Accepted Hearts

Chapter 2 / Old Wounds

Chapter Two
Old Wounds

The Alexander siblings remained rooted to their spots long after the car was parked in the driveway.

"So, are you gonna get out first?" Olivia asked hesitantly.

Every time he told himself to get up, nothing happened, leaving Nolan feeling glued to his seat. He wasn't sure if it was his newly recognized wish to stay away from that house or the drinks he had, but either way, they were a dangerous combination.

"We should probably go one at a time," he said quietly. "Less chances of waking Mom."

"We're two grown ass adults, Nolan. She can't really say anything if we come home late," Olivia responded with a giggle.

No, but she will look disappointed, because she expects more from me.

"I'd just rather not wake her," he said, adding a little more edge to his voice.

He assumed Olivia caught the hint or just didn't care anymore, because she removed her seatbelt and sighed. "Well, I guess I'm going in on my own."

Nolan waited to hear the door open or feel the car slightly shift from her movements, but neither happened. She didn't move.

"Still feeling like that grown ass adult?" Nolan teased, turning to her with a sly grin.

She rolled her hazel eyes, her own smile displaying across her face. "Maybe I'm not as grown as I like to pretend I am."

No truer words had ever been spoken, but Nolan wasn't going to voice that. Popping Olivia's bubble—no matter how ridiculous—wasn't something he often liked doing.

"I'm not either," he said instead, keeping a smile present.

"Yes, you are," Olivia said, looking at Nolan as if he was crazy. "You have it all together. You have for such a long time now. I wish I was like you."

Nolan's smile dropped, not agreeing at all with what his little sister said. Nothing about his life was put together—at least not perfectly. His life was a jumbled mess of pieces stitched together, barely hanging on by a thread. It may have looked good on the outside, but inside, it was threatening to combust. Just like he was.

"You don't want to be like me," he said honestly, shaking his head and looking toward the house.

What used to be a loving childhood home turned into a cold and empty place. There was love present, a lot of it, but there was no denying that something had been missing. Something important, something that held it all together. The same glue Nolan needed to keep his pieces together was what had disappeared long ago. He tried finding a replacement, he tried being the replacement. It hadn't worked.

A cold hand touched his arm, forcing Nolan's eyes there. The hand flinched away, then was back on him seconds later. "Your skin feels like it's on fire."

"I always get hot when I drink," Nolan admitted sheepishly.

"Wow, I was just playing earlier," Olivia said in shock. "I didn't really think you were drinking. I wouldn't have let you drive!"

Nolan watched her for several seconds, enjoying the dramatic hand motions she always made when she got loud. It was a sign of life, that despite whatever had happened earlier in the night, she was still herself.

"You know I don't lie."

"Everyone lies."

"Not me," Nolan said, sounding sure of himself. He didn't lie. Not usually. Only when it was absolutely necessary, and even then, he hardly ever found himself in a situation where a little white lie was needed.