY!

I took a deep breath. "Do you ever get tired of apologizing?" I asked Clay coldly. Clay frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? I just wanted you to know that I understand I was a d.i.c.k and that I'm sorry, because I love you. Why do you have to be so dramatic about it?" He asked me with obvious irritation.

I barked out a laugh and slammed my locker door shut. "Me, dramatic? From you, that's rich." I huffed, starting off down the hallway. Clay caught up with me and grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. "Are you seriously that p.i.s.sed? I mean, I get that I was kind of an a.s.shole, but I don't think it warrants this sort of reaction." Wow, he really didn't get how our relations.h.i.+p, even as much I wanted to deny it, was falling into this crazy pattern of him being a jerk and then apologizing for it. Of me getting upset but then relieved when he came around.

"Don't you see that fifty percent of our interactions have become you spouting your apologies for something you've said or done? That we spend most of our time upset at each other? This is getting ridiculous!" I said in exasperation.

Clay tugged on my hand and wrapped his arms around my stiff body. "I know, baby. But I'm trying. I really am. Please be patient with me." He urged, leaning down to place his lips on mine. I wanted to tell him that "trying" was quickly becoming not good enough. That I was emotionally spent and I wanted to get back to being that boy and girl who swam together in the river all those months ago.

But I could feel the desperation in his embrace, the sadness tinged in his kiss. I knew he loved me. And I wanted so badly for that to be all that I needed to be happy. "Can we go to my house? I think we need some time alone. Just the two of us. With everything going on, We're both stressed out." Clay reasoned. I felt myself weaken and cave to him. "Yeah. Let's go." Clay gave me the most dazzling smile and lifted me off my feet and swung me around.

"I have the most beautiful and amazing girlfriend EVER!" He yelled as he covered my face with kisses after putting me back on the ground. I hid my face in embarra.s.sment at his display of affection. I could feel Clay's laughter under my cheek as he led us to his car.

As I got in, I had a moment of guilt that here I was again, lying to my parents. Though, as Clay leaned over and kissed me lovingly on the mouth, warmth settled into my belly, ensuring those feelings were fleeting.

Clay pealed out of the parking lot, screeching his tires in his hurry to get away from the school. "Slow down Clay, or we'll never make it to your house." Clay grinned his crazy, happy smile and reached over to take my hand. He kissed my fingers, one at a time as he came to a stop light. "I love you, Maggie." I smiled. I couldn't help but forget everything else when he said those words to me.

I ducked down in the seat as we pa.s.sed by the library where my father worked. Clay just laughed at me again, telling me how silly I was being. "Yeah, well if I want to see the light of day, I can't let them catch me with you, okay?" I grumbled.

That sobered Clay. "They hate me that much?" He sounded gutted and I instantly felt horrible for not choosing my words more carefully. "It's not that they hate you, they just worry we're too serious. That I'm spending too much time with you." I said. Clay gave me a smirk. "That we're having s.e.x?" He asked.

I smacked his arm. "Well, obviously their concerns are founded in that department, huh?" I joked. Clay pulled into his driveway and cut off the engine. And just like that he was over the center console and kissing me like mad.

"Clay. Don't you think we should go inside?" I laughed as his hands started up my s.h.i.+rt. Clay moaned something unintelligible. "Clay. Come on, you have neighbors." I gasped as his fingers found my b.r.e.a.s.t.s and began gently rubbing them.

He kissed me again and pulled away with a s.e.xy smile. "Well, come on then." He jumped out of the car. I smiled back, shaking my head, as I got out. Clay wrapped himself around me again as we started walking toward his front door.

It was then that I noticed the black Mercedes parked on the street in front of the house. I stopped walking. Clay looked at me in confusion. "What?" I pointed to the car. "It looks like you have a visitor."

The blood left his face and he looked like he was going to throw up. His teeth clenched. "You have got to be f.u.c.king kidding me." He growled. His sudden and extreme anger scared me. I grabbed his arm. "What is it, Clay? Whose car is that?"

Clay didn't respond and just started walking toward the front door, fury evident in his every step. I had to hurry to catch up with him. I wrenched on his hand before he could go inside. "You're freaking me out here, Clay. Who's here?" I could hear the trembling in my voice as I tried to reach the boy who had suddenly disappeared inside himself.

He wouldn't look at me, his body rigid. "I guess you're going to get to meet my parents." He said coldly. I felt like I had been plunged into ice water. His parents? Oh s.h.i.+t. Clay swung open the front door and let it slam against the wall.

I stood on the front stoop, not knowing what to do. He was seething with anger and I wasn't sure I wanted to witness whatever was about to go down. But I couldn't leave him. He needed me now more than ever. So I tentatively walked into the house.

