Out of the Bayou: Secrets

Nine

Magnolia

“Happy Birthday, Everett. Can we please talk about last night? I can’t stand thinking that you hate me.” It was Laura. It sounded as if she was in tears.

His face loosened almost as if he felt bad for sounding angry when he answered. He looked up and noticed me looking at him. I turned my head back to my food quickly.

“Happy Birthday to you too. I can’t talk right now. I will call you later.” He said and hung up without waiting for a response.

I sat quietly peeling and eating my crawfish and shrimp. I guess it wasn’t a dream last night. If it wasn’t, then why was Eli here with him earlier? Wouldn’t he be mad at both of them for having s*x in his bed? I glanced up when I felt someone staring at me.

“Say it, Magnolia. What is it that you’re thinking?” snapped Everett.

I sat for a second gathering my words. I decided to just say it.

“I heard arguing outside last night. Did you and Laura have a fight and breakup?’

“Yes,” was all Everett said before looking down at his phone. I sat stunned at him saying yes so casually, as though he and Laura hadn’t been dating for the past year. We sat together at the table in silence for a while before Everett spoke again.

“How much of it did you hear?” he finally asked, still looking at his phone.

“Enough to know you shouldn’t be friends with her or Eli anymore.” I said flatly.

Everett’s head shot up and his eyes were filled with rage.

“You don’t know anything!” he shouted as he got up from his chair, walking away.

Everyone’s eyes were on me as I sat in shock. Great. I should just become mute. I put my head down and pretended to eat. Eventually, everyone went back to doing whatever they were doing. I had lost my appetite, but I didn’t want to get up and have people staring at me again. Why did I have to be so awkward? I thought to myself as tears filled my eyes. I can’t wait to leave this place.

“Nola, you, okay?” It was Andrew. Just what I needed more drama tonight.

“I’m fine.” I said dryly.

“Why was Everett shouting?” he asked. I looked up and noticed the concern in his eyes along with a few people trying to sneak glances in our direction.

“A misunderstanding, I guess. I seem to be getting myself into a lot of those today.” I said, and began to get up from the table to clean my mess and hands.

Andrew sighed and asked, “Do you need help with that?”

“No, but thank you for asking,” I said, and I made my way inside.

Andrew followed behind me, opening the back door for me as I made my way into the kitchen to wash the seasoning from the boil off my hands. I nodded my thanks to him and went to the sink. He sat at the island as I washed my hands. I guess he must have taken a shower when I went outside earlier because he was in different clothes and his hair was still a little damp. Without saying a word, I dried my hands and walked towards the stairs to go to my room. Everett’s car was gone. I hope he wasn’t driving angry somewhere. I hate thinking that my words could cause him harm. What I said wasn’t meant to make him angry. It was just my opinion on cheaters that were supposedly your friends. When I opened the door to my room and went in, I realized that someone was behind me. I turned to see Andrew had followed me and was now standing in my room with me, looking around at my things. The thought of him in my room gave me goosebumps. It was weird having someone in my personal space, especially a gorgeous man.

“I don’t think my parents would like the fact that you’re in my room,” I said shyly as my cheeks began to heat up.

“I think it will be fine.” He said as he was looking at the pictures I had hung on my wall. “The door is open and, besides, everyone is outside. Your parents are also a little tipsy.”

“Oh,” I said shyly. “I was going to get changed into my pj’s.”

“Okay.” He said, still looking at my pictures. I rolled my eyes and grabbed some sleeping shorts and a tank top from my drawer and went to the bathroom to change. When I came back, I saw that he moved on to looking at my collection of books.

“Did you want to talk about something?” I asked.

“Actually, I do” he said, turning around to look at me. He stopped and his eyes rolled down and back up my body. I could see his Adams apple bob as he swallowed hard. He quickly averted his eyes when he seen that I was watching him.

“Did you need any help with your project? I have an inside connection with the history teacher, you know.” he said with a grin, glancing back at me.

I couldn’t help the smile that came across my face.

“Oh, really now. Lucky me.” I chuckled. “But I think I can handle it. Thanks.”

He had an unreadable expression on his face and then asked, “So what happened outside with Everett?”

I sighed. “Nothing really happened. You know my words don’t always come out that well and I said something I shouldn’t, as usual.”

Andrew walked over to me with concern etched on his face and took my hand, asking,

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Of course not.” I said in disbelief that he would ask me something like that about Everett.

“I don’t know what I would do if he ever laid a finger on you,” He said sincerely.

“What do you mean? Everett isn’t the type of person to hurt someone.” I exclaimed.

“Nola, there are things you don’t know about that I honestly am not sure anymore if you would even understand.” He said as if he had a secret he was desperately trying to keep.