Through His Eyes

Chapter Twenty Five

Sometimes the thoughts that we want to ignore, the feelings that we want to avoid have a way of showing up, again and again. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, it always manages to find a way to find us. I continue to stock the chips back on the shelf. I was hoping that working would keep my mind off of my family situation but as I said before, things have a way of catching up with you. A hand reaches past me to grab one of the bags of chips I had just stocked.
"Excuse me." A voice, all too familiar says. My stomach drops as I pray and wish that I heard wrong. I look over to see Brad standing next to me, a bag of chips in his hand. I gulp down nervously.
"Brad..." I say, surprised. So much for avoiding him. I was planning on figuring out what I was going to say to him before I chose to approach him. It's too late for that now. He looks at me, my brother, with eyes full of hate. He turns around, ready to walk away. I grab his arm.
"Please listen to me. You have to believe me, I had no idea you were my brother. If I would have known things would have been different, I would have made my dad, our dad-" He rips his arm out of my grip and faces me, his eyes angry.
"He is not my dad, maybe biologically he is my father but he gave up the right to call himself my dad when he abandoned me to raise you instead. Daddies little princess and I am just the bastard son he never wanted." Brad snaps at me. I wanted to tell him that wasn't true but I knew otherwise.
"Dad made the wrong decision, if I would have known that he had another child out there I would have wanted to be apart of your life. I never knew that you existed, I know why you blame him but you have to know that I had no idea. You are my brother, whether you like it or not, I want to get to know you, regardless of everything that has happened between us." I say truthfully. Of course it is unfortunate that my brother has been bullying me all these years but I am willing to put the past behind me, he was acting out of hurt and anger. He shakes his head and walks away from me. Well that didn't go as planned. I sigh and go back to stocking the shelf. I don't know what I expected, that he would instantly change and want to be my brother and we would all be one big happy family. I don't think so.
~~~~~~~~
After my shift at the grocery store I walk out into the parking lot, expecting Cam to be waiting for him. He had promised to pick me up but he was nowhere to be found. I take out my phone to see there is a voicemail from an unknown number. I press play and listen to the voicemail.
'Hey Cupcake, I am calling from work, I need to finish up this car before I can go home. The owner is paying extra for it to be done today. I feel awful for leaving you there but I sent a friend to pick you up in my place. I love you.' Just as I finish listening to the voicemail I notice an old gray pick up truck stopping in front of me. Through the window I see one of Cam's football teammates. I walk towards the truck, desperately trying to remember his name, I remember him playing with Cam. He has dark brown eyes, dark brown skin, strong jaw, and very muscular. He is definitely attractive but of course I only have eyes for Cam. He rolls down his passenger side window and smiles warmly at me.
"Hey Hailee. I'm Isaac Danvers, I play on the football team with Cam." He says. I climb into his truck.
"Hey you play center field, right?" I say, remembering the name Danvers on the field.
"Yes, Cam and I quickly became friends when he joined the team, he is a great player." Isaac says. I nod, happy Cam made a friend on the team.
"Thank you for picking me up. I really appreciate it." I say, expressing my gratitude.
"No problem. Cam is busy taking care of his grandma, how could I possibly say no?" He says. I freeze. What? Cam told me he was working. My heart drops, sorrow plagues my mind. Why is he lying to me? Does it have anything to do with what he is afraid to tell me? I have tried to put it in the back of my mind but I can't help but worry. We are supposed to be in a relationship, you don't keep secrets from the people you love.
"Hailee, are you alright?" He asks. I nod, I turn slightly in my seat to look at Isaac.
"Can I ask you something?" He pulls onto my street and nods.
"If you love someone would you keep secrets from them?" I ask. I point out my house and Isaac parks in front of it.
"If you love someone you shouldn't keep secrets from them, being completely open with someone is part of being in a relationship. Why? Is this about Cam?" He says. I sigh and choose not to answer. This is his friend after all, I shouldn't have said anything especially since I barley know the guy.
"Thanks again." I say, hopping out of his car and waving goodbye. He rolls down the passenger window.
"About Cam, he is a good guy, whatever he won't tell you I'm sure it is for a good reason." He says, smiling at me one last time before he drives away. I walk into my house and collapse on my couch. I take out my phone, dialing Cam's number. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
'Leave a message-' I hang up the phone. I'm tired of the people I love most in my life lying to me. I don't want to be in a relationship filled with lies. Cam told me that he was afraid he would lose me if he told me the truth. At the time I thought he was protecting me but what if he was afraid that I would leave him because he has done something awful. Tomorrow, at school, I am going to find out the truth, one way or another.
