Cross Your Mind , Stiles Stilinski ¹ ✓

[ 42 ] home doesn't have to be a place

HOME DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PLACE

recommended song for this chapter- fine line by harry styles

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"My dad."

Stiles felt his heart literally shatter at her confession. All this time, he had restrained himself from pressing her to talk about what her fight with her parents was about. He knew it had been bad, bad enough for her to not go home for days, but hearing the girl he was falling for further and further by the day admit that she feared her own father crushed him.

His relationship with his own dad was great. Sure, he lied to him a lot, but it was for his sake. Stiles' involvement with the supernatural put a strain on their relationship at times, but he could never ever say that he feared him.

Aspen feared her dad.

Instead of asking more questions, Stiles engulfed her in a hug immediately. He wrapped his arms around her back, threading his fingers in her purple locks. Aspen welcomed the hug as her palms held on to his surprisingly-muscular frame. She broke down, let every single tear out and land on his flannel shirt, and the two of them stayed in that position for a couple minutes, neither one of them saying anything.

They were still on the end of Aspen's street, but it was late, it was quiet.

When they finally pulled away from the long embrace, Aspen took in a deep breath as she prepared to explain. She hadn't told a single soul what her fight with her parents was about, or the things her dad had said to her, or the way he acted.

The way he slammed his fists on the table with so much aggression it made her flinch.

Knowing this conversation might be a long one, Aspen spotted a bench not too far from where they stood, and she took Stiles' hands and took him to sit down.

Once they did, she took in yet another deep breath, fanned away a loose strand of her from her face, and started to talk. She avoided his eyes, she could see the pity swimming in them.

"I don't know when it happened or why... but my dad, he... he's changed." Aspen said, trying to keep more tears at bay. "Or maybe he was always like this and I just never knew, I don't know..."

She still couldn't look him in the eye as she explained, so her eyes remained fixated on a spot on the ground.

"You know the letters?" she asked as she gulped, her eyes flickered to him for a split second to see him nod, before they returned to that spot on the ground again. "Well, there was a second one."

She started rummaging her hands through the pocket of her leather jacket, until she pulled out the piece of paper.

"I always keep it in this pocket, I don't really know why..." she said as if she had to explain herself.

She unfolded the paper, her breath shaking as she read the words again.

"Screw what I said before,

I'll be back when it's ready.

-Ace"

She handed the crumpled letter to Stiles, and he hesitantly took it out of her hands. As his eyes scanned over the words, they widened.

"Is this really...?"

"Hell, if I knew." she let out a humourless laugh as she threw her head back. "Anyway, so my dad found it and acted like he'd never seen the thing before, which I know is a lie because when my mom handed it to me, I could tell it had already been opened."