Darkest Hours

Chapter 25

A few days later, Addie stood on the doorstep of an old cabin home, her hand hovering inches above the door she'd just knocked on.

"Hi sweetheart. What can I do for ya?" The elderly woman asked in a thick southern voice, her honey eyes tired as she held on to the wooden door for support.

"Mrs. Moore? My name is Adelaide Adams. Mrs. Grant told me to come here before she passed. I-I need some help." Addie stood on the doorstep, her clammy hands clasped in front of her, her nerves on full display.

The woman nodded, stepping back slowly from the door, ushering her inside.

She shuffled from the foyer into the living room beside it, carefully lowering herself into the cream colored chair by the window.

Glancing around, Addie felt a sense of calm radiating off of the walls - a strong feeling of family and warmth pulsing through the house, making her feel safe.

"You can sit down right over there if ya want. You can just call me Alex." The woman gestured towards the matching cream sofa across from her. "What's your name hon?"

Didn't I just...?

"Adela-"

"Your real name, I mean. I like to get to know people, the real them." She smiled softly.

"Um.. I-" Addie started, but cut herself off, fidgeting with a curl that fell around her shoulder as she slowly sat on the couch, biting her lip as she stared at her feet.

"Nevermind that, dear. We can get to that later, if ya feel comfortable. Some sort of legal help I reckon? Though ya don't seem the type to get into trouble with the law. So what can I do for ya?"

Addie took a shaky breath. "Mrs. Alice left me her car, b-but I don't have a way to get it registered or insured in my name." Still staring at her feet, her shoulders slumped forward as the woman across from her was deep in thought for a moment.

"There's an office down the hall, first door on the left. Go in there and in the black filin' cabinet, there're two tan folders in the top drawer. Run and grab them for me please."

"Yes ma'am." Addie said quickly, standing and heading to get them before handing the folders to the elderly woman, who seemed to struggle a bit to grip them.

"Thank ya."

Grabbing a paper out of each folder, Alex lifted her  chin to glance them over through her glasses at the end of her nose. She handed them to Addie, who sat back down slowly, reading the papers.

"Fill them out for me and I'll get ya some insurance pushed through. I'm the manager at the office here. Once that's done, we can get ya that registration all done just fine."

How the hell is it that simple?

Filling the papers out quickly, she handed them back, clicking the pen closed and setting it on the table in front of her.

"I'll get this done when I head in on Monday."

Addie nodded her thanks, clasping her hands in her lap as her knee bounced nervously.

"Ma'am, can I just ask.. why are you so willing to help someone you don't know?"

"Alice was a good friend of mine. She'd send Sam over whenever his father was bein' an ass - which was most days. Lord would I have loved to put my foot up his ass. See how he liked a real ass whoopin'."

Addie chuckled softly, the woman's face a deep red at the mention of Hayden's dad.

"I miss that boy." She sighed sadly, her honey eyes becoming glossy. "When he left, his life could actually start I think. It's hard growin' up with a father who would beat you just 'cause it was Tuesday afternoon and he could. He was friends with the sheriff then, Thomas, that bastard man. He was just as bad, but Zack turned out alright. Even took over as sheriff to turn the law around here in the right direction.

But for Sam, that wasn't no way to grow. Least Zack had his momma to defend him and help him through the few times Thomas had gotten violent with them. Sam didn't. Alice tried a few times to take Sam and leave, but Samuel would always catch her and would beat them both half to death. Eventually, she made him promise to be easier on Sam and she wouldn't try to leave him again. But the damage was already done. You ain't ever gonna look back at the place you grew up and call that home after that. So when his dad died, Alice didn't want him comin' back here. She was so afraid he'd come back and somehow undo the life he'd built elsewhere."

The old woman shook her head. "Where was I goin' with that?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Anyways, ever since Samuel died, Alice sorta became a momma to anyone who needed it. She was good at findin' the good people. Aside from Samuel. But he was just a great liar for a while in the beginnin'. So I trust her judgement on trustin' you to be a good one."

Addie cleared her throat, tears running down her face.

How had I never known any of that about him? She wondered.

She knew Hayden had had a bad childhood - bad enough that he'd never wanted to talk about any of it - but hadn't imagined it could've been as bad as it was. Her heart clenched, breaking for him, yearning to make all of his past pain, and any current that it still caused him, go away.

I'm so sorry, Hayden. I'm so sorry that I hurt you, too.

Another tear slid down her cheek. She sniffled.

"He's here. For a bit at least. S-Sam. Though he likes to go by Hayden now."

Alex's eyes crinkled as she smiled widely. "Bein' named after his father, that don't surprise me. I chose that middle name for him. That was my boy's name." Her smile faltered before she glanced back out the window.

Addie sat silently, waiting for her to continue.

"Back in eighty-seven, he was hit and killed by a drunk driver. He was only sixteen." Another tear slipped from her eye as she glanced over at Addie, blowing out a shaky breath before she put a slight smile on her face.

"Mrs. Moore, do you want me to ask Hayden to come by? Maybe this weekend?"

She nodded slowly, her wrinkled hands wiping her cheeks. "That'd be real nice. Thank you Adelaide. And please, call me Alex."

Addie drew in a deep breath, shutting her brain off before it could scream 'no'.

"Alex? Please don't say anything to Hayden. I need to tell him on my own some day, but..."

She pushed a hand through her hair, her sweaty fingers getting caught in the strands.

"L-Lake. M-My name. It was Lake."

______________________________

The front door opened slowly, Hayden was standing on the other side, dressed in his running clothes, Addie assumed from earlier that morning.

"Hey I thought you weren't gonna be here until tomorrow. It's only Thurs-"

He noticed her distress, frowning.

"-day. Addie, what's- " he huffed as she thumped against his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso. She sniffled against his chest as he pulled her closer, his cheek resting on top of her head.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Addie just shook her head, unable to form any words.

"Baby talk to me." He rubbed her back, his voice lined with worry.

"I just-" she coughed, choking on her own sobs. "I don't understand how someone could've been so horrible to you. You're so caring and funny and perfect and I just-" she coughed again. "I just love you. Everything about you. And I don't understand how someone could've ever hurt you. I hate everyone that's ever hurt you. And I-"

She stumbled back, covering her mouth, his eyes wide as he stared down at her.

Oh god.

She realized, her thoughts pounding in her ears.

I just told him I loved him.