Breathe Me

13. Forget those Blue Eyes

Charlie's P.O.V.

I thought we were over this. I thought he was a friend. I mean, the way he was treating me last night, I thought that meant we were okay now. I don't understand him sometimes. He's in his Straight Up Asshole mindset right now I guess. Maybe that's all he really is, he's just pretending when he's being "nice." He's faking the whole nice mask. Underneath he'll always be the asshole Pete and the rest of my friends warned me about. That reminds me, I'll need to apologize to Pete for not believing him when he said Aiden was bad news. Hopefully he can forgive me.

I bust back into the house, half crying, half fuming mad. 

"I'm surprised you guys are back so- Charlie..." Ace is already headed in my direction when he sees my face. "What happened?" 

"Your friend is an asshole." I sniffle, trying to hide how hurt I feel.

"We noticed that a long time ago. What did he do?" Ace sits me down in the wooden chair I was in before I had followed Aiden outside. Carter doesn't seem to know what to do, Liam is trying his best not to look pissed, Jack looks worried as hell, and Ace is kneeling in front of me, waiting for my answer. Ace puts a hand on my shoulder, consoling me.

So I started at the beginning. I told everything from how Aiden originally said he didn't like me at all before the game to last night in his room to the hard look in his eyes when he spoke to me today. I told them what he said, how he said it, everything. By the end of my mini story, every one of them looks like they want to kill him. 

"Where is he?" Liam asks. 

"Some tree house down that path." I point outside to the dirt path. 

"I'm going to punch him." Ace stands and before I can even speak, he's out the door.

My expression of worry much be clear because Carter says, "Don't worry, we'll go after him."

"Don't go anywhere, we'll be back soon." Liam, who still looks groggy, says before following Ace. 

Carter doesn't say anything or look at me, he just follows as well. Jack gives a small smile, trying to reassure my worries. I'm not sure what exactly I'm worried about. Maybe Aiden retaliating and hurting one of them, I don't really know. 

I sigh and watch them all disappear into the trees. Aiden told me to go home so I guess it's time I went home. 

I slip off his hoodie, laying it over the back of the couch. I'll miss that hoodie a lot. It was so warm and soft, and it smelled like Aiden- which doesn't matter at all because he doesn't like you. 

I shake the thoughts and walk outside the front door. I'm in just my tank top and skinny jeans so I'm freezing. The storm last night had rolled in an icy breeze that I don't handle well. I've got a long way to walk home, so I need to just focus on getting home, no thinking about Aiden or the guys or anything. 

Lost in thought about what I said not to think about, I step right in a deep puddle, soaking my shoe. Perfect. 

<3

It doesn't take as long as I expected to get home. Only an hour's walk. Luckily my step dad won't be home since It's still early. The front door is locked, which is odd. My step dad never thinks to lock the door. I walk around back to the porch door. Thank god it's unlocked.

The living room is as it was when I left, except worse. Glass everywhere. 

I should get to work on cleaning it and I'll need to start dinner before he gets home. No need to make my punishment for being gone any worse because of the mess and lack of food for him.