Paint You Wings

Eight

"Annabelle, this isn't okay." My dad says, surprisingly calm over the phone.

"Yeah, well." I slap a hand over my forehead and Aaron's arm is instantly wrapped around my waist.

"We'll talk about this later. When are you coming home?"

I sigh. "I don't know, I don't think I ever will." I snap.

My dad gasps, "Annabelle, you have two days. Two. Days. I want you home by then. And I want a call. Tomorrow and the day after. You will come home after the second call. Got it? Good."

And he hangs up.

I laugh. It was a bitter laugh. "He doesn't even care."

Aaron stares at my phone, disbelief clear on his face. "Belle, you're more than welcome here."

I look at him and I'm so tempted to just say okay. But I can't. It'll be too difficult. What if he wakes up one morning and decides I'm not what he wants? "Thanks, but I think a hotel with suffice."

Aaron sighs, gets up, and squeezes the bridge of his nose as he closes his eyes tightly.

He opens them and stares straight into mine. "No, Belle, you don't have a choice anymore. I'm not letting you be alone for two days, maybe more knowing how much you disobey your dad. You are staying here. I don't care how long. You can stay for the rest of your life if you want, but you will not stay at a hotel."

I bite my lip. Do I tell him no? "Okay," I choke out.

Aaron smiles, truly happy and takes my hands in his. "Thank you." He says, placing a kiss on the top of my hand.

Tingles shoot up my arm and my body fills with want for him. He's pushed me away, and I don't dare try again.

I sigh, and then instantly regret it.

"What's wrong, now?" He questions, concern all over his face.

I shake my head and force a smile. "Nothing," I give him a reassuring kiss, but when my lips linger for a little bit too long, he gets the hint.

I go to pull away but he pulls me back.

"Aaron, don't do anything you don't want to."

He laughs. "Belle, trust me. This isn't something I don't want to do. Just something I haven't had time to do. It's very overdue, though." And with that, our lips mend together.

My phone rings suddenly.

Aaron's head perks up and I glance at it, creasing my eyebrows. "It's an unknown number." I pick it up and unlock it. "Hello?"

Sobbing comes through from the other end. "Belle? I need help."

"Maya? Where are you? Whats wrong?"

"It's Charlie. We got in a fight and he hit me. My phones almost dead. I'm at our old hangout behind the Speedway gas station."

"Okay, um, did he say where he was going?"

She starts crying again. "He's going home." Realization strikes her then. "You have to warn Aaron, oh god he's really pissed. Please do something, Belle."

"Okay I'll be right there." I shoot Aaron a worried look and he grabs his keys. We head out the door just as head lights pull in.

"Belle? Is every--" the line goes dead and me and Aaron stop in our tracks.

"Go," He says, pushing me on the lower back. "Get in the car." He hands me the keys and then walks over to Charlie.

My stomach lurches as Charlie glares viciously. He looks like he's about to kill someone.