I was relieved when Lisa came from the living room and gave Clay a stern look. "Don't you come into this house like an elephant. Close the door like you have some sense." She looked at me. I knew I was pale and she must have sensed the tension radiating from Clay. "Hey, Maggie. Nice to see you." Her smile was kind and I tried to give one back. I'm sure it was shaky.

Clay slammed the door shut and dropped his book bag. "So where are they?" He barked. Lisa frowned. "Get it together, Clay. They just got here thirty minutes ago. Ruby ran out to get some stuff for dinner." Clay turned his angry gaze on Lisa, who didn't flinch but stood steady. I would have withered under that glare.

"Did you know they were coming?" He accused. Lisa put her finger in his chest. "Now, look here Clayton Reed. Don't give me your d.a.m.n att.i.tude. Their visit was as much a surprise to Ruby and I as it is to you. But don't go in there like a bull in a china shop. Like it or not, they're still your parents and they have a say in what happens to you. Remember that."

Her warning was rational, but Clay was a bit beyond rational at this point. Lisa looked at me to help her. I tried taking Clay's hand again. He let me interlace my fingers with his, but he didn't hold me back. "Clay. Come on. Acting like this will only make things worse. Please." I moved so I stood in front of him and pulled his face down to look at me.

His eyes darted around so he wouldn't make contact with mine. "d.a.m.n it Clay!" I implored. Finally, he looked at me and he softened as he saw my worry. "Christ! I'm doing it again. I'm sorry." He whispered and I was glad to see that some of the tension left his shoulders. But he still looked mad.

"Well, let's go see Mommy and Daddy Dearest." He said sarcastically. Lisa nodded and stepped aside as we started down the hallway. She didn't follow, apparently wanting to give Clay some privacy. I stood beside him, trying to show him my support.

It was eerily quiet. Walking into the kitchen, I got my first look at Mr. and Mrs. Reed. Mr. Reed sat at the small kitchen table, typing away at his laptop. He was dressed casually in black slacks and a blue b.u.t.ton down s.h.i.+rt. Though his clothes probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.

Clay was the spitting image of his father. Looking at Mr. Reed was like getting a glimpse of Clay thirty years into the future. Mr. Reed was a good looking man with dark hair, dusted with gray. The skin around his eyes was just now starting to show signs of crow's feet. He appeared very stiff, his face a complete blank as he read the screen in front of him.

Clay's mother was trying to work the ancient coffee maker on the counter. She was decked out in a gray pencil skirt, ruffled blouse and heels. Her red hair, the exact same shade as her sister Ruby, was swept back from her face in a severe bun.

Clay cleared his throat. His dad didn't acknowledge him, but his mother turned to look with what seemed to be a fake smile on her perfect lips. Her eyes were a bright blue and icy cold. "Well, there's my baby boy." She cooed, but made no move to hug or kiss him. Clay's eyes were fixed on his father, who still hadn't taken his eyes from his computer.

G.o.d, Clay was right when he described them as cold and loveless. I couldn't imagine growing up with this couple as my parents. And I felt the guilt again as I thought of my own warm and loving parents who, in all of their over protectiveness, just wanted what was best for me.

"Coffee?" Mrs. Reed asked, after finding the filters and grounds. Clay and I shook our heads. "Why are you here?" Clay demanded, getting straight to the point. I cringed, not feeling comfortable being privy to this familial exchange. His fingers clenched mine so tightly it was cutting off the circulation.

"We wanted to see you, Clay. To make sure everything was the way it should be." His mother said frostily. Her eyes moved to our joined hands and she looked me over appraisingly. "And this is...?" Mrs. Reed looked at me pointedly.

Clay stood up straight. "This is my girlfriend, Maggie Young." He told her, his voice hard. I stuck my free hand out in an attempt at civility, though Mrs. Reed had made no such motion toward me. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Reed." She looked down at my outstretched hand and then back at my face. She looked at me with suspicion for a moment, but the expression vanished and was replaced with her practiced fake politeness. She took my hand in hers and gave it a firm shake. "And you, Maggie. This is Clayton's father, Nickolas. Nick, say h.e.l.lo." She commanded, as though her husband were a child.

Nick Reed finally lifted his eyes from his laptop. His gaze slid over me, head to toe as if a.s.sessing a horse, never making eye contact, then he returning to his work. "h.e.l.lo." He said with disinterest. Clay stiffened beside me at his father's rudeness.

This was becoming increasingly more awkward as the silence stretched on. "Girlfriend? Well, isn't that...nice." Mrs. Reed commented, though her tone registered distaste. "So, you're just stopping by, right? I mean, you can see everything's fine here." Clay said. He was becoming increasingly more agitated, if that was possible. I squeezed his hand to try and help him calm down.

