Two weeks later, it was lunch, and we were sitting outside under the huge blossom tree near the gym, enjoying the rare sun that had been shining for the last few days. I tried to hold back laughter as I noticed Tyler trying to look everywhere but at Lucy's chest, which she was all but pushing into his face and falling out of her top, he shot me a pained look and mouthed 'help'. I swallowed the laugh threatening to escape.
I know what you're thinking.
I hated him two weeks ago, I know. But something changed last week.
... "I don't care!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in the air and fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. Dad had talked to the lawyer again about his custody rights.
She didn't get it.
"He's your father, Briar! He has the right to see his daughters," Mum yelled back across the kitchen at me. Her face was red and her throat was hoarse.
We'd been at it for an hour already.
"I don't care, Mum," I said again, "He left us. He made that choice, now I'm choosing to leave him." I gritted out, bracing my arms on the bench. I could feel myself shaking.
"He's still your father," She argued, a fire burning in her eyes.
"No, he's not," I muttered, turning to leave.
"Don't leave, we're not done!" She yelled, taking a step in my direction.
I took a step back.
"Don't act like you care about how I feel about Dad, you just can't be bothered with the lawyers calling all the time," I sneered, watching her face twist slightly before she took a step forward.
I didn't move back this time.
"Don't say that again," She said, her voice low and cold.
"Why not?" I countered, "Do you honestly care about me?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.
"Briar do this, Briar do that, Briar can you pick up Gabby, Briar can you make dinner," I mimicked her, "You never once ask, Briar, how are you? Are you okay? How's Aidan? How's life? Do you need anything?" I felt a tear slip down my cheek, but I didn't stop.
"But I don't care anymore, you support gabby, and I really hope you build a better relationship with her than you did with me, because most of the time, Mum, it feels like both my parents left me," I said, staring her right in the face. I saw something flash behind her blue irises before her hand connected with my cheek, pushing me back a few steps. Shock and regret filled her expression, but I was already walking out the door, tears streaming down my cheeks and my hand pressed against the sensitive skin of my cheek.
"Briar," Mum said quietly, taking a step towards me. I turned to face her at the door.
Her cheeks were red and tears had built up in her eyes. She was looking between her hand and my cheek with a look I'd never seen before.
"I'm sorry," She choked and reached out to me, but stopped when I flinched away from her.
"Don't talk to me, Elizabeth," I spat out, and the look on her face was so pained that anyone would've thought she'd been the one who got hit. I took the steps two at a time and let the tears fall down my cheeks. The slam of the door shook the walls as I slid down the wall, letting the cold tile seep through my thin T-shirt. Sobs shook through my body and the tears blurred my vision.
I didn't want to be here.
I pulled myself up off the ground and scavenged through the draws, looking for a razor. I finally found one and pulled it out, trying to figure out how to take it apart. The tears kept coming and someone started pounding on the door.
"Leave me alone!" I screamed, throwing a towel at the door in a weak attempt to stop the pounding.
I just wanted to be gone.
"Let me in, Briar!" Tyler yelled from the other side of the door.
Tyler? I thought he was out.
"Just go away!" I choked out.
"If you don't open this door, I'll kick it open." He threatened, pounding on the door one more time. I stopped for a moment, so did he.
"Please briar," He said, quieter this time.
"Let me in."
The lock clicked and Tyler came barging in.
He took one look at me and then at the razor in my hand and understanding settled in his features.
"Briar, no," He said quietly and stepped forward, wrapping his strong arms around my body. The razor disappeared from my hands and I let myself fall into him, soaking his T-shirt in the process...
If he hadn't kept demanding to be let in, I probably wouldn't be here.
I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not. We hadn't talked about it either, it was the elephant in the room.
"Hello? Earth to Martin."
Jake cooed and waved his hand in front of my face, taking me out of my daydream, my face flushed as I realised that everyone at the table had been waiting for me. I glanced around at them. Tyler was ignoring Lucy's futile attempts to get him to rub sunscreen on her back, Jake was leaning over the table to talk to me, and Aidan was turned back to his phone, but I knew he was listening.
"What?" I murmured and put a salad leaf into my mouth, hoping it would delay whatever I was about to answer. My heart was beating fast as I thought about that night.
"Are you coming to the party tomorrow night?" Jake asked, rolling his eyes.
"What party?" I asked, my voice muffled from the salad in my mouth.
"Emmet's party, up in the old farm that his Dad owns," Aidan muttered, not looking up from his phone. I swallowed my salad and took a long sip of water.
"Are you guys going?"
Jake rolled his eyes again, as if the answer was obvious, "Well yeah, if you're game."
I looked over at Tyler, who was sucking on a lollipop, he grinned when he caught my eye and sent my stomach into a fit.
Stop it, Briar. You have a boyfriend.
"Are you going?" I asked quietly, hoping Aidan was too engrossed in his phone to hear me, I was wrong. Aidan swore under his breath and got up.
"I'm going to the canteen." He stated before storming off in the direction of the buildings. I let out a breath and nearly got up to follow him, but Jake just shook his head, so I stayed where I was. Tyler looked between Aidan's retreating back and me, before shrugging.
"Yeah, it could be fun."
I nodded, "Yeah okay, I'll go then."
Lucy squealed and Jake grinned and jumped up off the bench to chase after Aidan, he ruffled my hair on his way past.
Lucy got up seconds later and declared that she was going to the bathroom, leaving Tyler and me alone.
