Don't Let Go

Chapter 6

"Morning." I heard someone say as my blinds flashed open, blinding me.

"Ow!" I exclaimed shielding my eyes. 

"Aaron!" I groaned when I saw him smiling over me.

"So how was your night?" he asked, way too peppy for 9 in the morning.

"Last night!" I remembered. I jumped out of bed and hurried down the hall, Aaron following in pursuit. I opened the door to the guest room slowly. Tristan glanced at me. He was laying in bed, awake.

"Hey." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi." he said.

"Hi." Aaron jumped in, although it sounded like a question.

"Right." I realized that they hadn't actually met. 

"Tristan this is my cousin Aaron - Aaron this is Tristan." I said quickly.

"We've met." Aaron says with a slight smile.

"When?" I frowned.

"Brad and I were friends back in high school." Aaron spoke.

"Oh." I said. Aaron glanced at me questioningly.

"We'll be in the family room." I said to Tristan who simply nodded. I took Aaron by the wrist and pulled him into the other room.

"So what exactly is Tristan Hunter doing here?" Aaron asked finally. I shook my head.

"He needs help." I said simply.

"I know. But it's not your job to help him." Aaron said slowly.

"What? You're always the one going on about how people in this world don't care about each other enough." I pointed out.

"I know Hanhan." Aaron closed his eyes.

"But you can't save him." he shook his head.

"What do you mean 'save him?' He's fine." I lied to myself. "He'll be fine." I tried to backtrack.

"Hannah don't make him your problem. He's not in a good place. Let his family, his friends - deal with it." Aaron pushed.

"Aaron, he's my friend too." I exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Hannah." he said firmly, placing his hands on my shoulders and forcing me to stare into his bright blue eyes. "He's troubled. If he hurts himself, it'll hurt you."

"What?" I asked, not understanding my cousin's point.

"Being friends with him is just going to end with you getting hurt. One way or another." Aaron said, as if he were an expert on the matter. I shrugged his hands off of my shoulder.

"Are you going to stop me?" I asked, sarcastically.

"Of course not." Aaron said.

"But I'm warning you. It'll end badly." Aaron said. I shook my head. 

"No it won't." I said, more confidently than I felt. The door bell rang. I turned away from Aaron and went to answer it.

"Oh no." I muttered when I opened the door to reveal a very angry Bradley Hunter.

"I want my brother back." he glared at me.

"Morning to you too." I said through gritted teeth.

"Stop fucking around." Bradley said to me.

"What are you talking about?" I frowned.

"You're messing with Tris. Stop." he said firmly.

"Has it occurred to you, that if you're brother wanted to see you he would have called?" I said, in a dangerous voice.