Abstinence

Chapter 10.

His hand flew to the stinging sensation on his cheek, his face heating up and tears welling up in his eyes. Hayden knew that first hit wasn't going to be the only hit today. It was never just one hit, it was multiple and they always hurt. His father swears loudly, "Damn it Hayden, why do you make me hit you?"

"I didn't do anything." He defends himself, keeping a hand pressed firmly against his cheek.

The more Hayden talked the angrier his father became with him, "You just don't know how to fucking listen, I often question your mother's decision to keep you after I told her to get rid of you."

Hayden never liked hearing that his father wanted to get rid of him when he loved him so much. He loved his father and all he ever wanted was for his father to love him too. He wanted the affection and attention that both of his parents gave to his younger brother but he was never able to receive it.

Instead of replying to his father he stays quiet, trying to find that voice in his head that takes him to a happy place.

'I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, in Memphis Tennessee. I'm going to Graceland.'

_________________

The tears well up in my eyes and I try not to let them fall on the drive back to Hayden's house. Despite his current probation and the repercussions if he breaks any of the rules, he got on a plane and left. He left without saying anything to anyone. He left without saying anything to me.

If it weren't for Wade looking for Hayden, I'm not sure I would have ever known that Hayden left until I came back from the concert. That's what upsets me the most. I wouldn't have known.

Where the hell is he even going for twenty-eight hundred dollars? That sounds like a trip outside of the United States.

In three days Hayden has to report to the Officer and if he doesn't he's going back to jail. I want him home not isolated in a jail where he can't be himself and he has to take orders from other people. He's used to being the man in charge, the one who gives the orders not the one who receives them. Jail is no place for him and I don't want him to be there.

Wade and Geoff were standing in the security room while old footage was playing on the screens before them. Tanner was on the phone with Hayden's phone company, and by the frustration written all over his face, he's not getting anything from them. It's a funny thing that even on their day off they're all here, trying to find Hayden and make sure he's okay. They don't want him getting locked away either.

I am carrying the guilt of this entire situation. If I never left the house, he would still be here. Wherever he went I could have convinced him not to go. But me being me, when times get hard I walk away. And this time, though I wasn't walking away from him for good, Hayden wasn't sitting around waiting for me to get back. He left Seattle and it's my fault.

"Thank you for coming back Miss Greene, we don't want to involve the police in this. We will find him and bring him back here before Tuesday."

"Where is he?"

"We're not absolutely certain, but we believe he's on a nine hour flight to England."

"England? Why would he be going there?" He told me he never wants to go back there, he'd only go back for Wesley. Did something happen to Wesley that I don't know about?

"We're still unsure as to the reason why he would be going there of all places. We haven't been able to get any phone records to figure out who called him after you left. From the surveillance, the call was quick and distressing. He went upstairs and came back down dressed holding a small duffel bag and then he was off."