The Stuggle of Loving You | a. hotchner | ✔

Chapter 23

"Are you passing all your classes?", I grinned and groaned.

"Yes they're fine, all A's" I pulled the blanket up and tucked the sheets under the bed. Aaron walked over to me from the other side of the bed and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm just making sure you're okay... it's in a week you know."

I looked at him in his eyes, "Aaron, I know when my graduation is..."

"Who else is going?", I glanced at him in confusion and started walking out of the room. "What do you mean?" I went into the kitchen and started digging through the fridge.

"Y/n I know I'm not the only one going to your graduation, your friends are going to be there with you. Did you not invite anyone else?"

I stood up and shut the fridge, I shook my head. "No other friends?, family? At least your parents." My head snapped to his, "Definitely not my parents." I took a step back, putting some distance between us. "Ok... ok, can I ask why?"

"Not right now, can we stop talking about this. I just wanna get Jack and leave... please." We had to pick Jack up from Hayleys. I wasn't really on good terms with my parents, my siblings, they lived everywhere and had their own things to worry about.

I hadn't talked to them in a few years. It would just be awkward to have them there, probably silently judging me the whole time. That's only if they actually showed up.

"Come on", he grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers. I wasn't in the mood to talk anymore.

The question just brought up too many old feelings that I'd rather not feel again. Aaron respected that and didn't try and force a conversation. He started the car and drove over the Hayleys.

Pulling into the driveway we saw the familiar car parking out front. "He's still dating her." I mumbled. Jack ran out of the house and I helped him into the car,

Hayley always avoided wanting to see us. We left right after not wanting to cause any problems.

"Hi", he looked at Jack through the mirror. "Hey bud, how you doing?" He shrugged his shoulders, moving his bag to the empty seat next to him. "Okay I guess, they were fighting again this morning."

"Again?", Aaron glanced backwards. "Yeah, he was blaming her... I don't know, I wasn't really listening." Jack's voice got lower and he rested his head on the window, looking at the passing cars.

How did she think this was going to affect Jack... his parents got divorced because of her mistake. A mistake that she was still with, even at Jacks age he's not dumb.

He knows what happened, at least I know I did. Aaron continued driving, he didn't want to go back home. Being the good dad he was, he tried to cheer Jack up. Taking him to some place he's been wanting to go for a while now.

He parked the car and we got out, Jack clung onto my hands. His face went from upset to happy in a matter of seconds. "Come on", Aaron led us inside the skating rink and we got our skates.

"Do you need any help?", I asked Jack, going over to the floor.

"No, I got it."

Aaron and I hung back watching him try on his own. As soon as his foot hit the floor he fell. We were going to help but he insisted he was fine. We stayed, watching him try and get the hang of it.

"Let's go", I grabbed Aarons hand and he didn't move. I snapped my head to look at him, he shook his head. "Not happening."

I chuckled, "Is this why you didn't put on the skates, cause you don't know how to."