Please Understand

Chapter 40: Stranger Things

I sped down the street with my music blaring, and knowing that Dad and Danny should both be at work. Mom was long gone, and I wasn't upset that I hadn't heard from her. At the same time, I haven't reached out to her either, but I probably wouldn't because she was the last person on my mind.

The car came to a screeching halt in front of my dark house. With the absence of Mom, the house seemed to die, the plants wilted, the pantry emptied, and the dishes piled up. I tried not to think about her as I hopped out of the car because I had other matters to tend to. The ladder next to Amelia's window was long gone, probably hidden somewhere in the garage. That wasn't going to stop me though. I loudly rummaged through our garage until I was able to get to the ladder that was behind piles of totes filled with Christmas decorations. I hoped she would hear me, or notice that I wasn't in school like I was supposed to be.

I probably looked ridiculous as I dragged the ladder across my yard, through our dying bushes, and set it up right under her window. When I looked up, her window creaked open, and she leaned against the frame, so she could watch me. Then, I jogged over to my car as I tried to suppress my smile. Hope that I still had time to fix things bubbled inside my chest. I grabbed the stuff out of my front seat, and speed walked over to the front door to drop all of it off. I went back to the ladder, gripped the sides, and looked up at her. "Can I come in?" I asked with a slight smirk.

There was a scowl set on her beautiful face, but I knew she was curious. "I guess so, but you can't stay long," she muttered with a shrug, and then she disappeared into her room.

Even though her answer wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, I still climbed through her window. The room was exactly the same, except her bags were packed in the corner. "Happy Birthday, Amelia," I said with a smile.

She crossed her arms over her chest with a pout and asked, "Why are you really here?"

I knew better than to walk over to her, but I wanted nothing more than to kiss her even though I knew I was taking her on an emotional roller-coaster. "I seriously came for your birthday. I left some stuff at your door, so we can celebrate before your dad comes home," I insisted as I made my way across her room.

She scoffed, but followed me down the hall. "So why didn't you just knock on the front door, instead of putting all of that effort into climbing up a ladder?" she asked.

"Well, I didn't think you would answer the front door. Plus, there's a lot of history with your window. It seemed appropriate," I answered with a shrug.

This time she snorted. "You're an idiot. I didn't want to let you in, but you made a huge deal about it, so I felt like I had to," she grumbled and then she pushed passed me, so she could open the door, and grab the gift bag. "What is all of this?"

I grabbed the box, and brought it into the kitchen. "I told you, I came here for your birthday," I laughed. I put the pink box on the table, and almost couldn't contain my excitement.

She set the bag on the floor. "Shouldn't you be at school?" she rudely snickered as she flipped the lid to the box. When she looked inside, her demeanor completely transformed. "Mason, you didn't have to do this." Her eyes lit up as she stared at the little white cake with blue roses and her name written across it.

"Amelia, I wanted to make everything up to you," I murmured, wishing I could do more for her, and wishing I hadn't left her that letter back in Seattle.

There was a smile on her face when she finally met my eyes. "Thank you," she whispered while she pushed up the sleeves of her black hoodie. She took the cake out of the box, and wandered into the kitchen to grab plates, forks, and a knife. "You know, I'm moving back as soon as the trial is over. Although, I'm really not needed here. They just wanted to know why Elaine had my license, but I think Detective Nix wants to ruin my life."