The Fallen Officer's Son

10.Dolan

Two other presentations happened after mine and a Carson's before class was over. We packed our things up and as we made our way out of the room, we were stopped by a group of classmates.

"Your presentation was really good," a girl said with a smile before adding, "your dad saved my dad's life that day." Carson blinked at her words, "my dad is alive because of the sacrifice of your dad that day."

"As is my mom," another girl said with a smile, "your dad is a true hero so I wanted to say I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you, I should have never acted that way."

"So you're only apologizing to Carson because of his dad?" I asked making them nod.

"Then I don't accept your apology," Carson said main them look at him, "your apology is not real and it's only because my father saved your mom or dad that you're coming to me to apologize. Had it been someone else's parent you wouldn't be talking to me."

"Just accept the apology geez," the guy said but Carson rolled his eyes, grabbed the sleeve of my hoody making  me  look down at him with a raised brow as he pulled me away from the fake apologizing teens.

"Where are we going?" I asked him once we were far away from the teens.

"Anywhere away from them," he mumbled before letting me go and giving me apologetic smile, "sorry for dragging you away."

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle, "no need to apologize, Carson, I would have done it if you didn't do it first." He looked up and blinked owlishly making me grin, "I hate fake people and those three back there were the fakest of them all."

He bit his cheek before nodding, "I hate people who only apologize when it's convenient to them."

"Agreed," I nodded, "anyway, now that we're far away from them, why get out of here?"

He tilted his head making him look like a confused puppy which only made me grin, "and go where?"

"Don't know," I shrugged, "but isn't that the point? Come on."

I grabbed him and dragged him to the doors of the school that led to freedom, at least for now anyway.

*****

I watched from behind Carson as he watched the different fish swim around in the massive fish tank at the aquarium with fascination. I smiled as he moved on to the next one before jumping back when a tiger shark swam close to the tank before giggling as he got close. There weren't a lot of people since it was a weekday and most people worked during the day.

I did tell him that we'd go back to the school before our next class since it wasn't far from it. He was very adamant about not wanting to skip school.

"We'll be back before next class starts," I promised as we got into my car and buckled up before I was reversing out of the parking lot and driving out of it down to the local aquarium.

"Okay," he replied as he looked out the window as we passed a few stores.

"Tell me about yourself," I stated as a way to make small talk. He looked over at me and I raised a brow as I gave him a quick glance.

"Um," he began, "I'm the older of three," I nodded, "you know my dad passed away during the 9/11 attacks." Again, I nodded as he began to tell me about himself, "at four years old when he died I was forced to move in with my biological mother and her on-again and off-again boyfriend." I looked over at him when I had stopped at a red light and saw him looking down at his hands that had turned white with how hard his was clenching them in his lap. I reached Dover and gave his hands a light squeeze.

"You don't need to tell me if it's hard, Carson," I said before quickly adding, "I'm sorry for asking you tell me about yourself." He shook his head before he grabbed my hand with his and began playing with my fingers and I nodded.

"They were arrested after I had ran away from home during the night after a very bad beating by Ryan." He said as he played with my fingers while i began driving again, "Amber said that my mama didn't love me anymore and that she was happy that I was gone but she lied." He took a shuffling breath as he spoke and I saw him wipe a tear away with the sleeve of his hoody before gong back to playing with my fingers, "I found out that I had twin sisters the day mama came to the police station after they had contacted her. They're the girls that were with me at the game the other day."

I hummed at his words as I remembered seeing him beside three beautiful women at the game. "What are their names? Your sisters and mama's?"

"Mama's name is Alexa while the twins are Ryder and Rylie."

"They seem like troublemakers," I stated as he smiled.

"They're a pain," he had agreed before he looked up when I stopped the car and gasped, eyes wide at his read the words TROPICAL OASIS above the entrance.

"You brought us to the aquarium?" He asked as he looked over at me and I hummed, "I've never been to an aquarium before."

"Really?" I asked shocked and he nodded, "then what are we waiting for?" He grinned before unbuckling his belt as he pushed the door open and jumping out. I chuckled as I followed suit.

"Come on we have to go see the other animals!" Carson said as he grabbed my hand breaking me out of my thoughts and began to drag me away towards the other enclosures.

We drove back to the school after we walked around the aquarium for a good 45 minutes and we had even made a pit stop at the cafe to grab something to eat since we didn't do much of it when we got there.

"Tell me about yourself," Carson asked as I began to drive us back to school.

"Alright," I nodded, "I'm the youngest of four. Camila and Emerson are the eldest at 24 while Luca is the second middle child at 23. Camila and Emerson are both married with children and are in the model and music industry respectively while Luca is a sophomore in college and is studying medicine." He nodded as he played with my fingers. I found it quite adorable that he did that and I had automatically given him my free hand and he had smiled at that. "Let's see my parents are in the law and order business with mom being a detective and dad a lawyer."

"What are their names?" He asked as I stopped at a red light.

"Cassandra and Christian." I replied making him stop what he had been doing which in turn made me look over at him with a raised brow. "Something wrong?"

"You're Mr. Pearson's son?" He asked and I furrowed my brows in confusion before nodding. I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before quickly blinking as tears began to gloss his eyes over. I cursed as I pulled over to the curve and put the car on park.

"What's wrong?" I asked as he sniffled his bottom lip began to quiver as tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.

"He-he's my lawyer," he sniffled making me blink in surprise.

"Lawyer?"

H nodded as he sniffled and wiped his tears away, "he's representing me on my case against Amber and Ryan."