Ride Or Die | Book #1 ✓

Chapter 17

TRIGGER WARNING: SHOOTINGS

After the instance that happened at the Gunner's, Pierce decided to drive me home to get me away. Juniper on the other hand couldn't stop apologizing and I could tell she was mortified from what her dad had done. I was mortified myself to be groped and touched by a 45-year-old man. After being in a state of shock followed by a panic attack I had finally calmed myself down but could still feel his touch on my skin. 

Pierce pulled up to the sidewalk next to my house and without either of us saying anything we had both gotten out of the car and started to walk towards the front door of the house. I didn't even want to face Aster after all of this shit. Pierce still looked pretty bad from the punches he did take but Juniper tried to help clean him up the best she could. Pierce followed shortly behind me as I entered the house to hear Aster and Evangeline talking in the kitchen.

I tried to immediately head up the stairs but stopped when Evangeline and Aster had both approached. Aster looked at me and then Pierce, immediately knowing something was up. "What's going on?" Aster asked concerned, and I averted my eyes away from him and looked down at the ground. Pierce rubbed his clenched jaw and his eyes bored into me for what seemed like forever. 

"Aspen was over hanging out with Triston and June, and my dad sexually assaulted her," Pierce explained, his tone was so mixed between anger and disappointment. I couldn't get a read on how Pierce was feeling, I don't even think Pierce knew how to feel because he wasn't the kind of guy to show emotion. 

"You fucking piece of shit!" Aster gritted, lunging at Pierce and slamming him back while he clutched his white t-shirt in his face. Aster looked like he was ready to kill him and didn't even have to hesitate about it "You are supposed to protect her! You fucking let this happen!" 

"Aster stop!" I pulled him off of Pierce and stood in front of him so Aster couldn't lunge back "Pierce was the one to save me, if it wasn't for him..god knows what would've happened." 

Aster looked unsure while he looked back and forth between me and Pierce. He dropped his fist before looking directly at me "Are you ok?"

I nodded in response before Aster suggested I go lay down in bed and that we could talk later. I agreed and headed upstairs. Letting my door swing open I ripped my leather jacket off and kicked off the heels. Running a hand through my hair, I paced back and forth while I struggled to get the images out of my head.

I grabbed the picture frame off my desk from when I was around 11. It was a photo of me, my dad, aster, and my mom at what use to be her favorite park. We use to always have picnics in the park whenever my mom was free considering her schedule was so busy.

I stared at my mom's face that was plastered with a smile and sat down on the edge of my bed, staring down at the picture. It was times like these where I wanted nothing more but for my mom to be alive but all I had left of her was the fading memories and the pictures. 

"Miss them?" A voice spoke up and my head snapped up to see Pierce standing in the doorway. I wiped away the tears that had managed their way out and placed the picture down. Pierce walked over to my bed before sitting down next to me. 

"I'm sorry Aspen, I should've known and I shouldn't of let you go-" Pierce went on but I interrupted him "It's not your fault."

Looking over at Pierce, he turned his head to look at me and our eyes met. We shared a moment of silence, not saying anything but the staring was a thousand words to fill the void. "I don't understand you." I broke the silence.

"Understand what?"

"You. You're so all over the place with me. One minute you hate my guts and want me dead the next your kind of a decent human being and caring. Like having an extra inhaler for me, I mean how did you even know I was asthmatic- plus the kiss at the party, I don't even understand-" I started but Pierce breathed out a laugh.