Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Fifty-Four

"There was a period of time, a long time, where Ma and Pa were fighting a lot. I remember the day it all went down, they fought about something at the breakfast table or something. I was at preschool, I had no idea. Pa came to pick me up from school but... he smelled weird. Bad. I didn't like it, and I asked what it was, and he just told me it was nothing, but now I know it was alcohol. Scotch."

"He was drunk?"

"Very. And the last thing I fully remember is running through a red light. There was a truck. I heard the horn, and then it all went black."

"A car accident," breathed Oliver, and Spencer nodded.

"I was in a coma for a week, medically induced. I don't really remember a lot of being awake in the hospital either, because I kept passing out, but I lost the ability to walk. I couldn't walk for like six months after the accident. It's why I got into swimming, because my rehab was a lot of swimming, getting muscle back into my legs and arms after being immobile for so long."

Oliver was silent, then let out a long whoosh of air. "Jesus. That's... insane."

"And then after the accident, things were okay for a while, but then they were fighting again, and then they weren't, and it was weird because they'd never admit it, but they were always so unhappy. But then they just... fixed themselves. And I'm too young to understand how or why or any of that, but they fixed themselves just a while before Ellie went missing. Now they love each other, and I can't imagine seeing them without each other. Sometimes they go through rough patches, but they forget that we see everything. We absorb everything. We don't forget what we don't want to forget."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know Mom and Dad loved each other a lot, but then it was like... there was no money and so he got drafted and then he left. When he comes back it's all good, but we don't get that much money anyway, y'know?"

"I understand."

"Pip doesn't, though. Like, she asks for stuff that we just can't give her. She does things that cost us money to fix up when she does them, like accidentally tearing her clothes and stuff. It's just... a lot. It's a lot."

"I know it is. And I can't pretend that I get it, but I know where you're coming from."

Oliver sighed. "Thank you for bringing me out today, Spence. It means a lot. Got me out of my own head for a little while."

"That's all I could ask for. I'm here whenever you need me, alright?"

"I know." He looked at Spencer. "I... broke up with Kai."

"What?!"

"Well, she broke up with me. I'd been wanting to do it for a while because it wasn't fair that I held her back so much."

"What do you mean by that?"

He sighed softly, still looking up. "She would try to hang out with me and I'd say no because I have to look after Mom and Pip. She'd want to celebrate her birthday with me and I couldn't even afford a present for her. She's not materialistic, but she doesn't really get mementos and stuff, I guess? I dunno. It just... doesn't work."

"I see." Spencer didn't look at him, but his heart was racing. Oliver was single? Oliver Dalton was single? Holy shit. Holy. Shit.

Oliver sighed. "We should get home. Pip'll be hungry."

"Let's take some KFC home or something. Or I can make you guys some peri-peri chicken, I'm good at that," said Spencer.

"I can't ask you to spend more money on me, Spence."

"Good, I don't need you to ask."

"Spencer!"

"What?" said Spencer, turning around.