Kidnapped By An Alpha Jerk

Chapter 69

April's POV

I hung my head miserably, half listening to Beau and Daniel making small talk.

"April."

I looked up.

"Stop looking so miserable."

"My mum hates me. I think I'm entitled to feeling like a horrible child."

He pouted at me sympathetically, resting his warm hand on my shoulder, "she'll get round to it – she's your mum, Ap. I've seen how close you are. You wouldn't leave each other on this note."

"He's right," Daniel agreed seriously. "You would never chose between them... and your choice – it's your choice, not Aiden's and not your mum's."

"Daniel, that's the smartest thing you've said since you came out of your mum." Daniel grimaced and whipped forward, clapping Beau over the head sharply. 

"Thanks guys – for the food too." I glanced down at my half-eaten sandwich and squinted at the concoction they had prepared for me collectively. I'm fairly certain parts of it weren't edible, but they had made it with such excitement, that I didn't have the heart to upset them. And besides, I really did appreciate the gesture. "It was great."

I excused myself after a while, and pulled out my phone from my pocket. I checked my messages but nor Aiden or my mum had texted me back, leaving me feeling somewhat hollow. A sudden thought dawned on me. I quickly typed a message:

Me: Hey, can I attend one of your sessions?

A reply came after precisely 54.7 seconds.

 Sure. Come on over, you're more than welcome. – Slap

Me: Thanks. Be there soon.

Grabbing my shoes, I shoved my feet into them and tied it up tightly. I was at the main house where everyone seemed to be nowadays – ironically, I don't think I was welcome in my own apartment anymore.

Truthfully, I was too scared to go back because I wasn't sure what to expect – or more realistically, what was expected from me.

* * * * * *

"Well... I don't really have a problem." I looked at Slap nervously. He nodded once encouragingly and I threw my head down again.

"But... I just have a confession to make." I took a deep breath. "I'm a horrible child. I hurt my mother in the worst way possible and I can't fix that now, because what I did - or said – was permanent. I can't change it. And, I hurt the one other person I care most about. So yeah." I trailed away. I glanced up, half expecting to see people shaking their heads at me in disgust. But they weren't; they didn't even seem remotely surprise. "That's it."

"Thank you for sharing with us, April." Slap said in his most serious of voices. When the rest of the group had droned a half-hearted repeat of: we understand that life sucks sometimes, April. Slap shot me a small, reassuring smile and I nodded at him minutely.

Once the session was finished, my 'self confession' seemed pretty lame. People's parents were divorcing, one boy just got out of juvenile detention and was struggling to adjust – another girl was recovering from losing the ability to swim, a lifelong dream, after an injury.

My confession sounded like a whining school girl complaining about everything and anything.

Which I was.

And hated that I was.

* * * * * *

I swung my legs from the high chair, burning my hands from the cold radiating from my iced tea. I was back in the old cafe I had once worked in, but of course, after being kidnapped and missing numerous days of work, I'd inevitably been fired.