"Why are you still with him?" Tyler demanded, leaning forward on his elbows to talk to me. I sighed, this conversation happened every two days it seemed. I would never admit that I had been thinking the same thing.
"Tyler, honestly. Stop asking that." I said, piling more salad onto my fork. He leant back and interlocked his fingers behind his head, his shirt riding up to expose his defined V line. He watched me eat for a few moments before leaning forward again, his eyes fixed on mine.
"I hear you guys arguing on the phone you know, and I hear you afterwards, in your room, the walls aren't soundproof. He makes you miserable, he makes himself miserable." He stated, his eyes softening slightly. I hated to admit it, but he was right. In the last two weeks, Aidan and I had been fighting more than we've fought in the whole time we've been together, but what Tyler doesn't know is that we fight about him. Aidan thinks Tyler is a bad influence, that he's going to 'taint' me, or something. He gets annoyed if I even so much as mention something Tyler said at dinner, let alone hang out with him, but I can't exactly ignore him when we live together, and lately Tyler and I have been getting along really well, ever since that night. Although I'm still cautious about him, I defiantly don't hate him anymore. Although very time I've asked him about his life in New York he changes the subject. I rubbed my temples and tilted my head back, letting the sun soak into my skin.
"Just leave it, Ty." I sighed and picked up my bag, "Are you coming?"
He nodded and stood, towering over me. A grin split across his face and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gave it a brief squeeze, his way of telling me that he would be there to support me, I subconsciously leaned into his chest and closed my eyes briefly, enjoying the safety and comfort I felt with Tyler. I could be myself around him. I didn't have to be the 'popular girl' or the 'pretty one', with him I could just be myself, and I felt comfortable in my skin around Tyler. Even with Aidan, I felt like I had to be quiet and soft, never overshadowing him, but with Tyler, I howled with laughter and was brutally honest, he wasn't scared to be overshadowed by me.
We walked towards the buildings in a comfortable silence, our hands brushing occasionally and sending a shiver through my body at the brief contact. I thought of Aidan and the way he was always touching me. An arm over my shoulder, a hand on my waist, my thigh. It was overwhelming sometimes, but I'd never mention it to him, it didn't bother me that much. But I felt so guilty from the shivers I got from the briefest of touches with Tyler, when with Aidan, sometimes his touch made me shiver in a different way, more of a cringe. Tyler had walked into that door two weeks ago with a ridiculous smirk and a cocky attitude and unknowingly turned everything I thought I knew upside down.
"I'll see you in the car?" He asked and paused before turning into his sixth-period class. For the last week, I had been driving us to school because 'something' had come up which meant Aidan couldn't take us anymore. 'Something' my ass.
"Yeah, of course." I grinned and gave him a small wave before walking into math and sitting next to a still sulking Aiden. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek in greeting, and all I received was a grunt and a nod of his head. I rolled my eyes and dumped my bag down with a thump.
Fine then, if he wanted to act childish.
We didn't talk for the rest of the period, but when I made my way towards the door, his hand wrapped around my elbow.
"Can we talk?" He asked. I nodded and soon I found myself being dragged towards the field.
"What's up?" I asked, shrugging into my coat as the cold bit into my skin.
"I don't want you hanging around Tyler, and I don't want him hanging around us," He stated, my eyes widened and I took a step back.
"You're kidding, right?"
He shook his head, his lips pulled in a thin line.
"I don't like him," He said, his voice flat.
"You don't know him," I defended, almost laughing at how a month ago I had the same conversation with Tyler about Aidan.
"I don't have to," He crossed his arms across his chest and blew out a long breath.
"You're being childish," I rolled my eyes and turned to walk to my car, where I could see Tyler leaning against the bonnet, watching us. I felt comforted knowing Tyler was there if I needed him.
"Why is he on your car?" Aidan gritted out, his hand snapping out to grasp my elbow and pull me back to him.
"Because we drive home together?" I muttered, pulling my arm out of his grasp.
"Why?" He demanded.
"Because you threw a tantrum and refused to drive him, so I drive us now," I snapped. He narrowed his eyes and glared at me.
"I don't want you hanging out with him," He said again.
"Well, it's a shame that you're not in charge of me then, because we live together, and he's my friend. I'm not going to stop hanging out with him just because you're acting like a jealous child," I said coldly. He pulled his hand back and I couldn't help but flinch, images of Mum's hand flashed through my mind. I watched as Aidan's fingers ran through his hair and I let out a breath of relief, hoping he didn't see me flinch.
"Maybe we should go on a break," He muttered. I took a step back, my eyes widening.
"What?" I choked out.
I didn't expect this.
"You clearly like him..." He started, but I cut him off with an elaborate eye roll.
"Are you really being serious right now?" I muttered.
"We're not taking a break, because nothing is wrong. I'll see you at the party tonight," I said and headed towards Tyler, leaving Aidan on the field.
"What was that about?" Tyler asked when we got in the car.
"He's being an immature, jealous, childish jerk," I muttered and threw the car into drive, pulling out of the carpark and narrowly missing the curb.
"Woah, calm down," Tyler murmured, casting me a sidelong glance as he rummaged through his bag.
"I'm calm," I snapped back. He made a small noise but didn't say anything.
I couldn't wait for tonight. I needed a break.
I needed release.
---
i REALLY don't like Aidan.
What do you think about Briar's fight with her Mum? and what she wanted to do afterwards? I found it really hard to write that part because I didn't want to trigger anyone, I hope you're all okay!
keep your head up.
- K