Innocence

Chapter Fifteen - First Date & Story Telling

“It’s okay, you don’t have to continue.” I whispered into his hair as I stroked his back.

He shook his head and continued. “That was a repeat of my life until I was 9 years old. That’s when my mum had found out that she was pregnant again. I don’t know what came into her, she just packed all of our stuff one day and pulled me in for a hug. I still remember the day. I had flinched away at first because I thought she was going to hit me. Then she had wrapped her arms around me for the first time since I was born and it felt like I hadn’t even been alive my whole life until she hugged me. This also woke up something within me. That’s when I found Damien and James. Damien was the original leader of the gang we’re now a part of, and he and James taught me everything I needed to know about defence and how to fight. Eventually, I picked up and learnt more skills on my own. My mum had been living at my Grandmother’s house for the time being, and my father couldn’t find us.”

“Once my Grandmother had passed away though, the house had to be sold because we couldn’t afford it. My mum was almost due by then, so we had no choice but to go back to our old home. She was living in fear in that house; I could see it impacting her physically and mentally. It couldn’t have been good for the baby. But I was prepared for him if he came. And he did. My mum wasn’t home at the time, and I couldn’t thank fate more. He had somehow found out that we had come back to the house and was looking to kill. But I was faster, stronger and had the element of surprise on my side. I beat him to a pulp, and if my mum hadn’t walked in when she had, He would be dead instead of rotting away in a prison right now. My mum had the baby two weeks earlier than the due date, due to stress, which put the baby in danger. It’s Katrina, you know. I call her the miracle child. If it weren’t for her, I don’t know what would’ve happened. It’s like she reached out to my mum’s heart and told  her to wake up, and I will never be able to repay that.” Tyler finished by inhaling a large amount of air and I pulled him even closer towards me.

We stayed in silence for a while as the events sunk into my mind. So that is why Tyler is so protective over his family and always wanted to keep everyone he knows safe. I thought to myself. “You’re a good guy, Tyler.” I stated after a while. I bent down and pressed my lips against his softly.

“I haven’t even told Damien and James what I just told you.” He muttered after a while, making my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “I mean, they know how my dad was, they just don’t know my outlook on it.”

“Thank you.” I said with a small smile. “For sharing that with me. It means a lot.”

He replied with a look of understanding and I frowned. “Well then how did you become the leader of the gang?” I asked curiously. “And how old were you when you joined? 10?!”

Tyler cleared his throat with a small smirk before looking up at the sky. “Aren’t the stars amazing tonight? They make your eyes shine even brighter than usual.”

I started blushing as he looked back at me and pulled me in for a long kiss. We both pulled away at the same time, slightly out of breath.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you did there Mr O’Brian!” I said sternly.

Tyler chuckled and put an arm around my shoulder. “I thought you’d be that shocked by the compliment that you would’ve forgotten everything in the world apart from me of course.”

I laughed and slapped his arm “Arrogant Dumbo.”

“You mean sexy, dashing human.” He corrected with a smirk.

I pretended to think about it before shaking my head and grinning. “No, I’m pretty sure I meant what I said.” We both laughed then lapsed into a comfortable silence. You could faintly hear cars beeping in the distance and the slight breeze whistling in between the trees around us.