Something To Hold On To
011.
Lexie’s POV
It had been two incredibly long weeks since Mike broke up with me. Fifteen days to be exact. I would be lying if I said I was okay. I felt completely empty. You know those people that tell you time heals all? That's bullshit. Complete bullshit. Every day that went by was harder than the one before. I missed him so much and the twins weren’t making it any easier. Aiden asked about Mike every single day. He couldn't understand why Mike had been around all the time and then one day he just stopped showing up.
Aiden’s feet padded into the living room where I was lying on the couch. “Auntie Lexie I go see Mikey?” He asked me for the hundredth time in the past few weeks. I sighed out of frustration as I looked at him.
“Aiden. What did I tell you about Mike?” Aiden’s mouth turned into a pout as he looked to his feet. “Mike is too busy to come over. You go play, now.” I told him.
“But..”
“Aiden!” I snapped. I couldn't listen to him constantly talking about Mike. It was driving me crazy. “Go in your room right now!” I ordered, pointing to the hallway. He turned and did as I told with his head hung low. I rolled over and closed my eyes. All I wanted to do was go to sleep and not wake up until I didn't feel like this anymore.
- - -
A loud knocking on the front door awoke me from my sleep. I groaned as I got to my feet. Of course the first time I sleep in days someone would come to wake me up. As if my life didn't suck enough as it is. I opened the door and was speechless when I saw Mike standing there. I hadn’t seen him since he told me that we were over. He looked ridiculously hot. His t-shirt hugged his hard body in all the right places and accentuated his perfectly toned biceps. “Here.” He muttered. I looked down and that's when I noticed Aiden was standing at Mike’s side, hockey stick in hand, and my heart broke. Aiden was hurting and this was all my fault. “You should probably keep a closer eye on him.” He told me condescendingly. I tore my eyes away from Aiden and glared at Mike.
“Don't.” I ordered. How dare he imply that I wasn’t watching my nephew! I took Aiden’s hand and pulled him in through the door.
“Mikey please come play with me!” Aiden begged. When Mike didn't reply he continued. “I'm sorry if I was bad! I’ll be a good boy!” I bit my lip as my eyes welled up with tears. Again, Mike didn't say anything to Aiden. He just looked at him.
“Aiden you didn't do anything wrong! You are a very good boy. Mike is mad at me not you.” I told him, but Aiden just looked up at Mike. He was waiting for him to tell him that he really wasn’t mad at him. “Mike!” I shouted. “Tell him!”
“I have to go.” Mike muttered as he turned and stormed down the hallway. I looked down at Aiden’s defeated face. I had made such a mess of everything.
“Why don't you come into the kitchen and help me and Maddy make supper?” I asked, but he just shook his head. “I’ll let you pick anything you want.” I tried bribing him, but again he shook his head. “Even ice cream and cookies.” I told him. If one night of junk food would lift his spirits then I was all for it, but he just stomped towards his bedroom with his head down.
I went into the kitchen and began to work on supper and the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became with Mike. He knew how much Aiden looked up to him. He knew how much Aiden loved him! How could he be so cold to him? I mean, yah he’s mad at me...but Aiden did nothing wrong! He’s three years old! He doesn't understand relationship issues. All he knows is that Mike was his best friend and now he's gone.
- - -
I placed two little plates on the table and filled the cups with milk. “Maddy! Aiden! Supper!” I called out and went back to the stove to begin tidying up. Very quickly I heard a little set of feet that I knew were Maddy’s. They were light and quick because she often walked on her tippy toes, whereas Aiden’s steps were louder and less graceful.
“Mmm! Yummy chicken fingers!” She said as she climbed up to the table.
“Where’s your brother?” I asked when I didn't hear him following after his sister.
“I dunno.” She replied as she shrugged and picked up her fork.
“Aiden!” I shouted again and then waited for his little feet to hit the hardwood. That, however, did not happen. “AIDEN JAMES! Your supper is getting cold.” I sighed and began walking towards the twin’s bedroom. I pushed the door open and looked around. “Aiden?” I questioned when I didn't see him. I crouched down and looked under the beds. Sometimes Aiden hid under them when he thought he was in trouble. When both beds were empty I opened the closet. He wasn’t in there either.
“Aiden! This is not funny. Come out right now!” I ordered as I walked into my room and began looking under the bed and in the closet. I went into the bathroom and flicked the lights on, looking behind the shower curtain. “AIDEN!” I searched Emily’s room and there was no sign of Aiden anywhere. I took a deep breath and headed towards the front door. He went to Mike’s. God dammit! He was going to be in so much trouble when I got him back here!
I told Maddy I was going to get Aiden and strolled towards Mike’s apartment. I stood outside it and took a deep breath before knocking. My heart was pounding and I silently prayed that I didn't go into cardiac arrest while I waited for the door to open. Mike pulled the door open and stood there glaring at me. I didn't understand how someone who had looked at me like I was the most amazing thing he had ever seen could be so hateful now. I know that I hurt him...but it’s not like what I did was terrible. I just omitted some information. “What?” He muttered.
“I, uhm...I just came to get Aiden.” I told him. A part of me was happy that he had let Aiden inside. It showed that somewhere in there he had a heart.
“Why would he be here?” Mike asked me, sounding rather annoyed.
“He’s not at home...are you sure that he..” I trailed off realizing that if Aiden was not at home and he wasn’t here then I had no idea where he was. I felt all of the colour drain from my face. At that moment my legs began working on their own, and it’s a good thing they did because my mind was blank. I wasn’t able to think about anything, but I ran frantically back into my apartment. He just had to be in there somewhere.
