Page 50 of Aiden

I want my girl, she’s the one that can heal me. A bullet hurts less than her leaving. But again, I can’t blame her. I need to prove to her that I can protect her. I’ll let her breathe for a couple of days before coming for her.

I throw my hoodie in the backseat of my car, knowing she likes to sleep in it. I also sent her a gift, to let her know I am thinking of her.

I hope she likes it.

Sixteen

Ipull on a light blue dress I had stuffed in the back of my closet and head to visit Dad. I stop by Mom’s shop to grab a dozen yellow roses. It’s a ten-minute drive and I’m so nervous the entire way. I already know I’m going to tell him everything. He always listens.

I gently place the flowers on the lush green grass at the bottom of his tombstone. I shed a million tears as I hug the cool marble slab. Yellow roses are what he bought for her every Friday when he got off of work.

She’ll check him out and blush, asking, “For someone special?”

And he’ll always respond with, “Only the most beautiful girl in the world.”

He’ll set them in a vase once she got home without fail, and he’ll always take out one solitary rose for me and place it in a small vase.

They did this for twenty years.

I still have my vase, but it’s been empty since he was murdered.

While I play with my solitary rose, gently plucking the yellow petals off in a childish game of ‘He loves me, he loves me not’, I tell him all about Aiden and what happened. I pray for him to show me a sign of what to do. I know he wouldn’t want this life for me.

Dad was a lead detective. The fact that Aiden’s tied up with criminals would be a problem, but I don’t think he’d hate Aiden. He’d hate what he got himself into, but Dad was an understanding man. He’ll get that Aiden’s just trying his best to build a life for himself with the shitty hands he was dealt.

I’ve never told anyone about Dad. Ashley knows he isn’t with us anymore, but she doesn’t know what happened on that cold winter’s night. I just can’t bring myself to talk about what happened to him. I know I should, but it breaks me to pieces every time.

I place my hand on his tombstone, blowing him a kiss. “I love you, Dad. So much.”

∞∞∞

It’s three when I pull into the driveway, deciding to check the mail.

It wasn’t a good idea.

A familiar voice shouts my name as I close the lid. My eyes roll dramatically into the back of my head as Caleb makes his way over to me.

“Em! I didn’t know you were home.” He smiles, pulling his blonde hair out of his face.

I stare, willing myself to be cordial even though I want to punch him in the nose. Our families grew up together, so I don’t want to be rude.

I fake a smile. “Hey.”

I manage not to contort my face with the simple greeting.Go, Emma.

I’m not jaded about what he did, but how he did it. He told me he was too busy at the tackle shop to hang out on my birthday. So you can imagine my surprise when I caught the rudest girl in school straddling him in his truck, her tongue down his throat, a few hours later at a bonfire.

I’ve gotten over it, but I can’t stand a cheater.

He steps in front of me, blocking my path to freedom, as I turn on my heel to walk away. This time, I visibly rolled my eyes.

“What’s up, Caleb?” I ask in a disinterested voice.

“Just curious what you’re doing back. I thought you had a place at college now?” He smiles.

I want to tell him how stupid he looks but I bite my lip instead.It’s summer, you idiot.

“Ah, I see you still have the habit of biting your lip.” He chuckles and crosses his arms.

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