Trembling With the Strings

“Stop thinking about him!” Darius hissed in my ear, placing his hand on my thigh as we sat in the mess hall for lunch. “You’ve been thinking about him all day!”

“I have not,” I mumbled, poking at my salad with my plastic fork.

“You might as well have been. Don’t... Don’t you love me?” He looked over at me, desperation written all over his face. That made me feel really guilty, let me tell you.

“Of course I do,” I murmured, smiling softly up at him. “I love you with all my heart. Lyndell just... He makes me feel really nervous. He acts like he knows everything, and I’m starting to think he does.”

Darius groaned, throwing his face onto the table. Marcy smiled and patted his back, staring at the food she had foolishly wasted money on. Lyndell walked into the cafeteria, sitting a table away from us.

“What’s wrong with Big, Bad Darius?” she asked me, rubbing his back gently. “Did Scary Lyndell take your lollipop?”

He looked up at her as if aggravated but too tired to yell. He pushed her off of him, muttering something before catching my hand and pulling it into his lap.

“I love you,” he mumbled softly in my ear. Why was he so tired? I kissed him quickly.

“Dray, as soon as we get home you are going to bed. Please,” I begged him quietly. His eyes were hardly open.

“But I haven’t talked to you in so long,” he murmured, delirious. “I have to hold you and make love to you and make up for lost time.” His mouth was slightly open.

“Darius, are you drunk?”

“Drunk on love.”

I couldn’t tell if he was serious, so I just told him, “Of course you are” and rested my head on his shoulder. He kept slurring incomplete thoughts together, not making any sense at all. I glanced over to Marcy, and she looked a little worried, but tried to hide it.

“He’ll be okay,” she tried to assure me, but her eyes betrayed her concern.

“Maybe you should go home early,” I told him, trying to pull him up.

“No!” he barked, his eyes full of insanity. “I can’t leave you here, Grace...I have to... Lynn doesn’t... Lying about... I hate him.”

“I know you do,” I whispered, sighing when he finally allowed me to help him up. “But I’ll see you at home. Marcy will protect me from any molestation attempts, alright?”

“I really do love you,” he told me as I helped him out of the cafeteria. I nodded and tried to speak, but cut me off. “I’m not done. I’m so glad that you’re the woman I’m marrying, you know. I’m an ass, but...” He paused to make an obscene noise with his tongue. I gawked at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I’m Darius Jameson, and I’m marrying Gracie Harper!” he shrieked, his voice echoing off the halls.

People stared, and I hid my left hand, telling them that he was delirious. But he shoved me away and stumbled to the wall.

“No! Do not hide our love!” he hissed, his eyes blank.

“Darius, what is wrong with you?” I whispered, trying to make him stop.

“You’re my fiancée! I want the world to know that you’re having my love-baby!”

Good Lord...

“Gracie?”

The small voice cut into my heart as I saw Abigail standing in the hallway, her eyes tearing up.

“Why... I thought best friends don’t keep secrets,” she mumbled, shaking her head.

“Something is wrong with him! He’s not sure what he’s saying,” I tried to reason.

“No!” Darius shoved me away again. “We can’t keep the baby! We’re giving it to my brother so he grows up happy! Stop trying to hide what we have!” he sobbed, wandering down the hall.

I had to leave Abby, but I knew that I wouldn’t be getting off the hook so easily.

Darius passed out before we even made it ten yards more...