Pretend (81 page)

             
"Imagining a life without you was something that I just couldn't do. I don't just want you April, I need you in my life and I love you so much. I get why you pushed me away, you were scared but you don't have to be anymore," he said as a small smile filled his lips.

             
"Please don't ever leave me again," I whispered as he pulled me into a tight embrace and allowed me to cry my heart out.

             
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here," he whispered as he held me even tighter.

             
"I love you so much," I said as I let my fingers grip the back of his black tee. I didn't want to let go, not now, not ever.

             
"I know," he said as he stroked my back.

             
"I know."

6 WEEKS LATER

“Where is he? He was supposed to be here by seven,” Susan said as she kept checking to make sure that everyone in the room was in place.

             
“Well
,
you did send Anthony to
go and get him.
D
id you really think that they would be on time?” Crystal said as everyone chuckled, in agreement.

             
“Don’t worry Susan, he’ll be here soon,” I said as I threw her a smile.

             
“Yes you’re right sweetheart. I just want things to be perfect after everything that has happened,” she said as she looked at me with sad eyes.

             
“It will, I promise,” I said before giving her a gentle hug.

             
“Well
,
I hope that this Aiden boy is worth it, I’m missing touched by an angel for him,” Gramps said from his seat on the couch, making everyone burst out laughing.

             
“
Sshh
,” my mom tried to say as she struggled to hold in her own laughter.

             
“It’s his eighteenth birthday pops, he’s allowed to be late especially since he doesn’t even know about this party,” Bob joked as he looked at Gramps.

             
“Oh be quiet Phillip, honestly you're far too loud," Gramps said as we all burst out laughing before the sound of the front door caused us all to be quiet.

             
"Surprise!"
Everybody screamed as Aiden stepped into the living room.
The shock on his face was hilarious as he took in what was happening around him.

             
"Quiet night in?"
He asked
,
sarcastically as he turned to Anthony, who had a proud smirk on his face.

             
"Did I say that?" He said as he burst out laughing.

             
"You were late!" Jess said as she slapped Anthony on the arm.

             
"
Aww
,
did you miss me
,
baby?" He asked as he winked at her.

             
"Oh please
player don't
get too excited," she said as she raised her eyebrows at him.

             
"Yes, please don't you might give an old lady a heart attack," Grandma said, causing us all to burst into a fit of laughter.

             
"Hey Gran, I thought
that
you loved me?" Anthony asked as he threw his arms over her shoulders.

             
"Did I say that?" She asked with a smirk on her face before walking off.

             
"Ha, dude you just got your own words used against you!" Murphy said as he laughed to himself.

             
"Whatever man
," Anthony said with a smile on his face.

             
"Happy birthday Aiden," my mom said as she walked up to him and gave him a tight squeeze.

             
"Thanks Aunty
Kels
," he said as he smiled at her.

             
"No problem sweetheart," she replied before moving to the side and allowing Bob to get through.

             
"Happy birthday kiddo, make sure you cut me a nice big slice of cake," Bob said as he patted his belly.

             
"God knows that it has to be big to fill that thing," Grandma said, gesturing towards his belly as we all started to laugh.

             
"One of these days this belly will be
gone and you will miss it Moms."

             
"Yes and pigs will fly
deary
," Grandma said, causing Aiden to burst out laughing.

             
It was nice to hear him laughing so freely. It had been six weeks since the whole incident with Jake and believe me, it was tough. Firstly, Aiden was having constant nightmares for a week straight about being run over. I started to stay with him for a few nights after that until they eventually calmed down. I also found myself the victim of Crystal's motherly suffocation. Her heart was in the right place but her worrying and constant fussing did start
to drive me crazy. It wasn't half as bad as when my mom got back from England though. Aunt May passed away, the night after the accident and so they all stayed an extra week to sort out
all of the arrangements.
Susan
and I
both agreed not to tell my mom about the accident with Jake until they got back. She was mad of course
but eventually she acc
epted
the decision and moved on.

