Free Minds Chained Hearts | ✔

Part 3 | Chapter 2

"Caretakers visit now and then but, I've never been in a while so I don't know how it's doing." He explained as we entered.

The heat in the home welcomes us as the door closed like an automatic servant. I watched it like that. We took off our coats and boots, hanging them by a rack beside the door. Then, I looked around me from the white walls to the hardwood floor. A chandelier hangs delicately above us like stars in Venus. Kitchen to the left, stairs on the right, and other rooms before us. I didn't know where to look or go. I felt frozen in awe of how amazing this place looks. This is the kind of place kids dream of having; I'm in it.

"Alright you know what this is ridiculous," I sighed, letting my hands meet in a clap of overwhelming astonishment. "If you have this place then why not live here? You'd rather live in a reeking frat house with a dozen others."

He smirks at my reaction but he continues walking to one of the windows that looked out into the backyard. There I find a frozen pool looking over into the city below and a very clean patio. It was well lit and I start to wonder what this place would look like during summer.

"I promised myself I would never live in any of my dad's places." He simply replied.

"So it's about that huh?" I uttered, "it's about trying to forget?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Everything I do is to try and forget him or to try my hardest not to be like him."

There, for a moment I forget about the house and I just look at him. I could still hear the hurt in his tone despite years of healing. He never really got into detail about his father but the way he clenches his jaw when he speaks of him, or the way his angry tone shows up tells me he's never really healed. I feel for him. He tried to aid his pain with alcohol and cigarettes. Women and late nights. Of course, he was lost, losing parents like that must've been a little too much. Although, he never made it clear whether it was losing his father or what he did before that that ruined him. All I know is his father is one of the reasons why he is the way he is.

"You won't be like him you know," I assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He smiles faintly and nodded.

"I know." He sighs leading me to believe that he understood what I meant.

He's a good man and whatever his dad was, I'm sure he knows better.

"Why uh...why don't you walk around and I'll get us some drinks."

"No alcohol," I reminded him with a smile.

He cringes and says, "not even wine?"

"You know I don't drink,"

"It's wine!" He repeated teasingly and I couldn't help the warmth spreading across my cheek. It's not my fault I grew up without any rebellious traits. I'm not even sure why that would surprise him.

"Ok, ok, come on, just some wine and nothing stronger." He grabs me by my hips, pulling me closer in a tempting whirlpool. His eyes pleaded carefully as though he had just forgotten about the place we are in. So I smiled and nodded.

"Fine, just wine. Now go and let me gawk at your wealth." I unmatched myself from him and he bites his lip.

"Don't get lost."