Painting Annalise

29.The heavy words

I've decided to leave this line for comments on the motivational pictures <3

"Thank you," I move to open the door, but he pulls me back gently by my elbow.

"I should be the one saying all the thank you's," the car seems too hot and the things I want to do with him, aren't right. It's not me, so with a lack of trust in my words I nod.

"Um, the trunk?" I ask awkwardly because my bicycle is still there. Brayden nods before getting down from the car. He helps me carry it to the front door against my wishes but he's too stubborn to listen.

"Now that I think about it, I don't know how old you turn," I say once we get to the doorstep

"Why's that important?" he chuckles gently, not in a way like he's hiding anything, almost like he wanted to tease me.

"Very well. I'll ask Jaden"

He laughs some more and as soon as his laugh dies down we're just staring at each other.

"I'm going to go now," he scratches the back of his neck which was something I noticed he did when he was embarrassed or nervous.

"Goodnight and happy birthday" I yell as he walks away.

"Dream of me, my love" he gets back into the car

I wave expecting him to go but his car is still in front of my house.

"What?" I ask clearly confused

"I'm waiting for you to go inside" that was the very last answer I was expecting with a smile I nod and quickly walk inside.

While Brayden and I were walking up the little steps in front of the house, I had spotted my mum and Aaron from the window. They probably didn't think I saw them but curtains don't fold on their own.

"You can come out now," I say in a bored tone while walking to my room.

"I told you she saw us" I hear my mum say to Aaron

"That's not the point, she came home at past midnight with some dude we don't know" Aaron whisper yells at my mum

"But my baby girl is happy, haven't you noticed how she's changed?" My mum whispers back

Why does everyone keep talking about me changing?

"Well, that's until he walks out of her life and she relapses into the worst state possible" this time the whispering is gone and I could tell he wanted me to hear from how loud his voice was. It hurt, I mean my chest tightened and I was slowly forgetting how to breathe because I had never considered what would happen when Brayden walked away.

I hear a smack before the sound of keys and the door slamming shut. I look out the window and see Aaron's car speeding down the street

"You want to follow him?" My Mum asks from my door

I shake my head no and close the curtains.

"He's just like your father, so hot-headed" she mutters as she sits on the edge of my bed

I see her eyes roam the room because she hadn't been this inside since I was in middle school unless she snuck in while I was at school.

"I hit him," she says quietly like she's speaking to herself

"I fucking hit my son" she repeats still in shock

"It's ok mum" I sit beside her and place her head on my laps

"I hit him" she whispers and soon I feel my jeans get wet

I stroke her hair while she cries on my lap. From how she looked this morning and the mornings before that, I could tell she missed my dad and had no one to pour out her feelings to. My Aunty had left since the second week of the burial and all my mum did was stay at home up until earlier this week when she had laid Brent off the grocery shopping.

Even though she hit Aaron, I knew the tears were for something else. She felt she was letting my dad down like she wasn't doing a good job but the reality was far from that. Not to mention how obvious it was that she missed him.

She quickly lifts her head up and starts wiping her tears away.

"I'm sorry for ruining your night and your jeans," she says with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes

"It's ok mum" she nods and gets up to leave but I stop her

"You can stay here with me, if you want" I add the last part quickly

A few tears roll down her cheek and she nods while sitting back on the bed. There's shock written all over her face but the sadness overshadows it.

I quickly change and get a tub of ice cream and popcorn. When I enter she stares at me confused.

"If we lay down we both know we won't sleep," I say making her giggle a little. I don't know about her, but I knew I would certainly not get any sleep because even though I made Brayden smile, I knew he was expecting me at his party.

I turn on the tv and look for a movie we can both watch.

We were already halfway through the ice cream and my mum was looking like her old self. Smiling and laughing. The first movie was over so we decide to take another. Maybe sugar before sleeping wasn't the best idea. We were very much awake when I started the next movie. The popcorn was gone but the ice cream was very much present.

I don't know when or how we both fell asleep. But I wake up to the sound of my door creaking open. The figure walks into the room quietly and turns off the tv. I see him take a picture of mum and me while smiling like a creep.

What's with everyone taking pictures today.

Aaron puts a blanket on both of us and packs up all the dirt.

"She's sorry" I whisper trying so hard not to wake mum

"I know," he says before playing a light kiss on my forehead and leaving the room.

She stirs in her sleep and I fear we woke her up but she just cuddles me and continues releasing light snores.

Before I know it, I'm pulled into my dreamless sleep after pondering over different thoughts, we didn't do anything more than our usual meetings yet, I couldn't push the feeling that we weren't just friends like the way I saw Jacob.

I also thought about Aaron's words and even though he was angry, they seemed to deliver such a blow.

I've been updating so fast, I think I may actually finish this year.