~~~~~~
I arrive at school, Spencer drove me today. I texted Cam this morning and told him that I was getting a different ride today. I wanted to collect my thoughts before speaking to him about lying to me. I never thought I would be here, in a serious relationship during my senior year of high school and about to confront my boyfriend about the lie that he has been keeping from me. I was so nervous, the last thing I thought I would have to do is beg my boyfriend to tell me the truth but here we are, me walking down the halls, looking for him. I even ask Spencer to pick me up a little early so I can talk with Cam before class. I already looked by his locker and he isn't there. I was walking down the hallway searching for Cam when I hear his voice as I walked past the ladies bathroom. What? I shake my head. Why would he be in the ladies bathroom? I continue to walk, convinced that I am hearing things until I hear his voice again. I couldn't make out what he was saying but it was definitely coming from the ladies bathroom. What is he doing in there? I hesitantly push open the door to the bathroom and walk inside. There against the wall near the sinks my boyfriend, the guy I love, has the new girl Aimee pushed against the wall of the girls bathroom, lips locked in a passionate kiss, his hand gripping her tiny waist. I gasp, my heart drops to my stomach. They both pull away from their heated kiss and look over to me. Tears form in my eyes as Cam takes a step towards me, his eyes wide in surprise, Aimee's lipstick smeared on his lips, lips I kissed, lips I love.
"This is your big secret? You're cheating on me! I can't believe you. After everything we have been through and you cheat on me with the newest shiny thing in town! I can't believe you." I say, tears flowing down my cheeks.
"It's not what it looks like, I-" I sob, covering my mouth, hating that I was showing them weakness. I wanted to hell at him, curse him, tell him how much I hate him at this moment but I can't. The truth is that even in this moment, even though I saw it with my very eyes, I still don't believe it, I can't believe he would cheat on me. But he did, he has been. I yank the door open and run out of the bathroom.
"Hailee!" I hear Cam yell but I continue to run, hoping, begging, pleading, that he won't catch up to me. I turn the corner of the hallway and head towards the exit, only to have someone grab my arm, stopping me from running.
"Please, listen to me." Cam pleads. I shake my head.
"I loved you Cam, I loved you with everything I had and you cheated on me. I can't believe I thought I knew you, that I trusted you." I snap. I yank my arm out of his grasp and continue to walk towards the exit.
"Cupcake, please, listen, please. She-" I turn around, cutting him off.
"Don't you dare. I never want to see you again!" I say angrily. Jake jogs up to us.
"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" Jakes says. I use Jake as an excuse to rush towards the exit. I burst through the doors and head towards the street, wiping the tears off my face only for them to be replaced with more. How could I have been so blind? He has been lying to me over and over again. I don't know what him cheating on me has to do with the bruises on his face the other night, maybe he is keeping more than one secret from me but it doesn't matter, we are done. I never want to see him again. I head towards the street, wiping my eyes, only to bump into someone. I open my mouth to apologize but it turns into a sob, my heart aching from the pain.
"What the hell?" A voice says. I look up and through my blurry eyes I see Brad. I push away from him. Great, just what I need. I move around him and start walking onto the sidewalk.
"Hey...uh, what's wrong?" Brad asks. I freeze, rooted to my spot on the sidewalk. I wipe my eyes, unbelieving that Brad would really care what was wrong with me. I consider continuing to walk, ignoring him, worried this might be a trap but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"I-I-" I try to get out the words but another sob escapes my mouth. Even in this moment, even though I know it's not a good idea, I collapse in front of Brad. I sit down on the sidewalk, my back against the wall of the music room. I place my head in my hands and sob, pain, anguish, and heartbreak flowing through me.
"C-C-Cam cheated on me." I say in between sobs. I know there is no reason I should be telling him this, especially since he is the reason Cam was brought into my life in the first place but in this moment I needed to be comforted and he was family, as twisted and crazy as that sounds. Even after everything he has done to me, he is still my brother and he seems to care, at least in this moment.
"What-" I sob again, interrupting him. I stand up, rubbing the tears out of my eyes.
"I-I-I need to go, I need to leave, I can't stay here. I don't want him to find me, I never want to talk to him again." I say, wiping my tears away fiercely. I keep walking down the sidewalk, convinced to walk home, to be alone.
"Let me drive you home." Brad says. I look over to him, surprised. I nod weakly, too heartbroken and exhausted to decide whether or not he is being sincere. I look into his eyes and I see indecisiveness, as if he is not sure whether or not to give me a chance. He walks me to his car. Once I am inside he starts driving to my house. This is definitely not how I pictured my day going, my boyfriend cheating on me, my heart broken, and my slightly older brother that hates me driving me home. We pull up to my house, parking in front.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you, I wanted to give you space but that didn't work out." I say, opening the car door.
"Thank you, I really needed someone and you came through even though you hate me. Don't worry about it, you can go back to hating me tomorrow." I say, getting out of the car.
"I don't hate you, not anymore." I hear Brad whisper. I turn around, surprised, only to see him driving away. Yeah definitely not how I saw this day turning out. I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. I take it out once I unlock my front door and see Cam's name flashing on the screen. I decline his call and turn off my phone. I walk up to my room, collapsing on my bed, feeling as if this all happened before. I should have never taken him back, I should have left it all alone when I found out he was using me. I honestly thought that we were in love, that I could trust him. The pain of heartbreak hits me double fold as I start to cry again.