Fate

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Eight

The next morning the doctor came in and told us mom would officially be able to come home in the next two days. She was excited to come home and I was excited to have her there as well. I just hoped Kenneth would lay off her the next few days. I also wondered exactly how much she was thinking about the possibility of DSS becoming involved which was looming over us

The bruise on my nose was starting to slightly disappear which was one more positive in a largely negative situation. At this point, I needed to count my blessings and be relieved but that was proving difficult. The more I thought about it the more I didn't want to have this talk with Zayn. I wasn't looking forward to what he'd tell me which probably wasn't true anyway.

I didn't even want to see him. However, if his dad was thinking of calling DSS it just made things worse. Unless I could somehow convince him to somehow talk his dad out of it? No that wouldn't work. I couldn't use him that way even if he was somehow using me. Besides his relationship with Eric was so strained he didn't even call him dad and didn't' seem to respect him.

Something told me he couldn't even do that for a moment. If I were some super evil genius I'd somehow find a way to get Eric's one and only child to talk to him and have the better relationship he so obviously craved with him in exchange for leaving my family and me alone. Unfortunately, I was no evil genius and this plan was as flawed as it was unpractical.

It was beyond infuriating to see that he gave his dad no chance even as desperately as he was trying. With Kenneth, he just didn't care. All the moments he seemed to be making effort it was only to get mom to stay and it always worked. I supposed I couldn't really judge Eric or Zayn for how they dealt with the relationship. In truth, I didn't know Eric that well and it could be an act he was putting on about being a caring father. His son was a good actor.

I refused to believe he'd been acting about his pain in losing Jace and Evelyne. If nothing else that had been the one true time he'd shown true emotion and told me the truth. This told me he had feelings for someone at least and wasn't completely cruel. Well someone besides Melinda anyway who was also pretty cruel in her own way. So he had a chance at redemption at least.

Still, my mind was made up and clear. Finish the project. Because whether either of us wanted it to be over it needed to be over if our sanity was to be salvaged and maintained. We were like ticking time bombs every time we were together and everything was too confusing. Distance was better for us. It did suck but it was just how things needed to be from now on and always had.

When Reggie insisted on taking me out for the day after an early shift at work I readily agreed. Here I was basically using him again for my own sanity which was something I didn't need to do. I was going to enjoy this relationship and make sure he enjoyed it for the time we had left to be together. I hadn't broken up with him but it was obvious to me the relationship had run its course and I wondered if he felt that too. I still needed him so that fact frightened me.

I just hoped for right now he needed me to in some way. Perhaps it was more than pity that kept him with me and from allowing him to break up with me the other night. The idea that he had some hope built upon me and our relationship made me both nervous and guilty. What was I supposed to do? I was thinking about this as Reggie and I walked hand in hand down the streets.

"Aris?"

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, why? Do you think something's wrong?"

"You just seem deep in thought," he pointed out.

"I guess I am."

"Of course thats understandable. You have a lot going on."