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“For hurting you,” he declared.
I glanced at Aiden. “Why did you hurt me?”
“I don’t know,” he replied his voice cracking which surprised me. “I was angry at Cal because I felt like he was deserting me and Luke. The closer he got to you the less time he spent with us. He never missed a Friday night at Mac’s before you.”
“Until me,” I agreed.
Aiden looked at me. “I’m sorry Abby. I really am.” For the first time since meeting Aiden I thought he really meant it. “I just want my friend back however I can get him. I need Cal.”
My phone dinged and I dug it out of my pocket.
I’ll be at your house in ten minutes.
Come to the park.
WTH
I had to escape so I’m at the park with Aiden.
WTF
We’re having a nice talk. Pick me up here. He should come with us.
Are you kidding me?
No, I’m not. He apologized to me. He
needs you Cal. I need for you to make up with him. You’ve been friends for too long to not accept his apology. Please for me?
My fingers flew across the keys on my phone then I waited for Cal’s response.
I’ll be right there.
It wasn’t the response that I wanted.
I love you.
I didn’t know where he had been all night and all day, but I didn’t care. I would see him soon. Snowflakes began to fall slowly, melting on my face and tongue when I stuck it out to catch them. Aiden laughed at me. I realized then that he had a nice laugh.
“You should laugh more often,” I told him.
“Do you forgive me, Abby? If you will maybe Cal will? Coach Mac has been talking to me about my actions. My dad’s too. We’ve had some good heart to hearts. He’s helped me a lot.”
“I’m glad.”
He turned his head away from me and wiped his face. “I don’t want to be him, Abby.”
I reached over and touched his hand on the swing. “I don’t think you are, Aiden.”
His face turned back to mine. His eyes bright and watery with unshed tears. “I disagree. I wanted to hurt you the way my dad wants to hurt me. The bastard takes pleasure in beating the shit out of me.”
I dropped my hand to my side.
“Hard to hear shit like that, isn’t it?” He asked.
I nodded. I didn’t understand that kind of parenting. Although I didn’t see my dad a lot, I knew that he loved me. He and Mom didn’t believe in corporal punishment. They grounded us now that we were teenagers. As smaller children we did the time-out thing when Dad punished us. Mom was a softy even then, I realized now that I was older. She was the one with us all day when we were little and after we started school.
I heard my name and I looked across the park to the lot where Cal was. He was jogging to me now. He stopped by the swings barely winded but fierce when he eyed Aiden.
