Reunited

Chapter 11

"Go back to bed, now." Steve ordered, pointing inside the house.

"We're drinking hot chocolate." Aidan said matter of factly as he held up his cup.

"Drink it quickly and go to bed." Steve said and went inside his room.

"Who do you think he was talking to at this time?" I asked Aidan.

"Don't know. Probably someone from work." Aidan shrugged and began to sip his drink.

He turned to me and said, "Tell me what you were thinking about."

"I already told you. Nothing of importance."

"Still, tell me." He insisted.

I sighed. "Just life."

"What about it?"

"Do you have to know everything I'm thinking in detail?"

"Yes. Now tell me." He said.

I sighed again. "It's just that my life changed after meeting you. And now, I can't help but look back at my old life and think about how weak I was."

"What makes you think that? Why do you think you're weak?"

"Because, in the course of 17 years I didn't stand up to them once." I said quietly and looked down at the cup in my hands.

"But that doesn't make you weak. They had you believe a lie and then you acted on it just to be on their good side. There isn't any child in this world who doesn't want their parents to love them. You were trying the same thing."

"I knew I was adopted, Aidan. They told me that I was not their daughter, that I was adopted and that they will never love me like how I want them to because I was adopted. I couldn't even get them to like me."

Aidan sighed and was silent for a few minutes. Then he said, "Ellie, whatever you would've done, they wouldn't have ever acknowledged it because all they wanted from you, was money."

Upon hearing this, I turned to look at him in confusion.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

He adjusted himself so he was fully facing me.

"When our parents died, some people spread a rumor that if anyone was to adopt either one of us, they would be the owners of the properties and money left behind by our parents. The Hendersons, obviously, believed it and adopted you. But then the true news was revealed that everything was supposed to be ours when we turn 18. Which was written in our dad's will."

I took a minute to process that information.

So I was used. Without even knowing it. Great. Another reason to hate them.

"But that still doesn't change the fact that I'm weak." I stated making him roll his eyes.

"You're not weak, Ellie. Seriously, I know people who can't even take an ounce of what you went through. Including myself. I know for a fact that if I was in your position, I'd go crazy." He said.

He doesn't even know the worst part yet.

I didn't answer him and just took a sip of the hot chocolate which was actually warm by now.

"I wanted to ask..." I trailed off, changing the subject.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on with you and Abby?"

Aidan, who was about to take a sip of his hot chocolate, froze in the middle.

"What?" He let out.