Ch. 12 - 420ing

Henry knocked on the door later again that evening. He couldn't control the guilt eating him alive. Listening closely, Henry had waited till Sebastian had left to make his way over. He felt like he was betraying both Sebastian and Marlin sneaking into their lives. Thankfully though, he now had Britney back on his side too. It had taken a rough conversation, but Henry was able to get through to her.

Marlin opened the door, now in a pair of her silk pajamas. They left nothing to the imagination, but she was oblivious to the control that was already slipping away from Henry. Marlin tilted her head, waiting for Henry to speak, and it seemed to knock him out of his daydream. The daydream which consisted of him mouthing his way across Marlin's exposed midriff. "I just wanted to talk to you," Henry spoke, a cool tone to his voice.

Marlin moved to the side and opened her desk drawer. Henry sat down and observed her taking out a blunt. A habit that she hadn't stopped since high school.

"Sebastian won't be happy when he finds out that you've been 420ing your whole life."

Marlin laughed and blew out some smoke. "420ing?"

Henry found himself laughing too as he reacheded across to take the blunt. Breathing it in, he blew it back out at Marlin. "This feels like school again."

"Before Britney?"

Henry knew it wasn't said with bitterness, but he felt some stir up inside. "Before you dumped me."

Marlin's eyes blazed like the thing between her fingers, "Dumped you? There was never an us. You were always to concerned with her."

Henry snatched the blunt from between her fingers and crumbled it. "You were jealous? Your broke up with me because you were jealous!?"

Marlin rolled her eyes at the boy in-front of her and went to stand up. He had other ideas as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. Marlin pushed at him, memories flooding back to what happened when they were last in this position. "You should've known we couldn't have been something! I was never enough!"

"Because I loved you both! Because I love you both!" Henry stared down at Marlin, breathing erratic, grasp on her tight.

Marlin stared straight back, eyes watering, body shaking.

Sebastian chose that moment to walk back into Marlin's apartment. Henry hastily withdrew from Marlin, hands aching.

Marlin's body still shook as she swiftly got up from the couch and entered her bathroom.

Sebastian eyed Henry's state before his eyes fell to the crushed blunt on the floor. "I'm trusting that you didn't do anything to her. If I go in there and she tells me differently than your dead." Walking toward the bathroom door, Sebastian stopped once more.

"Oh, and please do not smoke around Marlin."