What Makes a Family

6-Understanding Loathing

IF YOU WOULD PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LEAVE AN ASTERIX* ON ANY OF MY GRAMMAR/SPELLING MISTAKES

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Aldric had immediately took me to pack up my shit and move me into his bedroom. While we packed we had light conversation, but he seemed to be thinking about something. Nearly twenty minutes into packing he voiced his concerns. "Your mother's right. People will question your bruises, and unless you've changed your mind about confessing it was your mother you won't be able to go to work with me." The realization hit me like a freight train that if I didn't fess up I'd be stuck in this house over the weekend by myself until he got off.

Noticing how scared I suddenly became he rushed over, pulling me into his gentle embrace so as not to hurt my delicate body. The tears were falling hard and fast and just wouldn't seem to stop. For a second I had the ridiculous notion of being Alice in Wonderland. If I kept crying this much the room was sure to fill to the roof with my salty tears.

"I won't let her hurt you any more, Anna." At that name I froze on the spot, not sure if I'd heard him right. There was no way he knew!

I stuttered to get my words out. "Wha-what did you call me?"

Pulling me back enough to meet his soft smile he brushed my bangs back behind my ear. If I'd thought I had trouble breathing due to crying I'd been sadly mistaken when I nearly fainted of breathlessness to his touches and gentle smiles. It had been so long since we'd had a conversation as Tatiana where he'd smiled like that. It almost made me believe for a second he truly knew and didn't care, but I was wrong.

"Anna, it's a short nickname for Lana is it not? And you kind of remind me of someone I call that. Same situation and personality." How Tatiana and I shared the same personality to him baffled me but I was forced to play dumb.

I simply shook my head with a sad frown. "I hope she finds help. I would never wish this satiation on even my worst enemy." At that Aldric sighs before he grabs the last few boxes we'd packed to take down the hall to his room. It's silence for several moments until we place all the boxes down and he pulls me to sit beside him on his large king size bed.

Looking around his room I'm surprised at how simple it is. The only things in the room are his bed, a single 4 drawer dresser, and a laptop propped up on the small nightstand by the bed. It had simple colors as well; the furniture was all black with a black and gray squared comforter.

Aldric noticed me taking in the room and spoke up for the first time since we'd entered. "I only stay here over the weekends, but now that you guys are moved in and given the newest circumstances we've been put in I feel you'd be safer if you moved into my apartment with me until we can make sure you're safe enough to stay on your own." I was stunned into silence for the second time that afternoon as he picked up my hand and stroked a thumb over my knuckles.

I thought of all the awful scenarios living with Aldric could cause, but the idea of staying with my mom any longer quickly outweighed those problems. I could figure out a new schedule for Tatiana. I'd gotten a text from my boss while packing up that they no longer needed me, so I was let go. Honestly, I'd seen it coming with me still being in my three-month probation, but it still saddened me knowing I had to take on more hours as Tatiana. Now that my relationship with Aldric was all kinds of fucked up I didn't enjoy the job as much as I used to.

"What do you say? Want to move in with me?" He asked, seeing as I had yet to answer him. All I could do was nod, and to my surprise he gave me a dazzling smile in response. "Great, we'll stay here over the weekend while I get someone to get your stuff settled in and we can head over Monday."

My chest hurt at everything that had happened in the last month, but I figured this had to be the best thing for me. I needed to distance myself from her, and if I stayed here there would be no telling how bad it would be next time. I could already tell with how deep her ring had cut it would leave an ugly scar over my stomach.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Aldric suddenly speaks up, drawing me out of my thoughts; I simply nod my head as I wait for whatever it is he wants to know. "Why do you stay? I mean, I can understand she's your mom, but there has to be other people out there in your family willing to help, right? What about your dad?" The pain his question brings me isn't nearly as bad as it used to me. A mourning child feels things so much deeper than a mere adolescent.

I shrug in answer, looking down at my hand he still holds. "My dad was an orphan. That's why he wanted to join the military so badly as a young man. He wanted to do good in the world, and felt that that was the place meant for him. I was only conceived on one of his five year absences. My parents loved each other, no matter how short of a story they may have had, but other than my mom I've never known her family. They've never come around and as far as I know don't care to. Renee ran away from home when she turned eighteen and never looked back. No one ever bothered to look for her, I guess."

I could tell my sudden openness with him turned him for a loop, but I didn't want any more secrets with the man that was rescuing me from such a shity situation than I already had. If things had been different I could have been happy with him, but life had a shity way of crapping all over my parade when it was just starting to get good.

The next day while Aldric was at work his dad came into the room, my mother in toe, demanding I be up front and honest about my relationship with my step brother. I was quite speechless at the audacity this man had, but I knew he cared for my mother enough to marry her so what was the word of an orphaned, spiteful teen to that of his wife? Giving my head a gentle shake I played dumb, but it didn't seem to trick him. He saw right through me, and I could tell he was a bit grossed out at the concept of a step sibling love interest.

With a quiet sob I listened to Darius berate and insult me at every corner, calling me all the names I knew my mother had planted in his head. I knew it was so because it was all the names she called me by any chance she got. He'd heard them enough apparently to pick up on a few. Writing up a short note to Aldric I left it on his bedside table as I took the two little boxes I could carry out.

I told him I was grateful for everything he was trying to do for me, but couldn't allow myself to associate with someone who had deep ties to the seed of the problem and that I hoped he understood I held no ill will towards him or his father. I understood his fathers' concerns for not wanting me around him and respected the wishes of the good man I knew he could be. Of course, I didn't particularly word it that way, because he could have put everything together and realized who I was, but he got the gist of it. I was grateful, but his father was kicking me out.

With nowhere else to turn, and the only cash I had on me dwindeling I made a pit stop at the bank to withdraw my college money from my savings account and headed to a cheap motel I could hole up in until I figured out what my next moves were.

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Q&A

LET'S GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER! Here is where I will list a few questions to ask you guys so I can get to know each and every one of you.

0. Comment here with any questions you have for me.

1. How do you think Aldric is going to react to finding Lana kicked out when he gets off work?

2. What were you thinking when he called her ana?

3. Where do you think this story is going?

4. Favorite books to read on wattpad? I always need something new (and finished).

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PLEASE VOTE

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COMMENT

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