Where She Belongs

Hero.

After our initial meeting, I created the lie of doing a course for work which gave me a regular time to see David. Because I had to run the risk of Hannah and Aiden seeing each other and therefore the course could end up being a topic of conversation at some point, I actually enrolled into a basic level online graphic design course. This way it could sound legit to both of them, and I had evidence in the form of actual study at other times too.  The downside was that I felt horrible doing it all in the first place, but that it also meant I had to find time to fit in an actual course.

It was the worst thing going on in my life so really I couldn't complain and with Luke and Jack my only real confidents at the moment, I still managed to complain about it to them. Neither of them thought any of it was a good idea, because apparently, none of this could end well mostly due to how much of a dedicated student I have been in the past; which was hardly a student at all. 

Four weeks later I was developing an understanding of Photoshop so spent some of the time I should have been studying further putting my brothers faces onto other people, animals and mythical creatures to send to them. I also considered David as a friend now as we never seemed to run out of things to talk about or share. I got Luke to send me photos of my birthday parties, a couple from the few holidays we had taken, school dances and those kind of moments he had missed out on. If he was feeling more talkative than me, he would go over those first couple of years after his change or the ones before it. The last ten or so years were off topic, if I mentioned Aiden he'd change the subject or go quiet, and the vampire family or at least the one who made him were also no go areas. 

Naturally that was where my interest remained and if I was going to find a way to get some kind of truce happening, it was those years I needed to know about the most. The biggest issue I had though, was that if I got him to open up and even Aiden to a point, who did I believe since both told different sides to the story with the other being the bad guy. 

"You seem very distracted this evening." David commented as we left the old movie theatre.

In our talks, we discovered we shared a love for B-Grade movies so when a special showing of Sharknado was happening and on one of our nights, we had to go. 

"I'm just still trying to process that chainsaw scene." I tell him, and now that I think about it again, it was pretty amazing. Well, if that's the right word for it.

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

We go into a nearby coffee shop and I place my order before joining him at one of the tables at the back.

"Well?" He asks expectantly, sounding and looking a little too much like my other Dad when he was waiting for me to explain myself.

"Well what?" 

"What's going on with you tonight?" He pushes.

"You're not going to tell me so what's the point?" I sigh a little too dramatically and check the time on my phone.

"Try me." David offers, sitting back in the chair looking much too relaxed. 

The barista brings me my coffee and I take my time, stirring in some sugar and taking a sip. "I just want to know what's so bad between you and Aiden that you can't put it aside for my sake."

"Well, will he?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure, but he might." I shrug. "He didn't totally dismiss it the other day and after all thats happened, and really, after what you've done to him, if he can find it to move on, why the hell can't you?"

David went quiet and stared off at something behind me. I wasn't expecting an answer, after all I had been trying for weeks now so when he did speak, to say I wasn't surprised was I lie.