The Hidden Truth

Ch.26 Leaving

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Today we are training again. Thankfully I'm not sore from the other day. I've missed running and fighting. I miss it so much. I really should call Rodney and the guys. We haven't talked in a while. I wonder how they're doing.

I meet Sage in the gym. Carter isn't here today.

"Hey, you ready to sweat?" Sage asks.

"Nope." I reply bluntly. I walk over to a treadmill and get on. I really have missed this. Yesterday was a nice relaxing day. We played with Carson for a while and then me and Sage watched movies together alone all day. I think it was one of the only times we'll get to hang out alone, usually Marie and Val join us.

We run for a while. My mind is somewhere else. I can't stop thinking about Rodney. I miss him and the other guys. I also miss Rose. She was my best friend. I wonder if Rodney and Rose finally got together. I have to call them.

"Eden? Are you okay?" Sage asks pulling me out of my head. I realize that I'm running very fast. I slow down the treadmill and get off.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I say biting my lip.

"No, you're not. What's going on?" He says. I avoid making eye contact.

"Nothing." I say.

"I know you aren't telling the truth. 1, you're biting your lip. You don't do that often. 2, you're digging your fingernails into your palm." He says lifting my hand up. I rip my hand away from his.

"I'm fine." I say firmly.

"Eden, please, what's going on." He says desperately. I shake my head.

"Maybe it's you, Sage. Maybe you're what's wrong." I say. I turn around and I leave the room. I regretted saying those words right as they left my mouth. I run all the way to my room. He doesn't follow me. Did I want him to follow me?

I close my door and lock it. I can't believe I just said that. I just want to talk to them. I pick up my phone and go through my contacts. I scroll to the R's. And there it is.

Rodney.

And below that,

Rose.

I press on Rose's number first.

The phone is ringing and suddenly I'm back there, with them. My safe haven.

I walk into the ring. The guy I'm up against is big, but I can already see his weaknesses. He injured his left shoulder, motorcycle accident. He has a slight limp, knee surgery. He comes at me first, I block his punch and twist his arm. I hit his shoulder and I see him wince in pain. He's tearing up. I was right. I block more punches, he tries to knock my feet out from under me. It gives me a chance to jump out of the way and kick the back of his knee. He's down, I won. I leave the ring and meet up with Rose and Rodney and Jack and Louis. They are my family, I feel safe with them.

I brought out of my memories when I hear that her phone number is no longer in service. I click on Rodney's number. Please, pick up. It rings a few times. Then a deep voice floats through the phone. The deep voice that helped me through so much. The deep voice that stopped me from spiraling out of control the first time.

"Hello? Who is this?" He says.

"Oh my god! Thank you! Thank you for picking up!" I say into the phone as tears run down my face.

"E-Eden? Is that you?" He asks his voice wavering.

"Yes! You remember me?" I ask.

"Of course, how are you? Are you doing okay?" He asks. None of them know what happened with my father. They were like family but I couldn't bring myself to tell them. I'm going to be honest, I kind of regret telling Sage and Marie and Val what was happening. Telling them didn't help me at all. it only made my nightmares worse. My anxiety worse.