Forgotten Past

Chapter Three

Jackson Taylor

When he said those words, I froze. His father had been doing this to him. The thought of his dad beating him made me angry. Why would he do this to such a precious person? His own son.

All of a sudden, I felt hot tears start running down my face. I haven't cried since my sister died, over three years ago. That's when all the stuff started happening between me and my brother. Apparently, he had been doing it to my sister. I felt confused and angry at the same time. How could he do that to his own family? It was almost the same as Aiden's problem.

"Your father?" Noah noticed the anger in my voice and pulled me back so wouldn't accidentally hurt Aiden. Aiden watched me as I paced the room. "How could your father do this to you!? You are perfect!" I cover my mouth after I said those words. I turned around and blushed. Why did I just say that? I'm so dead. Maybe he didn't notice. I turned around to see his eyes wide and a blush across his face.

"You... I... My dad... What?" He stammered. He was sitting up now. He was surprised that I called him perfect. I'm going to play it off as if it didn't happen, to save me from the embarrassment.

"What did you do to make him want to beat you, Aiden?" I asked softer. I stopped pacing and stood still. He looked down at his hand and twiddled his thumbs.

"Well?" Noah asked out of nowhere.

"Um... I had just got home... And I was going to tell him that I found a job-" He was cut off by Noah.

"Why do you have a job already?" He asked confused. I had to admit that I was confused, too. He rolled his eyes.

"Not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouth." He snapped. Noah backed off. He noticed that he had just snapped at his new friend and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I have to get a job to pay the bills for my house and other things that we need." Noah's eyes widened.

"Why isn't your father paying the bills?" Aiden looked down.

"Well, he used to, but when I got old enough to get a job he decided that I could do it. He is still grieving. When I was born, my mother left him for another guy. She now has a few kids of her own."

"That doesn't give him the right to make his own son pay all the bills!" Aiden didn't argue this time. He just continued on with his story.

"He had been drinking, a lot before I came home and he was just drunk. He was watching TV while I was telling him and he told me to move, but I didn't listen. So he shoved me out of the way and told me to move and that is when he started hitting me and kicking me. I wasn't doing as I was told and that is why I got beat. I deserved it." He finished. My mouth was wide open.

"You didn't deserve that! Your father is supposed to love and cherish you! I can't even believe that you would think that!" I yelled at him. He flinched and looked away. Noah patted my should and shook his head no. Maybe that was too much. No, he needed to know that his father couldn't just beat him up like that.

Aiden is looking at the clock and widening his eyes.

"I'm sorry,but I have to go. I can't be late." I grabbed his arm before he ran out the door.

"Late for what?"

"I have to be home by six pm. He's going to beat me again, please let me go." I shook my head.

"No. You are staying here."

"What?" Both Noah and Aiden asked at the same time.

"You heard me. Plus, I don't want you going back to a father that will beat you if you aren't home by six. Absolutely not." I explain. He looked like he was thinking about what I had just told him.