Famille

° 30 (PT. I)

"It is kind of messed up you went through her stuff, dad," Carter mutters from his spot next to Cameron. Derrick's head jerks in his direction before he sighs for what seems like the millionth time.

"You can take the same trip upstairs like Rylie if you're going tell me what I already know, Carter," He snaps in reply instantly regretting the tone of his words.

"Sorry. I know this sucks," Carter mumbles pressing his phone against his ear, "She turned her phone off," he sets it back on the table, "Maybe she just needs some time to breathe, you know? She always just here. She doesn't have friends or anything maybe that and combined with what you did just set her off."

"I agree with Carter," Cameron sits up and rests his elbows on his knees, "She's lonely and she acts skittish around the people we bring around. She barely leaves this place and then you blow up and tell her you dont trust her," he murmurs the last part not looking at his dad, "It's just that she gave you no reason not to and you still invaded her privacy."

It kind of just clicks to Derrick. Not that it hadn't before but earlier he was still trying wrap his head around her sudden outburst, the obscene amount of money, and he was fixated on trying to find out who the mans name on the check was. It didn't occur to him when he was snooping that he was doing something out of character.

He just couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand her. Usually he'd have established some kind of connection or common ground with the teens he brought into his home.

But not Aaron. She barely spoke. These days she barely left the room unless it was for breakfast, supper and sometimes a snack in between and to go to therapy. She was usually red eyed, agitated, and drained afterwards so he didn't want to bother her even more by trying to have conversation. Then slept most of the day away on weekends when she wasn't busy with school work.

All he had was her file filled with morbid stories and reasons she had to leave homes. The tragedy of her parents, and her questionable medical history. He didn't know what she liked. She didn't seem to have interest in anything. He didn't know her favorite colors. Her favorite music. He had nothing to go on that could help him form a bond.

Yet, Rylie cracked through it all. The other boys didn't say it often but they were just as intrigued about the two. Cameron was slightly jealous as he usually was the most friendly. The one to break the ice but he barely could pick through surface. While Carter seemed indifferent, if they stay out of his way he stays out of theirs. It was like a system. Derrick was the nurturer. Cameron was the charming one to break them out their shell. Carter and Chase observed. They stepped in and helped out when needed. Sometime giving lectures of their own. Rylie was the uncaring one who usually didn't bother and never shared the same interest and didn't try to establish connections knowing they'd be gone before the year was up.

But somehow. With Aaron, he took all their roles. Derrick couldn't understand it. Childishly, part of him felt that same envy. So he snooped. Trying to find out any little thing about Aaron he could. Trying to find something that could get him where he wanted to be in her life. Then he found the check and his mind went into overdrive. He wasn't always at home sometimes she had to be alone for hours at a time. Thirty five hundred dollars was a lot of money for a teen to acquire with no reason.

So his mind went dark. Drugs. Prostitution. The thoughts made his skin crawl. They also made him slightly angry. He had been getting calls from Rylie's school unbeknownst to the boy himself, from his teachers saying Rylie just seems out of it. Distracted. He had been spending so much time with Aaron over the past month or so and it all intertwined with another.

His boys came first. Always. And the thought that Aaron could have Rylie mixed into something neither of them shouldn't be didn't sit right with him. Their secretiveness didn't sit right with him. The check didn't sit right with him. He couldn't let it bubble up so confronting the situation head on seemed best but now he regretted it. Because all the while he snooped in the room nothing was askew. The room was tidy. And the check, that god dammed check looked like it hadn't been unfolded or touched at all really.

He should have stopped prodding when tears welled in her eyes. He should have said yes when she asked didn't he trust her and he shouldn't jumped to the worst conclusions when he knew Rylie would tell him if something were wrong. If something was dangerous. If he felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

Should've. Could've. Would've.

But Derrick did none of that. He did the opposite. Now Aaron, who has nothing but a backpack full of clothes, no money, and a phone that will probably die within the next few hours was out in the streets, vulnerable and alone. He could slap himself. Hell, if his wife was still alive she'd probably have already done it. Or maybe he'd never be in his current predicament in the first place.

He splashed cold water on his face looking into the bathroom mirror. He looked as distressed as he felt so Derrick closes his eyes, takes a deep breathe, counts to ten and opens his eyes staring at his reflection sullenly before exiting and taking a seat on his bed eyeing the picture on the night stand of his deceased wife then looks up towards the ceiling.

"Samantha, if you can hear me or if you're watching me right now which you probably are just ... just help me out, okay? I'm not good with girls it's kind of the reason I wanted boys so bad," he laughed lightly at his own words before continuing, "You were good with people. Amazing with kids. All types. I'm not, and I just really need you to guide me with this one."

•••
HELLO !

Sometimes I get these bursts where I just want to write so bad and then i get halfway through and lose all motivation lmao and then I come back and I'm like wow ... this is terrible. I literally deleted and rewrote this entire thing.

But any who ... I love seeing your comments but like I never know what to say or if I should say anything at all but just so you know I DO see them. I love them. I love you all. Wattpad should make a thing where you can 'like' someone's comment or something.

Also uh I feel like I'm a little to this kpop party but BTS????? BTS IS SO GOOD???? I REALLY BEEN MISSING OUT ON TALENT LIKE THIS.

I hope you like this chapter. Vote, comment, and share if you'd like.

- C.