Filling The Void | ✔️

Filling The Void | Chapter Twenty -Eight | He Never Told Me That Part...

Crosswords. Lots of them.

My dad and I have been holed up in his room, me sitting on the foot of the bed, filling in my own puzzles.

Every once in a while we'd have a competition to see who could do it the fastest and it was almost like nothing ever happened. It was just a father and his daughter laughing on a Saturday morning.

That was until I got the call.

"This is she." I say, sliding off the bed to leave the room so I wouldn't wake my father up.

"Hi, this is your insurance company, we couldn't find a contact for your mother and we couldn't reach your father, is everything alright?"

I stutter as I click the door shut and make my way to the wall, leaning up against it, "Um, yes everything's okay. My fathers in the hospital. What is this about?"

She clears her voice before beginning, "Well, we have the total for your house coverage and we just wanted to clarify if it was enough."

My mind went blank as I remembered the nearly half-burnt building that used to be my home.

"Where are we gonna live?" I whisper to myself, pushing my fingers through my hair as my eyes search the carpet for answers.

"I'm sorry?" Says the women

I clear my throat, "Oh, um...how much was it?"

"Three hundred thousand."

My mouth falls open at the huge number. I'm sure it's not that much to an adult...but I'm the one making a decision.

"Um, can I get back to you-"

Shuffling footsteps cause me to raise my gaze and when I saw the nurses zooming past I press myself as far into the wall as possible.

Only, that wasn't needed because they were going into my dad's room.

"Wh-What's going on?" I ask, worry filling my voice.

One of the nurses turns to me, " Heart failure, lung cancer is beginning to spread."

My mind bounces back and forth as she speaks, "Lung cancer?! Lu-Lung caner? How do you-"

"Just let us do our job hun and hopefully he'll be able to explain it himself."

Without another word, she hurries into the room and before I can follow her the door slams in my face.

Seconds pass as the tears threaten to break the surface.

"Hello? Ms.Waters?"

My eyes find the phone in my hand and I softly bring it up to my ear, sniffling as I say, "Yes?"

The women on the other line sighs, "Would you like me to call you back?"

I clear my throat, failing at my attempt to hold a clear voice, "No. We'll take the money...I'll send you info about the credit card or something later."

"Alright honey, sit tight...I'm sure he'll be okay."

I nod despite her being able to see me, "Yeah...thanks."

As I move the phone into view and hang up I feel a hand on my shoulder and it isn't until I turn around that I realize how horrible I must look.

Ryder's face falls when our eyes lock and before I can tell him I'm fine he's wrapping me in his arms.

"Ryder I-"

"Stop." He mutters, his lips close to my ear, "Stop pushing people away."

I sigh out of frustration at my unwillingness to stay true to what I had said. "I cant-"

"Aspen." He groans, "I love you. Can you not see that?"

My eyes widen at his words, and I'm thankful that he can't see my face growing red.

I care for Ryder. In ways, I thought I never would. I've loved him as a brother for a long time, and even as a friend...but I never in my whole life thought I could see him like this.

His deep voice interrupts my thoughts as I come to a conclusion, "You may not feel the same way, but that's how it is for me."

I swallow hard past the lump in my throat, pulling away so I can see him. "It's not that I don't feel the same way. It's that I think I care so much that I won't let myself feel it because you're the only other person I have. If I lose you, everything else means nothing."

I was in a vulnerable state, he could have asked anything and I would have spilled my heart out.

His brown eyes flicker with surprise as I speak and then before I can go back on my word his lips meet mine as he presses me back into the wall, fireworks exploding between us as the tension finally gets the recognition it deserves.

Surprisingly my heart acts quick as I slide my hands up into his hair, but before I can get to into it my phone buzzes in my pocket.

Trying to ignore it I press my lips harder onto his but a chuckle comes out of him as his hand slides into my pocket and he pulls out my phone.

"You should answer that."

I gulp and smile at him, not tearing my eyes away as I pluck the phone out of his hand.

When I look at the caller ID I see Ryders mom's name on it and my eyes flicker up to his, "It's your mom..."

His brows furrow before he stands up straight and nods me on to answer it.

I shrug, "Hey, Mrs.Nicolson?"

She sighs, "Hey deary how are you doing?"

I bite my lip and look up at Ryder, my volume must be high because he gives me a knowing smirk.

I roll my eyes, "I'm uh, fine...what's up?"

"Well Kaitlyn told me your dads been doing better but I wanted to make sure you had a place to stay."

My eyes widen a bit as I listen to her, "Oh, well he actually...he- I'm not sure what they-"

Glancing back toward his door I gulp at the words that nurse had said to me, "He has lung cancer."

Ryder's mom gasps, "Come over dear. You're welcome here as long as you need."

I sigh and turn back to Ryder.

From the looks of it, my dad is going to be here for a while, and that means that I'm going to have to eat at some point otherwise I'll find myself in the room next to him.

My house is burnt down.

I'm just now realizing how hungry I am.

My moms gone.

Sebastion's MIA.

and my fathers in the hospital.

I have no other choice.

"That'd be great."

Her father has lung cancer...AND shes living with Ryder!

That's the tea sis