Love Hits Hard

Chapter 6-Moving

Wait, why now?

It's best if you don't ask questions.

Well, I'm going to. This is our son on the line.

Just, please Adam. Take care of him, he needs the best life that he can get. Adam, just say yes. Jasmine will be the mother figure. I just need some time, you guys will get sometime to bond and who knows, maybe you'll want to be his primary caretaker after this.

No, Athena, don't cry. I could never take Jackson away from you.

I'm a terrible mother, I don't deserve Jackson or you or Brendan or Ethan or Adelaide or Jessica, I'm useless, you all deserve better.

Stop that, right now. You're worth the world to me and to Jackson and to everyone else, you just have to see that too.

Stop, you wouldn't be able to say that to my face. I would have been so much better if I just put Jackson up for adoption, then at least he would of had a chance at a good life. At least watch him for this weekend, please?

I'll do that but no longer, he needs you more than you think.

Thank you, I'll drop him off around 4, sorry to ruin your anniversary.

Nah, he'll just add to the fun. What about the doctors?

I️ made that up, he's fun but he does have to go for a check-up soon. Thank you again.

Athena, never pull anything like this, ever again.

Never again.

Good, now, I'll see you at 4.

He hung up the phone and I sat there, sobbing in my car.

Life would be so much easier if I just died, if I never existed.

I went to get out of the car but I saw Ethan leaving the building and walked straight over to the car. He tried opening the door but I locked it before he got the chance.

"Athena, open the door."

"Go away," I said sadly.

"Not happening, I'm your twin sibling and yes, you did act like a bitch earlier and I was upset and hurt too. You're not the only one who suffers from your actions so open up."

I silently unlocked the door and he got in and sat on the passengers side.

"What were you thinking?" He asked softly.

"I don't feel loved. I used to think that me and Adam would be together forever but now he's been dating a girl for six months and I didn't even know. He's having this great life, probably going to have another kid but I'm this ugly, single teen mom that no one cares about."

"I care about you," he said pulling me into an embrace.

"You have to, you're my twin."

"I chose to, I never signed a contract. For all it matters, I could have kicked you out of the house when it was signed over to my name when Mom and Dad died but I didn't and you know why? Because I care Athena, I've always cared."

"Why don't you want me to be happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't want me and Brendan to date but there are no other guys who have ever shown interest in me."

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

"No guy other than Brendan and Adam has liked me since before middle school, I just want to be loved."

"Are you kidding? Dad would always scare off any guys that came over the house and I would threaten them at school, I'm pretty sure every guy in this school would date you in they had the chance."

"Bullshit," I laughed.

"I remember Dad asking me which guys to turn the sprinklers on for when they came near the house to get them wet and scare them away. Those were some memories," he laughed.

"Is that why even guy basically ignores me?"

"You're welcome," he said proudly.

"No, no thank you. You guys suck," I said with a fake sadness in my voice. "Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you want for me and Adam to not do well together?"

"Why would you say that?"

"You and Dad were never nice to him and you didn't feel bad for me when we broke up."

"Athena, he's four years older than you."

"So what? I can't love him? I can't love anyone because I'm too young? Ethan, I can't do this anymore," I say beginning to cry.

"Athena, you're stronger than you will ever know, you can and will do this."

"Ethan, I need help. I love you and Adelaide but I feel like I'm only dragging you down. I'll move out soon, I swear. I know how much you guys are fed up with Jackson."

"Athena, we love you and Jackson both so much, your half of our only family that we have left. So maybe we get sick of each other every once and a while but what family doesn't?"

"That doesn't make me feel better. Once I turn 18, I'll get an apartment and be out of your lives with Jackson."

"For Christ's sake, Athena, we don't want you out of our lives."

"Maybe I could get an apartment with someone..."

"Athie," he said looking me straight in the eyes. "Stop, you're really upsetting me. Do you actually think that me and Adelaide want to out of the house?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't you?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because your the only family that we have left, maybe because your the most amazing and perfect person on the face of the earth but your stupid enough to stop yourself from seeing hat which I will never understand."

"You're lying."

"Why would I? I would have nothing to gain from it."

"I got pregnant at 16, I could have been on the show 16 and pregnant."

"So you made a mistake but you know what you ended up with?"

"A broken heart?"

"No, a beautiful son that loves you more than you will ever know."

"He's the only good thing in my life."

"So don't ruin it because you think that world is unfair. There are so many people who care about you but you're too naive to see that."

"Thank you?"

"Sorry, that was meant to be a compliment but it came out wrong. And, about Brendan."

"Yeah?"

"You have my blessing," he laughed out.

"Wow, thanks dad," I laughed about as well.

We hugged and got out of the car. I had gotten a sudden surge of strength that would get me though the last two periods of the day.

***