Under The Sea

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Aran's hand was warm in mine as we walked toward the pack house. Occasionally, he would send a reassuring squeeze into my palm, sending a jolt of warmth to crawl up my arm.

"Aran?" I asked, glancing at him. He hummed in response.

"How is your dad?" I kept my eyes focused on what was in front of me, but I could feel his gaze warming my face.

"Why?" His tone bordered on bitterness.

I sighed, "I know what your thinking. He may have made bad decisions but, you can't hate him forever. He's your father."

"I can hate him, and I will." Aran's jaw was clenched angrily.

"He's your father," I pointed out.

"I don't care." His tone suggested that the words were set in stone. I shook my head.

"I just don't want you to take him for granted. When I was growing up, I took my dad for granted. I was distant from him and I dreaded the lessons he gave me about politics and economics, but when he died. . .The feeling was not nice, Aran. I don't want you to feel that. Promise me that you'll at least try, I mean it's not like he did something super bad, right?"

Aran scoffed, "he judged you, and locked you up. If that's not wrong, then I don't know what is."

"Promise me." I leaned toward him, brushing my cheek against his shoulder.

"Fine, I promise." He rolled his eyes, nudging me off of him.

"I'm sorry about your father, Forest." He said quietly, a moment later.

"It's alright, I'm okay." I bit my lip, trying to keep the emotion from seeping into my voice.

"Have you talked to your mom?" I hadn't.

I shook my head no. I hadn't found the courage to bring up dad's death yet. I knew it would hurt her, and I wasn't ready to see her hurt.

"Why not?"

I shrugged, "she wasn't awake when we left."

Aran tsked at me. "Not a valid excuse. You're going to have to do it eventually."

My shoulders drooped with the weight of anxiety, "I know."

He planted a quick kiss on my cheek, just as the pack house was beginning to show from the depths of the forest.

The house looked peaceful sitting in the plush grass, unmoving, while the trees around it swayed to the beat of the wind.

As soon as we were through the front door, I was attacked by Thea with a massive hug. If it weren't for Aran, I would have fallen back with her on top of me.

"Thea!" I giggled, hugging her back.

"Where have you been! You didn't visit me." She pouted her lips.

"I've got a lot to tell you," Her eyebrows moved up and down at my statement causing me to clutch my stomach in laughter.

"Let's go, then," she grabbed my hand and started to pull me up the stairs toward her room.

"Sure, you guys just go and talk, I have things to do anyway." Aran's voice was moist with sarcasm.

"We didn't ask!" Thea sang back to him and I laughed at Aran's annoyed expression.

Once we were in Thea's room we jumped onto her bed and she demanded me to tell her everything that had happened.

I started with Jacin's arrival, and ended at our return there. The story ended up putting more stress on my shoulders because telling it made me recount everything that was happening and everything that needed to happen. Still, I left out my suspicions about Mason.