Trying Not To Love (COMPLETED)

Chapter 22 ✅

Chapter Twenty Two- The worst apology

"What did you just say?" I jumped off the counter and almost fell face first. My grin was so wide my cheeks started to hurt.

Alden shrugged, turning around. He placed the bread slices with the ham and the cheese and just layered them up before taking a huge bite of it.

He sat on the bar stool beside me. My heart was running fast.

Dad called?

He was fine.

And everything was fine?!!

I grabbed his bicep and jumped like a five year old. "What did he say? Did you save his number? Send it to me. And why didn't he call me?"

I remembered dad telling us all that he would only call me-- considering I didn't have a life and he knew I would pick his call at all times no matter what time it was of the day.

Alden swallowed his bite and then popped open the can of Fanta. His eyes stuck on his half eaten sandwich when he spoke, "I was at work when he called, I couldn't talk much. He said he's fine and everything is going great. He'd taken a rented place for sometime but he hadn't bought a phone yet. He'd called from a phone booth. And then I had to hung up. I don't know why he called me and not you." Why couldn't I hear the same happiness in his words which my heart felt?

He answered all of my questions, giving me a lot to take in. But, it felt like a huge rock-- or hell, a mountain-- was lifted off of my chest.

I was able to breath better.

I hopped back on the counter and took another bite my P&B sandwich. "Okay..."

After what happened at school all of us except Easton came home. We just hung out in the living room. Elliot and Alden were furious as to what happened and were trying to connect the missing dots. Like why would Arnold do that to me?

Me and Jeanette for the most part kept quiet, letting them assume things which were far away from the truth. Tabby was upstairs and didn't come down. I was glad she didn't because I wanted to tell her the true version of what happened before anyone else could.

Couple of hours later, Elliot and Jeanette left. She had apologized for leaving me alone to tell Tabby the truth. Her mom had called her in to take care of her younger brother. I didn't know much about her family or maybe at all. She hardly ever talked about them.

"So... you and Brianna huh?" I asked, mistakenly biting my finger. Wincing, I realized I wasn't holding a sandwich anymore. I'd finished it.

I grabbed the extra slice of cheese Alden had put out and took a small bite, loving the taste of it.

He coughed, standing up and taking his dish to the sink.

"Yeah, about that..." He faced me and just stared, trying to find words I guessed. His face looked exhausted and sad.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. I had missed him and he needed to know that. "You're the best brother ever! You know. I would never ask you to not be happy. I want what you want. If you like her, I'll not kill her. I just want you to be happy." I pulled away from him just enough to look in his eyes and when I saw the glistening pool in their, my courage to be strong withered away. My eyes turned watery but I refused to cry.

"What's wrong Alden? Please, tell me. You used to tell me everything..." I pleaded, stepping back and staring in his eyes.

He blinked but immediately enveloped me into another hug. Maybe because he didn't want me to see his tears. "I'm not the best brother, Cass. I'm not even a good person. I've made mistakes and I'm not proud of them. I don't want my mistakes to reflect on you or Tabby or Jamey. I only want the best for you all."