It had been two incredibly long weeks since Mike broke up with me. Fifteen days to be exact. I would be lying if I said I was okay. I felt completely empty. You know those people that tell you time heals all? That's bullshit. Complete bullshit. Every day that went by was harder than the one before. I missed him so much and the twins weren’t making it any easier. Aiden asked about Mike every single day. He couldn't understand why Mike had been around all the time and then one day he just stopped showing up.
Aiden’s feet padded into the living room where I was lying on the couch. “Auntie Lexie I go see Mikey?” He asked me for the hundredth time in the past few weeks. I sighed out of frustration as I looked at him.
“Aiden. What did I tell you about Mike?” Aiden’s mouth turned into a pout as he looked to his feet. “Mike is too busy to come over. You go play, now.” I told him.
“But..”
“Aiden!” I snapped. I couldn't listen to him constantly talking about Mike. It was driving me crazy. “Go in your room right now!” I ordered, pointing to the hallway. He turned and did as I told with his head hung low. I rolled over and closed my eyes. All I wanted to do was go to sleep and not wake up until I didn't feel like this anymore.
- - -
A loud knocking on the front door awoke me from my sleep. I groaned as I got to my feet. Of course the first time I sleep in days someone would come to wake me up. As if my life didn't suck enough as it is. I opened the door and was speechless when I saw Mike standing there. I hadn’t seen him since he told me that we were over. He looked ridiculously hot. His t-shirt hugged his hard body in all the right places and accentuated his perfectly toned biceps. “Here.” He muttered. I looked down and that's when I noticed Aiden was standing at Mike’s side, hockey stick in hand, and my heart broke. Aiden was hurting and this was all my fault. “You should probably keep a closer eye on him.” He told me condescendingly. I tore my eyes away from Aiden and glared at Mike.
“Don't.” I ordered. How dare he imply that I wasn’t watching my nephew! I took Aiden’s hand and pulled him in through the door.
“Mikey please come play with me!” Aiden begged. When Mike didn't reply he continued. “I'm sorry if I was bad! I’ll be a good boy!” I bit my lip as my eyes welled up with tears. Again, Mike didn't say anything to Aiden. He just looked at him.
“Aiden you didn't do anything wrong! You are a very good boy. Mike is mad at me not you.” I told him, but Aiden just looked up at Mike. He was waiting for him to tell him that he really wasn’t mad at him. “Mike!” I shouted. “Tell him!”
“I have to go.” Mike muttered as he turned and stormed down the hallway. I looked down at Aiden’s defeated face. I had made such a mess of everything.
“Why don't you come into the kitchen and help me and Maddy make supper?” I asked, but he just shook his head. “I’ll let you pick anything you want.” I tried bribing him, but again he shook his head. “Even ice cream and cookies.” I told him. If one night of junk food would lift his spirits then I was all for it, but he just stomped towards his bedroom with his head down.
I went into the kitchen and began to work on supper and the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became with Mike. He knew how much Aiden looked up to him. He knew how much Aiden loved him! How could he be so cold to him? I mean, yah he’s mad at me...but Aiden did nothing wrong! He’s three years old! He doesn't understand relationship issues. All he knows is that Mike was his best friend and now he's gone.
- - -
I placed two little plates on the table and filled the cups with milk. “Maddy! Aiden! Supper!” I called out and went back to the stove to begin tidying up. Very quickly I heard a little set of feet that I knew were Maddy’s. They were light and quick because she often walked on her tippy toes, whereas Aiden’s steps were louder and less graceful.
“Mmm! Yummy chicken fingers!” She said as she climbed up to the table.
“Where’s your brother?” I asked when I didn't hear him following after his sister.
“I dunno.” She replied as she shrugged and picked up her fork.
“Aiden!” I shouted again and then waited for his little feet to hit the hardwood. That, however, did not happen. “AIDEN JAMES! Your supper is getting cold.” I sighed and began walking towards the twin’s bedroom. I pushed the door open and looked around. “Aiden?” I questioned when I didn't see him. I crouched down and looked under the beds. Sometimes Aiden hid under them when he thought he was in trouble. When both beds were empty I opened the closet. He wasn’t in there either.
“Aiden! This is not funny. Come out right now!” I ordered as I walked into my room and began looking under the bed and in the closet. I went into the bathroom and flicked the lights on, looking behind the shower curtain. “AIDEN!” I searched Emily’s room and there was no sign of Aiden anywhere. I took a deep breath and headed towards the front door. He went to Mike’s. God dammit! He was going to be in so much trouble when I got him back here!
I told Maddy I was going to get Aiden and strolled towards Mike’s apartment. I stood outside it and took a deep breath before knocking. My heart was pounding and I silently prayed that I didn't go into cardiac arrest while I waited for the door to open. Mike pulled the door open and stood there glaring at me. I didn't understand how someone who had looked at me like I was the most amazing thing he had ever seen could be so hateful now. I know that I hurt him...but it’s not like what I did was terrible. I just omitted some information. “What?” He muttered.
“I, uhm...I just came to get Aiden.” I told him. A part of me was happy that he had let Aiden inside. It showed that somewhere in there he had a heart.
“Why would he be here?” Mike asked me, sounding rather annoyed.
“He’s not at home...are you sure that he..” I trailed off realizing that if Aiden was not at home and he wasn’t here then I had no idea where he was. I felt all of the colour drain from my face. At that moment my legs began working on their own, and it’s a good thing they did because my mind was blank. I wasn’t able to think about anything, but I ran frantically back into my apartment. He just had to be in there somewhere.
♠ ♠ ♠
=\ where's aiden?