A Different Slice

47 - Uncertainty (Naomi)

Naomi was shaking the entire drive to her house. Whatever Greg said was lost in her whirlwind of thoughts. Kieran's panic when he first ran up to her left an imprint in her brain. Those wide eyes, his square jaw slightly dropped in that panic-stricken way. She'd always known he'd been holding back his past, and he had revealed that his ex died. But a murder trial?

How could you claim to love someone yet not mention that crucial detail?

Why hide it if you were innocent?

Unless he wasn't.

Naomi's stomach plummeted like a malfunctioning elevator from forty stories in the air. Each time Greg hit her over-sensitive gas pedal, that sensation intensified. Had she been dating a murderer?

She shoved away the thought, but it kept gnawing at her conscience. They'd been alone together countless times. He took her to a remote area to canoe, where she could have 'disappeared' into the lake or the forest. Had her break-up pain blinded her to his true nature? Chills covered her body.

Kieran wouldn't do that. He loved her.

Didn't he?

But sometimes love was enough to make people snap, especially if they'd been hurt.

Yet, she returned from all those experiences unharmed and without fear for her safety. Plus wouldn't her friends or even Brinny have picked up on dangerous vibes? They weren't blinded by pain like Naomi, and they'd all approved of him, even finding him a better partner for her than Greg. If no one got worried--except Greg who clearly couldn't move on---then the verdict had to be true.

Greg glanced at her as they sat at a red light. "You're safe now." He reached toward her, but she flinched away. "Are you sure you want to go home? You can stay with Marc and me. I'll sleep on the couch. Shivanna can come too if you're worried about her."

She wanted to huck his concern out the window. Why couldn't he have minded his own damned business like he said he would. Had she felt well enough to drive, she would have left alone. "Please, just take me home."

Kieran or Matt hadn't bolted after them when the news came out. He'd broken down, muttering Katy's name repeatedly and not responding to either of his names when Naomi called them. As the muttering turned to yelling, Greg put his arms around her and said it was time to go. What else could she do? Her coworker had just left, and if Kieran was indeed dangerous, being there alone was risky. He had met her gaze as they pulled away. 

The memory of the look in his eyes made her nauseous. She focused on the strip mall's glowing signs, the colours blurring together.

Had his eyes conveyed pain or guilt? It had to be the former, right?

Greg rapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he sped up after the stoplight. The residual post-sunset evening light was fading as the businesses morphed into a more residential area.

"Do you want me or Marc to stay at your place tonight?" Greg asked tentatively.

"No, Shivanna's there."

"Are you sure? I don't mind if it keeps you safe." Despite his softened tone, Naomi didn't want to spend any more time with him. He had no respect for her boundaries and clearly couldn't be a part of her life without trying to ruin her relationship.

"I'll be fine."

He sighed. "You said that the night that asshole drugged you and dragged you into that alley too. I didn't trust my gut then, and I hate myself for it, but I am now."

Her memory of that night was hazy, the snippets she recalled likely fuelled by what Shivanna and Greg had said about it more than her experience. They'd been out together as a group, and she'd been chatting with a guy at the bar. No one knew when it happened, but her tolerance was a lot higher than three drinks, and she couldn't remember anything beyond that and being wedged between Shivanna and Greg in a cab home. Her body told that her friends had caught him in time, minus a few bruises.