Hard

41 Linc

"Auden!" My shouts don't wake her as she rocks back and forth in my arms. Why won't she wake up? She is so damn stubborn sometimes! 

"What is going on?" We all turn around to see Howard running down the hill frantically towards us. 

He falls to the floor and pulls her away from me causing me to react without thinking clearly and slap him hard across the face. "What the fuck?" Jace screams. 

"I have no idea why I did that!" I shout back. 

"ENOUGH YOU FUCKING MORONS!" Sutten screams at us. She runs back into the shed and comes out holding a gallon of water and undoes the cap then pours it out on to Auden. She only has to pour a little because Auden jolts her body and wakes up grabbing the jug from Sutten and throwing it out into the grass far away. 

"What the hell Sutten? You could have just slapped me!" 

"Well considering how Linc bitch slapped your dad when he tried to take you away from him, I figured that would be a bad idea!" Auden gives me a very confused what the fuck look and I shrug my shoulders because I have no clue why I did that. "The police should be here soon so let's all go to the lobby now so I can get some food because I am fucking starving!" 

"Oh stressed from your friend being in danger ?" Howard asks sympathetically. 

Sutten slaps his shoulder and giggles a little, "No! I am three months pregnant  now let's roll." 

I grab for Auden's hand and she grabs me for my arm squeezing it's hard I think she might leave a mark but I don't want to say anything, she needs me as I need her. We rush to the lobby and I try not to look around for Liam but I can't help it, he's a problem, and I need to squish him like a bug. 

Jace continues to make a plate for Sutten of the most food he can get from the kitchen. She kisses him each time and even though she looks like a food gobbling beast, I know Jace doesn't mind at all, and that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. 

Auden doesn't say much while the police look around for Liam and watch the security tapes. Every now and again I ask if she is okay and she says yes. I don't know how to help her, I really really want to, but I can't go find Liam and kill him for her because that is wrong, it would be fantastic to do so, but wrong nonetheless. I wish I could read her mind and save me so much time but she is still so held back from me. I know she loves and needs me as I do, but she won't talk to me about her fears like I wish she would. 

"Hey," I whisper to her and she lifts her head up with a smile I know she is faking because as I learned from the first night I met her, this girl doesn't smile for anything, even if it's me saying hi. I gesture her to scoot over and sit down next her, "Tell me what you are thinking." 

She sighs and hunches over, "It doesn't matter what I am thinking." 

"Yes, it does. Your insane ex-boyfriend just attacked you so I know you must have some thoughts." 

"There was a moment, a small moment when he told me to let's run away together that I thought about it..." 

Did she think about it? She thought about leaving me for some delusional stalker! I can't yell at her but god helps me I would if I could right now. Let her explain Linc! "Okay..."

She grins sweetly at me and I know this time she means it, "Not to be with him, I love you, I meant when he said he wanted to replace the baby I lost, I thought about it. Would it have been a boy or a girl? Would I be a good mom? Would I have had an abortion or gone with adoption if I decided I was too young? Would I stay with him because I was pregnant? My whole life changed that night and I don't think I ever realized it until I met you. If I haven't had met you and Sutten and Jace, I think I would have been the same person that I was forever." 

"You figured all that out in a thirty-minute conversation with a lunatic stalker?" 

"I did, and when I get back I need to let Gabe go." 

God, I forgot about that fake ass little bitch! He hurt my girl and then my boy Eliot so if I get the chance to hit him I will! "What do you mean to let him go?" 

"I always kept him with me because I knew he felt guilty for what happened with Liam and for some fucking reason that made me feel good. I felt good that he was paying a secret penance in our friendship and I urged him to come here with me. That is why he is not being himself. I have to try and be a much better version of myself, the version that you deserve." 

I can't fathom the words to respond so I just pull her into a kiss that we have never really done before- a foot popping in a romantic comedy kiss. 

"Now that's out the way, why did you slap my dad?" 

"Why did you just call him your dad?" 

"Touche." 

"Auden?" We tear our eyes off each other and Jace's dad stands in front of us. He isn't in his uniform, his clothes look tattered and old. His sweatpants have holes at the bottom and he looks as though he hasn't slept for hours. 

"Captain, what are you doing here?" Auden asks. 

"I was staying a couple of hours away and I got the call that Liam showed up here." 

He was staying a couple of hours away? How strange, he never takes a vacation! I look at him and he doesn't make eye contact with me. I am so dumbfounded, he never acts like this with me. "Where were you staying?" 

"Doesn't matter, Auden can I talk to you for a minute?" She grabs his hand and leaves me. 

As she walks away, I figure it out! I know exactly where he could be staying that would cause him to lie to me. 

Jace's mom lives just an hour and a half away at a penthouse close to her office! I know because Jace took me there one Christmas. No no no no no no no no! Those two are terrible together! I can't tell Jace because he will implode! But if I don't say something then I will implode! 

I hate my life right now.