Broken

part 9

                That next morning Aaron sat glancing across the table at Kylie once and awhile as he ate his scrambled eggs. Walt looked back and forth between then, he set his fork down , leaning forward, and wrapped his fingers together, waiting for Aaron to explain what was going on, but after a moment leaned back with a sigh, which caused Kylie to look at him out the corner of her eye as she took a bite of her pancake. She wondered what was going on, Aaron kept looking at her every once and awhile, what was that look in his eyes? Anger, no, something like her father had, but when had she seen it?

                She finished her food and grabbed all of theirs’ and began to wash them in the sink. She turned and stretched up to kiss her uncle’s cheek as he went go do some business in town. She went back to the soapy water and grabbed a plate out of it and placed it in the strainer, repeating this until all the dishes were done. She dried her hands of and hung the towel over the sink side so it could dry off. She turned jumping a little as Aaron stood up, “Geesh, how long have you been there?” she asked

                “This whole time…I’ve just been thinking…” he said, this made Kylie begin to worried so she side stepped around him heading into the bedrooms to make the beds. Much to her dismay he followed her and leaned on the doors. “So what were you thinking about?” she finally asked well fluffing a pillow. Aaron’s eyes looked at her then dropped, “Dan,” Kylie stopped tightening her grip on the pillow as he went on and walked forward. “He doesn’t deserve you Kylie.” That’s when things went downhill; Aaron gently put his hands on her arms, near her shoulders, her panicked-primal-like instinct kicked in. She side-stepped around him and ran into her room.

                Aaron winced at the sound of her door slam, what had he done? He moved to fast, and said the wrong things. He reached up and grabbed his own hair, in frustration, he kicked the bed. How could he have been so stupid? He went and knocked on her door, “Kylie? I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to…I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just --just wanted to help. I’m sorry.” He said walking away to go sit in the living room.

                Kylie turned to the door at the sound of his voice; she was lying on the bed holding a pillow. She sat up at the part where he said he wanted to help; she finally decided to slide off the bed. She took hold of the doorknob and then headed out into the living room. She stood in the hallway of the kitchen that was connected to the living room. “What did you mean, you wanted to help me?” Aaron turned and stood up walking over to her, “I know what he’s done to you Kylie.. He’s beaten you, hurt you, and you don’t deserve that, he doesn’t deserve you.” He then wrapped his arms around her, she was tense at first then relaxed and wrapped her own arms around him.

                That was it that looks before, it was a look of protection and a want to help, and anger to Dan, how her dad looked even as he fought the cancer that eventually took him from her. Kylie was glad she had someone to help to, to talk with. “How did you find out?” she asked still holding onto him. “You talked in your sleep last night, and you eventually spilled the beans. Don’t worry though Walt doesn’t know.” He said Kylie nodded her chin rested on his shoulder; it was nice, being like this. She never got this with Dan, but this could happen, she was still with Dan, and until she found a way to break up with him, without being beaten, she would still be with him.

                “I’ll be here to help you Kylie. I know it’s not my place, but I don’t like the thought of you with him, I’m sorry to say that, but it’s true.” His arms tightened around her, he cared about her, more than he should have, but he was going to protect her. She was fragile, and scared, she needed protection. He barely knew her but he loved her, and he wasn’t going to let anything else in this world hurt her.