His mother looked at him, making it clear she didn't believe his a.s.sertion that everything was okay. "Is everything fine Clayton? I think that has yet to be determined." What a b.i.t.c.h! It was as though wanted something to be wrong with Clay. Mrs. Reed poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, crossing her legs.

Watching Clay and I levelly with icy eyes, she sipped her drink. I felt like a bug under a magnifying gla.s.s being a.n.a.lyzed. I tried not to squirm beneath her steely gaze. "I'm not sure how long we'll be staying. We're staying at the Hyatt in Rockbridge. Your father is a.s.sisting on a case in Charlottesville. A high profile case that's getting a lot of national attention. I decided to come along to visit and to make sure you are fine." She said condescendingly.

Clay's lip curled upward in a sneer. "I a.s.sure you, mother, that I've managed all right without you. Wouldn't want you to put yourself out or anything." The bitterness in his voice made me sad for him. I could see how much he really wanted these people to love him. And I could see just as clearly how completely unable his parents were to truly love him the way he needed. Or at all.

No wonder he clung to me the way he did. The poor, lost boy beside me had never known unconditional love and support. He had been reared by the coldest individuals I had ever met. His mother didn't respond to his blatant jab. "Well, I think it would be best if we stayed for awhile. Moreover, your father's case could take weeks. Months perhaps." Her words seemed almost threatening as she looked at her son with no emotion in her voice or face.

Months? From the way Clay had begun to tremble, I knew that would be very bad for him. These people triggered something dark in him and their presence could spell disaster for his precarious mental health. Clay made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. I looked at him in surprise as he s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand from mine and fled from the kitchen. He left me all alone in the lion's den. I could almost hear Mrs. Reed sharpening her claws as I stood there, uncomfortable and dumbfounded.

Finally, I made my feet move as I turned to follow my boyfriend. "Maggie." Mrs. Reed called out, stopping me. I turned back around to face her, trying not to be intimidated by Clay's beautiful yet cold mother.

"Why don't you have a seat. I'd like a moment with you." She wasn't asking me, she was telling me. She indicated the seat beside her. I looked to Mr. Reed again, but he was oblivious to what was going on outside of his computer screen.

Mrs. Reed watched me as I slowly approached the chair and sat down. I folded my hands in my lap and looked at her politely. "How long have you and my son been dating?" She asked me, sipping her coffee. I cleared my throat, feeling strange sharing anything with her.

"Almost three months, ma'am." I fidgeted in my seat under her unyielding stare. "And is it serious between the two of you?" She asked nonchalantly. Why was she asking this? What business was it of hers? This just felt creepy. "I guess so." I answered reluctantly.

Mrs. Reed leaned forward, attempting to appear as if we were two girls sharing confidences. It made my skin crawl. "And are you aware of Clayton's...issues?" She said it as though he had a contagious disease. Her lips curled and I could see how repulsive her son's mental health was to her.

"I'm very aware of all his qualities, good and bad, Mrs. Reed. Clay has been very honest about his struggles with his mental health." I said, sticking my chin out defiantly. I saw a flicker of disappointment, almost as though she wanted to be the one to tell me this. Maybe she wanted the information to drive a wedge between Clay and I. But why?

"My son is a very sick boy. He has been on a self- destructive path for a long time now. He hurts those around him, lacking regard for anything but his own feelings. His doctors in Florida are very concerned that he will relapse. They've encouraged us to have him readmitted for prolonged inpatient treatment. He is a danger to himself and others." Her eyes flashed at me as she watched me absorb her words.

They wanted to put him back in the hospital? They can't do that to him! What Clay needed was love and support, not to be shoved inside an inst.i.tution with no way out. I knew then that I hated this woman, and her complete disregard for Clay and what was truly best for him.

"I haven't seen him being a danger to himself or others Mrs. Reed." I lied, effortlessly. I couldn't tell her how worried I'd been for Clay, and how I often wondered if he needed more intense help than I was capable of giving him. But she didn't need to know any of that. She didn't deserve to know. This woman, who had thrown her son away because his issues had become an inconvenience in her life.

Mrs. Reed watched me closely and I swore she saw straight through my lie. "Well that's good." she said in that fake, syrup-sweet voice of hers. "But to be on the safe side, Clay's father and I will be staying for awhile. We have serious concerns about him. So if you notice anything troublesome about Clay, please let me know so we can can get him the help he so desperately needs."

I wanted to gag. No, she just wanted to shut Clay away, like an ugly family secret. I saw right through her and she knew that. "No offense, Mrs. Reed, but I don't feel comfortable discussing Clay like this behind his back. He and I are very open and honest with each other." I started to stand up. I couldn't take sitting here with this woman any longer.