34. Lockboxes & Secrets
Lockboxes & Secrets
Elliot
When Dynah finally came out of the bathroom, I handed her a new pair of shorts and a large hoodie so she could curl up into it. After she fell asleep, I got out of bed and started my morning. I made some coffee, sat on the porch for a little while, and then Spencer woke up. I want to ask him about the phone call, but tensions already seem high and I’m not sure I feel like confrontation today.
“Morning,” he says, walking into the kitchen. I’m sitting on a barstool, checking my emails on my phone, and waiting for the day to start.
“Morning.”
“I heard you leave the house early this morning, but I also heard the shower running. Everything good?” He asks, pouring his cup.
“Yeah, just… feminine issues. I had to go to the st ore. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” he replies. Sinking down onto the stool next to me.
We sip our coffee in peace for a while, before he stands up and heads to the fridge.
“Shit,” he mumbles.
“What?”
He turns around and shrugs. “I have to go shopping today. Are you cool with that? Or do you guys wanna go?”
“I wanna stay here and die, thanks though,” Dynah mumbles, practically crawling out of the room.
“There’s your answer,” I chuckle. There is no way that I will leave Dynah here alone while me and Spencer go to the store. Fuck, I don’t even want to leave Spencer with her while I go. “We’ll stay, you go ahead.”
“Okay,” he says, grabbing his keys and wallet from his room. “I’ll be back in a couple hours. Anything specific?”
“I’m alright,” Dynah answers from her new spot on the couch. She is once again curled into a ball with a pillow between her stomach and her legs. “I’m going to die right here, you can go do whatever.”
He chuckles and I roll my eyes. He’s always so unserious about shit, this isn’t a joking manner. She’s obviously in a lot of pain. I send him a short text while he walks out of the door, asking for some Midol and maybe some more chocolate.
Once he leaves, I check on Dynah who is now passed out on the couch. She’s in pain and there is nothing I can do to help. I mean, I’ve heard orgasms can help, but I’m not trying to go near her this soon into whatever relationship thing this is. I don’t want to lose a hand… Or my dick.
I decide to spend my time snooping through Spencer’s shit. He left the house and I am still concerned over what I heard on the phone. Why would him and Mom be keeping secrets from me? I want answers to my question, and the only way I can do that is if I find something to help. Unless I want to call him out on his phone call, but I just don’t feel like it.
Walking into his room, I notice how disheveled it looks. Clothes are strewn everywhere, a wet towel hangs on the back of the chair, and his blanket is in a heap on top of his mattress. What has he been doing in here? I walk carefully further into the room and see the closet door ajar.
If I was hiding anything, it would be under the mattress or in the closet. I swing the door open, pushing the clothes out of the way and I flip on the lightswitch that sits outside the door. Looking up, I see it. A small fireproof lockbox.
“What are you up to, Pen?” I say to no one. Pulling the box off the shelf into my hands, I turn around and sit on the edge of his bed. Unsurprisingly it’s locked, but that's alright. I’ve spent many years learning how to pick locks and sneaking into places I shouldn’t be. I carry the box with me and out of his room. I know my pick set is in the bathroom, why? I don’t know, but that seemed like a decent spot for it.
I grab the set, placing the box on the counter and letting it perch precariously on the edge. Picking a lock takes time and gentle touches, a certain amount of finesse for the project ahead. Within ten minutes, I pop the lock open and let out a large sigh.
“Time to see what’s going on,” I whisper to my reflection in the mirror. The tattoo on my chest seems to wink back at me as I turn with the box in hand. I know It’s a figment of my imagination, but I can’t help but smile back anyway.
“Elliot?” Dynah calls from the living room. “Where did you go?”
“I’m in the bathroom, Little Raven. Give me a second.”
She mumbles something from beyond the closed door as I shut all the voices out of my head and open the lid to the box .
Papers. Adoption papers from when I was taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Martin, a blood test that says I’m clean and clear of all diseases, and one more paper that makes my heart drop to my stomach. The top of the page reads ‘Paternity Test’ and I drop it back into the box after I read it, close it tightly and leave the bathroom.
“Elliot, are you okay? You look pale,” Dynah asks from the couch.
“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine. No worries.” I rush back into Spencer's room, toss the box back into the closet, and shut everything up behind me. When I come back out, Dynah is looking at me like I’m a mad man. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Uhm… Sure you are. Wait, is this some kinda serial killer thing that you do? Run into other people's rooms, snoop around, find things you don’t want to see, and then lie to me? Because if so, cool… If not, we should talk about it,” she sits up and folds her legs beneath her. “Elliot?”
I’m looking around the room. Everything’s spinning. My mind, the room, my heart. It can’t be right. This isn’t right. It makes so much more sense.
“Elliot, you’re scaring me,” she trembles.
I step over to her at the couch and place my hand on her cheek, rubbing my thumb against her. “I’m okay, Little Raven. Everything is okay.” I lean down and kiss the top of her forehead right as Spencer walks back in the front door.
“You,” I growl at him, making eye contact over Dynah’s head. “How dare you…”