Apart From The Truth

Chapter Five: You Noticed

AERO's POV

"you WHAT?" Aurelie squealed in shock.

It didn't seem like a happy squeal.

I nodded slowly as she stared at me.

"You don't seem happy," I pointed out now feeling awkward.

"I'm not not happy..."she began quietly. "Aero it just took you so long to get over him! I thought you guys were done forever?"

Me too Aurelie. Believe me, me too.

"I don't know...we've just...connected again," I explained poorly.

We sat just the two of us in the dining hall eating lunch. I assumed Patrick was with Thomas somewhere because Aurelie hadn't mentioned him.

"As long as you're happy..." she sighed with a somewhat real smile.

I had told her about our library kiss because I planned on getting dinner with him. We hadn't really talked about what we were doing, where it was going, or anything really about us being together again.

I didn't want to have the conversation anyway because the truth was I didn't really know what we were doing. This was all happening so suddenly that I couldn't think straight. The only thing I knew for sure was that we needed to go out together in public like we were normal people.

We needed normalcy if it was going to work between us. Who even knew if we would work, everything already felt like a shit show.

"How's Thomas?" I asked Aurelie wanting her honest answer.

She shrugged her shoulders and answered, "He's okay, I think. I haven't actually talked to him in a while."

That answer didn't help ease my mind. Guilt was stuck in my head so heavily that I just felt a constant lump in my throat.

No matter how much we had said in our fight I knew a big part of me still loved him. I couldn't even pretend that I didn't.

My biggest fear as of then was running into him when Ben and I went on our date.

And of course, with my luck, we did in fact run into Thomas on our date.

BLAKE's POV

I ignored the missed calls from my father and texts from Sam. I was tired of them constantly checking up on me like I was a fucking adult.

"Who keeps ringing you?" Rick asked rolling over.

I locked my phone and placed it back down on the bedside table.

"No one," I lied through my teeth bitterly.

He frowned at me with a slight smirk before attempting to reach over me and grab my phone.

"I said it's no one!" I complained while pushing his arm away.

"It's your father, isn't it?" He said calling me out.

We laid together on his bed, him shirtless and me wearing his shirt from the night before.

I traced my fingers along the flower designed bed sheet. Its white base color was lined with small, yellow daisies, and I absolutely hated them. I hated the entire room.

It gave off 1950s married couple vibes in the worst way possible. Round picture frames everywhere filled with family pictures lining every wooden piece of furniture in the room.

"It doesn't matter," I rolled my eyes.

He laid on his side with his head resting on his hand. He looked at me with his big eyes seeming innocent.

"You're still upset about what happened at the party, aren't you?" He asked with slight annoyance.

I took in a quick gulp of air as my chest tightened. I hated feeling uncomfortable.

"I tried telling you that I'm not judging you for it, I was just checking in," he attempted to explain to me.

I narrowed my eyes and asked, "So you went to my father? How did I even come up anyway?"

He tightened his lips while looking slightly nervous.

"He brought it up actually," he began slowly.

I looked away from him and sat up in bed. I squeezed my eyes shut for a second as sudden rage filled my body.

"But I knew...or rather noticed before he brought it up anyway, so don't give him the piss. He's just concerned about your wel-"

I turned my head quickly as I stood up off the bed.

"I'm fine. I don't need anyone to be concerned about me. And I don't appreciate you going behind my back to talk to my father about me. It's weird!"

He sat up slowly as I continued to yell at him.

"Why don't you just keep your concern to your wife and family, ok?"

He rolled his eyes back and crossed his arms.

"Come back to bed, I'm sorry for upsetting you," he whined lightly.

I didn't move and continued to glare at him.

"What did you mean when you said you noticed?" I asked remembering his choice of words.

I suddenly felt self conscious of everything.

"What?" He scoffed at me before rubbing his eyes.

"There's nothing to fucking notice," I snapped defensively, putting extra emphasis on notice.

I didn't want to be noticed, in fact I wanted to be left alone.

"Just pretended I didn't say anything," he said scooting towards me. "It's not what I meant. Honestly."

The way he looked at me made me want to punch him in the face.

Stop looking at me like you feel sorry for me.

"I'm gonna go," I sighed beginning to unbutton his shirt. "So I don't concern you any longer."

"You're being ridiculous. Don't go. This is the only day left we have together before my wife comes—" he began but I cut him off.

"Turn away," I yelled at him. "Turn away!"

He let out another groan and turned to face the wall opposite of me.

After all of the buttons were undone I ripped the shirt open and pull each arm out of it. I smooshed it down into a ball and threw it at his head.

"Blake—" he sighed in defeat turning back around to look at me.

I picked my jumper up from the floor and slid it over my head as quickly as I could. We stared at each other both in a state of anger and frustration.

"Give your wife a good fuck for me, yeah?" I told him before turning away and leaving the room.

By the time I went downstairs and reached the front door I was out of breath. I just felt so irrationally angry I didn't know how to deal with it.

I grabbed my pack of cigarettes out of my pocket but it was almost impossible to light one because my hands couldn't stop shaking.

"Fucking hell," I mumbled to myself as I walked down the street.

I gave up on lighting one and just held it in between my lips unlit.

For whatever reason my mind wandered from my own problems and onto someone else's. Parker.

How do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped?

I knew all about that too much as someone who never wanted help.

Parker was different though because deep down I think he did want help.

I thought back to everything his father had said to me and based on my impression of him how much trauma Parker probably had.

I then got a really stupid idea. If I couldn't convince Parker myself, maybe I went to the wrong half of their relationship.

Maybe It was time to confront Holden.