The Boy Next Door

Chapter 34

I stand up slowly as I wipe at my cheeks, my eyes starting to puff up slightly. I don't feel as if I'm touching the door knob, despite the fact I'm looking up at Aiden. "What'd you say?"

His lips turn into a small frown as his eyes scan over my face. "What's wrong?" He asks while grazing his hand for my cheek, my body unintentionally flinching. His face falls, and I feel even worse about the reflex.

I can't be comforted by him, not with the thoughts of the baby in my head. "I'm sorry," I choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

I watch as he hesitantly reaches his hand out to me, his eyes looking at mine for approval as he takes my hand in his. "Hey...what's the matter?" He asks softly as he walks us over to the couch, my mind not wrapping around the fact I've moved from the confinement of the bathroom.

"Look at me, Cameron," he coaxes while kneeling in front of me, his hands rubbing along my thighs and knees. My fingers twiddle together in my lap as I try and wrap my mind around what he said.

"H-How do you know him?" I ask, my throat feeling dry as I wait for his answer expectantly. His brows crease slightly at my question, almost like he didn't expect me to ask about it.

"We can talk about that later," he says while gently taking a seat on the couch, an adequate amount of space between us. "What's bothering you like this?"

I wet my lips as I pull a knee up to my chest, my chin resting on top as I shake my head. "How do you know him?" I repeat, that being the only thing I want to talk about. "You've known about him this whole time?"

"No, just since you brought him up in the car yesterday. I don't necessarily know him like that?" I stare at him blankly, waiting for him to explain more because its not adding up. Even more, my stomach feels like its sitting in my throat as I force myself to talk about Derek.

"You know him well enough to ask me that. Have you met him?" He nods his head cautiously, my brows raising slightly as I urge him to talk. "Well, how?"

He wets his lips while bracing his forearms against his thighs, his palms rubbing against each other as his brows knit together in thought. "I don't particularly know him, rather so Alex, being they went to the same university. Alex would call me down there for anything, and he happened to be around some of the time."

Around for what? Did they date? Has Alex known I'm his sister the whole time? Aiden takes in my confused look as he moves off his thighs, his back laying against the back of the couch. "They weren't together, if that's what you're thinking, from what I know. Just...friends, or so."

"He never mentioned her." I speak, the small memory I have of Derek talking to me about his friends coming into play. It's been Caroline and two guys he's talked to me about when he left for college.

"I doubt he would've," Aiden says, my interest piquing at his words. "I feel we've met two different versions of your brother. When's the last time you've talked to him, about school specifically?"

"I haven't..." I stop mid sentence while tracing the outline of my knee, "it's been some years." I don't raise my eyes from knee, although I feel his eyes looking at me curiously.

"You haven't talked to him in years? Why not?" He asks, my teeth biting down on the inside of my cheek.

"He chose to not speak with me," I mutter while letting out a small breath. The look in his eyes tells me he's about to question further, although hoping I'll further explain on my own. I feel myself wanting to go back into the box and not explain anything.

"What do you mean we've met two different versions of him?" I ask, on one hand pushing the conversation off me while on the other, I genuinely ask. In all honesty, I don't know my own brother like that.