Smell Of Daises

Chapter 16

"What happened to her?" I shrug my shoulders to release the tension in them. Aaron's dad looks me right in my eyes and shakes his head. A tear rolls down his left cheek and he let out a huge sigh before responding to my eager question.

"Car crash." he bites his lower lip with his hunched shoulders faced towards me. The pencil that was suppose to be in the front office was in his mouth, he chewed on the pencil like a dog chewing it's toy. 

After what felt like hours Aaron came back out with a huge pout on his face. His arms remind crossed while he walks out and sits next to me once again. The tears in his eyes are gone but it seems like he had recently wiped them away.

"So how is she?" I ask, maybe the question was too sudden but I was really curious. He tilts his head towards me and lays his head on my chest. He closes his tired eyes.

"We don't know yet but the doctors thinks that she's going to be alright." he said with his eyes still closed and his head resting on my chest. I hold his sweaty hand and he takes off my engagement ring and glances at it for the first time.

"This ring is really nice, who did you get it from? he holds the ring between two of his narrow fingers. His eyes light up as he looks closely at the ring. I scratch the back on my neck, I don't know what to answer. Who still wears their ring after the relationship has ended? It's a comfort item.

"My dad got me it. It's been a comfort item ever since he passed away." I lie looking right into his honey eyes. He slowly nods his head while he puts the ring back on my finger. The diamond sparkle back at him. 

A doctor exits from his mother's hospital room with a broad smile on his face. He looks down at his notes while tapping his foot on the group. 

"I have some good news about Elizabeth." he reads out loud for everyone to hear. Aaron's warm smile comes out while his lashes flutter. His dad that was half asleep quickly wakes up from his thoughts and the bright hospital light blinds him so he squints his eyes while he raises his eyebrows. 

"She's alright but she needs to rest. She'll accept visitors tomorrow morning, in the meantime you can go home." the doctor announces. Aaron's eyes sparkle like the stars from my bedroom window. 

I have always wanted to be everyone's star. It might sound so dumb but it seems nice to have everyone stare at you for hours just admiring your beauty. But perhaps i'm alright being your star only, my dear Aaron. 

Only a few moments later I find myself on my way home with Aaron. He still has that huge warm smile on his freckled face while he's driving. At times I find him stare at me like I stare up at the stars. Maybe I'm his star.

We drive up to my driveway and exit the car. My mom is taking care of her plants outside of my house and she waves at us with an inviting smile.

"So you two, huh?" she giggles while smirking at us. She twirls her fingers through her hair before she puts her arms around Aaron and hugs him tightly. 

"Come in! You guys must be tired, I will make some dinner." she puts her cold hands in her pockets and walk into the house with us following her like small ducklings. My step dad turns his head towards us as soon as we entered the house.

"I heard about the car crash, I hope you're alright pal." was the first words he said, my mom gave him a strange look by lowering her thin eyebrows and shaking her head while crossing her arms. She continued into the kitchen

"Oh nevermind, you don't have to answer that." my step dad said while doing the weird nervous laughter thing that he always does. I could tell that he was breathing quickly and his face looked red from embarrasment. 

Aaron followed me up to my room. We sat down on my bed and started talking.

"I'm sorry about mystep dad. He's so insensitive." I didn't want Aaron to feel uncomfortable my step dad but it was hard. Even I feel awkward around him, he's like toxic masculinity as a person. 

"I have to go to the bathroom." Aaron started walking towards the upstairs bathroom. While waiting for him I heard a sudden knock on the window. Who can that be? I thought to myself. I looked outside the window and there was Christopher. I opened the window and he jumped into my bedroom. 

"What are you doing here?!" I freaked out, why was Christopher standing in my bedroom. Shouldn't he be with his beloved girlfriend? He grabbed my shoulders to hold me still.

"I told you that I would never leave-" he got stopped by the fact that Aaron walked into my room. Aaron started clenching his fists while he lowered his eyebrows and squinted his eyes. 

"What is he doing here!" he yelled. Christopher quickly released my shoulders from his strong arms. He walked over to Aaron with a smirk on his face. I could tell that Aaron was getting quiet from the intense eye contact Christopher gave him. 

"We're getting married, didn't you know?" he lifted his hand to show his matching ring on his finger. Aaron raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a confused look. He crossed his arms and was frozen in place.

"I thought your dad gave you that ring?" the tone of his voice sounded anxious, and brittle. His usual voice was very low pitched and calm but now it was shaky. He stared deep into my soul like he was trying to read me.

"It was hard to tell you, I didn't want you to freak out!" my eyes were starting to tear up and my rosy cheeks were as pale as a ghost. I wish he could just understand how I felt in that moment, it was my fault that I lied. I shouldn't have done that. 

"So you lied?! You two deserve each other!" he said as he closed the door behind him and ran out of my house.