Blind Love (Edited)

Chapter 43: The Return

"So?" he asked.

"She slapped me across the face ridiculously hard."

Kyle chuckled. "I would have done the same. She was the most affected Brett. You just left like she was nothing to you. What did you expect? She's hurt."

"Who's that kid she's with?"

"Someone better than you that's for sure."

"Dad, please. I'm trying to talk."

"I tried to talk to you long ago. You didn't listen then. You think that didn't hurt, eh? You're crazy if you think that we would receive you with open arms. How do you think we felt Brett? How dare you come back as if nothing happened."

"Dad, I thought about all of you every second of the day. I really did. I thought each and every day about you, Mom and Lauren."

"Nice way of showing it."

"Dad, please give me a chance."

"You never thought about chances when you just left like you had no family here."

"I went into the military. Then I went to live in Pennsylvania. I'm living there and studying with the money the military is giving me. I'm done with school, and since I went to the military first I don't have to go back unless I want to."

"That's good for you."

"Dad, please. Would you listen to me?"

"I won't do anything." he said and he walked out the door, past Brett, past everything. Brett followed his dad out, yelling after him, "Dad, Dad. Please just listen to me."

Kyle pivoted on his right foot. "I'm. Not. Listening. To. A. Word. You. Say." With each word, Kyle poked Brett's chest hard. He didn't want to hear any of Brett's words. Kyle rushed off towards the house, leaving Brett behind, not caring what would happen.

Brett sat down in the grass of the park. He knew that he wasn't going to receive a welcome back party but he never expected their reactions to be so lacking of love. He was thinking that they would be extremely happy, that they would open there arms to him and welcome him back into their lives as if nothing had happened.

But he was hoping about the easy way. Brett hadn't thought about all the negative effects that his departure had left on them. He definitely expected her to be happy to see him. It wasn't the slap that hurt the most, it was her reaction, her words after the slap and the fact that she ran away from him. It was supposed to be the opposite.

All of these years, he thought that he had made the right decision, but now after seeing the way he had hurt them, it made hi realize that maybe leaving in the way he did was the worst thing he could have done.

Lauren was everything to him. They had been super close when they were younger and the day he left, Lauren probably took that as a sign that he didn't love her.

He got up and punched the tree closest to him and he screamed as loud as he could. There was no way he was going to get his family back the easy way.

~~~~~~~~

"Lauren, I think you need to go talk to your brother." Landon advised her.

"He left me, Landon. He left me without saying good-bye, without thinking of what we would feel." Landon answered.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Lauren. His was thinking that it would be easier the way he did it."

"Why are you so understanding? I hate it when you say things that make sense because I know you're right. I know that maybe that might be true, but he did it anyway."

"Lauren, think of it this way. What if it had been you? What would you be feeling if your younger sibling slapped you and ran away from you as if you were a monster?"

Lauren looked at him. He was definitely right. "But I can't do it."

"You're dying to go talk to him, Lauren. I can feel it."

"Landon-"

"Go do it. Go find him. Talk to him. Because if you can't get along with your family, your own blood, who else will you be able to get along with? Who else will you be able to count on?"

"Damn it, Landon. I love and hate that you're right."

Lauren walked out of the room after giving Landon a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks once again." she whispered.

She went out the door and she found Brett across the street just lying there. Panic coursed through her body at once and she ran towards him at full speed. She knelt down next to him and she shook him lightly. "Brett?"

Brett slowly opened his eyes slowly and moved his head towards her voice. "Baby girl?"

"Yeah." Tears started running down her cheeks.

Brett sat up almost immediately and engulfed her in a hug, and tears started to fall down his own cheeks as he said, "I'm so sorry. I'm so so so damn sorry. I didn't realize that I was hurting you this much in the process."

"I missed you so much. I was worried about you. You never once sent a letter or anything."

"I know. I know. And I'm sorry but I need to know that you still love me."

"Of course I still love you. I was mad at you and I felt hurt that you would leave, but I didn't ever stop loving you.  You're my brother, my best friend, my accomplice, my everything. I will never stop loving my older brother, the one who helped me when I thought it was the end of the world."

"Why did you come back?"

"There's this guy named Landon who made me understand."

"OMG. Is my little sister falling in love?"

She rolled her eyes, but she was serious when she answered. "I don't know."

Brett gasped. "You like him?"

She nodded. Brett practically tackled her to the floor. "I've got to meet him."

"He's blind." she blurted out.

"Does that make a difference?"

She smiled and said, "Nope. But my mom has been treating me like I'm not her daughter because of it."

"I know. We already talked. My dad is pretty upset. He doesn't even want to see me."

"We need to get Landon to talk to him. It's the only way. Trust me."

Lauren went for Landon and went to her house. There Landon and Kyle talked. Lauren and Brett hoped that it would work.