Don't Let Go

Chapter 13

Tristan walked out, leaving me in the cave alone. My knees gave out beneath me and I slid to the floor of the cave. i watched as he disappeared.

We were going in circles. Tristan would take down his walls to let me in and then build them back up again. I wanted to help him. I needed to help him.

But he stopped letting me. 

From day one he told me he was a lost cause but until now I never believed him.

My phone rang. Aaron's name appeared on the caller ID. I accepted the call and placed the phone up to my ear.

"Hannah?" Aaron asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yea." I choked out, my breath was shaky.

"You sound weird. What's wrong?" his voice was protective.

"Aaron I'll be home soon." I whispered.

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "Where are you? I can pick you up." 

"I'll be home soon." I said again. I ended the call before he could say more. I stood up quickly and blood rushed through my head, dizzying me.

I left the cave and spotted Tristan in the distance. I ran a few steps and then called his name. He turned around helplessly.

"You're family's looking for you." I said plainly. He looked down, kicked the sand and then continued walking away.

I took my phone and dialed the number that Bradley had called me from. 

"Hello." a voice answered after a few seconds.

"He's at Pebble Beach." I said to Bradley.

"What's he doing there?" Bradley asked me.

"Shooting up heroin." I sighed like it was an everday thing.

"Are you kidding me?" Bradley's voice was full of anger.

"See for yourself." I answered with as much anger.

"Are you with him?' Bradley asked.

"I told you before. I've given up on him." I spat.

"That's not true." he said confidently.

"How would you know?" I asked annoyed.

"Because you wouldn't be there if you'd given up." Bradley ended the call. I went home after that. Or, at least to the apartment that Aaron and I now call home. The second I opened the door, Aaron was there with a mixture of anger and relief on his face.

"Hey." I tried to say as if everything were normal.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"You know... the beach." I said plainly. Aaron studied me in disbelief.

"Doing what?" he pushed.

"Swimming." I said the first thing that came to mind. He glared at me.

"In what?" he asked. I sighed. I was caught. Or maybe I just didn't have the energy to come up with something else.

"I was with Tristan - at the beach." I explained.

"Look, I know I told you to call him, but I didn't think you'd disappear somewhere with him." Aaron said.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me being with him anymore." I sighed. Aaron raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"For real this time." I finished. I began walking to my room.

"There's pizza in the kitchen." Aaron called after me.

"I'm not hungry." I called back.

The next day I was kind of happy to go to school. After being kicked out of my parents house and after all the crap I had gone through with Tristan, I was glad to just go through something normal.