I Can't Help It

Chapter 12: Confessions

After Joseph left, his words continued to run through my mind.

I'll be back for you babygirl

A silence fell in the room for a moment. Stan sat down on the couch to catch his breathe. He was clinging on to his hair and I could tell he was angry.

"Stan" I said softly.

He didn't say anything, he didn't even look up.

"Stan" I stood from the wall and advanced towards him. But stopped a few feet away.

"Stan. Thank you for that, but what are you doing here? How did you know I needed help?"

He looked up with fire in his eyes. "Are you kidding me? You're lucky I showed up! What the fuck did I just walk into anyway?"

"I didn't ask you to come! I could of handled myself."

"Oh please Lori you needed me."

"No I didn't! Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be at home with your wife?"

"God Lori you don't even-." He raked his hands through his hair again and stood up. He took deep breathes and walked towards me. He grabbed my hands and stared at me. I've never seen him look as serious as he did now.

"Lori I'm not married. That woman in my office that day was my ex wife." I stood deathly still trying to process what I just heard.

"I divorced her years ago, when Jamie was like 2 years old." He searched my eyes for some sort of response, but I honestly didn't have one.

"Then why was she in your office and why was she touching you?" A part of me was still upset and embarrassed about the whole thing.

"She came unannounced. She just barged in. Lori you can't seriously think I'd do that to you."

"I don't know what to think! I felt so stupid! And what did you do?!.... Nothing! You just sat there after the way she talked to me." I ripped my hands from his hold and started to fix up my destroyed apartment.

Stan sighed. "You're right." He walked over to me and started to help me straighten up. "I shouldn't of let you walk out that door. I should of went after you." I tried my best to avoid eye contact not wanting to give in so easily. "But what about you?"

"Huh?... What about me?" I turned to him as he picked up the glass from my broken picture frame.

"I mean what about you and that guy. I feel like every time I turn around he's there!" I was confused at first until I saw him pick up the picture.

"Trevor? Stan he's just a friend."

"How am I suppose to believe that."

"I've never lied to you!"

"Yea, but you haven't been honest about him either. You never told me you went on a date with him, you didn't tell me that he clearly still likes you, you didn't tell me he was the one that fixed your car, and you didn't tell me he was your fucking neighbor." My eyes went wide at all he knew about Trevor. "Yea, I saw his work car outside just now, it's the same car that was at the auto shop I dropped you off at. I seen him and his hands all on you."

"Stan it's not like that with him."

"How am I suppose to know that? You kept me out-of-the-know just like I kept you out about my ex wife."

"Okay I get it. You made your point Stan." I walked away towards to bedroom to fix it up.

"Have I?" He followed me. "Cause there are clearly other secrets you're keeping from me."