Touched By You (The Touch Series) by t. h. snyder

Derrick.” I say with tears still pouring from my eyes.
    “Sorry doesn’t cut it this time Chloe. I can’t do this right now. I’m going home to think. I suggest you stay here for the night.”
    He begins to walk out of the branches when he turns and looks at me. His eyes are red and swollen from crying. His hair is a styled mess from running his hands through it in fury.
    “Don’t think about calling me tonight either Chloe. I can’t deal with you tonight. I want to be alone. Got it?”
    I can’t speak. He hates me. I just nod my head and turn my back. I can’t watch him walk away like this.
    I can’t believe this is happening. What the fuck Chloe? I slam my hand down on the steering wheel. I’m so angry right now I don’t know what I want to do with this information. How could she make a decision like this without even talking to me? Yeah, okay, I get that this is her dream. But what the fuck, aren’t I a part of her life? I thought we were more of a pair than this.
    God damn! Motherfucking! Piss ant! Fucktard! Stupid shit! Just fucking fucktasitic! Ugh! I scream in my car.
    I reach into my pocket and pull out her ring. Glancing down at it I begin to cry. Thankfully I’m pulling into our driveway and I throw the car into park and turn off the ignition. I settle my head against the steering wheel and bang on it a few times, hoping this is just a really bad nightmare.
    But then I realize it isn’t a nightmare at all, its reality and I just lost the love of my life.
    I pull myself out of my car and close the garage door. Making my way into the house I head down to the basement into my man cave. I need to find something to numb this pain so I look through the liquor cabinet. I spot a bottle of whiskey and grab a glass. I set her ring on the bar. I reach in the freezer and toss in two ice cubes while filing the glass to the top. This should do the trick. I climb onto the couch, kick off my shoes and gulp down my poison. Before I know it the glass is empty and I pass out.
    Voices? Do I hear voices? I sit up and grab my head. What the fuck? I look around the room and see the bottle of whiskey and a glass sitting on the table. I hear voices and footsteps coming down into the basement. Maybe if I hide they’ll go away. Ugh, my head is killing me. I need aspirin like yesterday.
    “Derrick? You down here?”
    What the hell is Charlie doing here?
    “Derrick Mason Peters! We know you’re here your car is in the garage.”
    Oh damn it to hell she’s here with my mom. I need to get my ass up before they come in here and pull me out of the man cave. Walking over to the door three women storm in after me and I fall back into the couch.
    “Thank god we found him!” My mom shrieks.
    “Mom, come on, not so loud. Where the hell else would I be? This is my house.”
    “Yes I know this is your house dear, but we’ve all been calling you since you walked out on Chloe last night. We were worried sick about you.”
    “Well I’m here and as you can see I’m perfectly fine.”
    “You don’t look fine to me. You want to talk about it?” Charlie asks.
    “Come on ladies we can see he is okay, why don’t we go upstairs and make him something to eat.” Teresa says pulling the others by their arms.
    “You guys go ahead. I’m going to stay down here and talk with him.” Charlie says pulling her arm from her mom’s grasp.
    “Okay honey. You two meet us in the kitchen in fifteen minutes.”   
    I watch as their conversation takes place right in front of me like I’m not even here. Mom and Teresa walk out of the room closing the door and Charlie hops on the couch next to me.
    “So you freaked, huh?”
    “Do you know what really happened Charlie or are you just taking Chloe’s word for it?”
    “Look Derrick the news of LA was a surprise to all of us, no one saw this coming. If I knew I swear I would have told you.”
    “I know you would have Charlie. You’re a great friend you know that?”
    “Hell