             
Then there was Kyle. I had been right about his mom hiding something from me and it wasn't a little something either. He woke up the morning after the accident and I was one of the first to see him but when I got there I didn't expect to see what I did. The accident had left Kyle unable to walk which made my guilt levels reach an all new high. To say that I was devastated would be an understatement. Kyle told me two things when I went to visit him that morning. The first
thing
was that the doctors said that there was every chance that he would walk again as his injuries were not
permanent
. They had said that with enough
physio
and a bucket full of determination it could happen one day. Kyle was a fighter, believe
me
and he had bundles of determination but I wasn't sure how far that would get him after how fragile he looked that day and it broke my heart. The second thing that he told me, for some reason seemed even worse though. He asked me not to visit him after that
day,
he had explained that he didn't want me to feel guilty or to watch him suffer. He told me that the next time that I'd see him, he would b
e walking again. I remember
just smiling weakly as he said those words but I never argued
with him about it
, I understo
o
d his request. I don't know how long it would be before he walked again but I truly missed him. The craziest part about this whole situation was the change in relationship between Kyle and Aiden. Every
day after school Aiden
committed
to visiting Kyle. Even when we all told him to take a day off he refused, he had made it his duty and on the odd day when he couldn't make it he would send in his right hand man, Anthony. He didn't talk much about his visits which I think was due to Kyle asking him not to discuss them with me but from what I did know they were working together on his physio. It was the strangest and most unlikely friendship but somehow it worked. Aiden didn't tell me much about Kyle's condition but when I spoke to him a couple of days ago he accid
ently let slip
that Kyle was no
where near walking yet which broke my heart. I guess I will have to wait on a miracle.

             
I also started to go back to church which has been amazing. I felt so blessed after everything that happened with Kyle and Aiden that I felt drawn to going back. I felt thankful. I made sure to always say a little prayer for
Kyle,
I only hope that they are being heard.

             
Jake was
admitted
into a mental institution which I think was the right place from him based on how far he had gone. I felt a little sorry for him actually, I couldn't imagine life being so bad that I could be driven to do something so evil. I received a letter from him a couple of weeks ago which came as a huge surprise. It took me a whole day to build up the courage to open it and when I finally did, I found the word sorry written in bold
,
black letters, spread across the page. I spent the entire night crying after that. It was like closure, at last.

             
"You ok?" Aiden asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

             
"Now that you're here, yes," I said as I hugged him.

             
"Happy birthday," I
whispered
into his ear.

             
"Thank you, beautiful."

             
Aiden and I had become even closer over the past few weeks and I loved it. He truly was my best friend. Don't get me wrong, Crystal is still my best friend but it was a different kind of relationship a
nd a special bond. I felt like
he completed a part of me that I
had searched so long to find. It
sounds absolutely crazy but it's as if he is my soul mate.

             
"So
,
I hear that someone is planning on making the birthday boy sing," I said as I gestured towards Susan.

             
"No way," Aiden said with a grin on his face.

             
"Well good luck avoiding her," I said as I started
to laugh
. Once Susan had an idea, she would stop at nothing. Where else do you think that Crystal got it from?

             
"Hey Edward and Bella can I break you up for a minute, I need to borrow Mr Sparkles," Anthony said as we burst out laughing.

             
"I didn't think you'd know about a film like Twilight," Aiden teased.

             
"I didn't until madam here forced me to watch it. My eye balls were burning after about an hour of torture," he said as he pointed at Jess.

             
"Oh
,
stop lying, you loved it, you big girl," Jess said as she hit his arm playfully.

             
"No I didn't, I only like
d
that bit when the red chicks neck got snapped off. That was the most action in it," he replied.

             
"That's because it's a love story Anthony, it doesn't focus on violence," Aiden said
,
sarcastically with a big smirk on his face.

             
"Oh
,
it seems someone liked it then," Jess said as she raised her eyebrows up at Aiden.

             
"I never said that."

             
"Oh
,
but you implied it which means I'm making you watch the other three and take me to the movies to watch Breaking Dawn part two," I teased.

             
"What! No way it's my birthday you can't do that," he argued as we all tried to hold in our laughs.

             
"Dude, your birthday won't last forever," Anthony said as he winked at Aiden.

             
"I should have known these two losers weren't intellectual enough to appreciate the master piece that is Twilight," Jess scoffed.

             
"What
ever
,
Twilight
smilight
.
Let's go, the guys need you for a minute," Anthony said as he walked off towards Murphy and Taise.