A Puck Between Us
Chapter 17
She walked back into the house and the look on her face was not the one I was hoping to see.
“Is mommy gone?” Emerson murmured the words that I couldn’t say.
And for the exact reason I didn’t want to ask her, she answered. No Emerson. We’re going home for a little.”
So many emotions were going through my head right now.
“You’re honestly going back home?” I asked her, trying my hardest not to get angry with her for her poor decision.
“Well I do live there.” She snapped back.
“You don’t have to, Addison. Live with me—Emerson can too.” I started to get closer to her, hoping that she would feel okay with my offer and stay.
I usually don’t push like this, but I didn’t want her to make that mistake again. I would do anything to get her not to go back to that.
“She needs us. She promised it was just a mistake.”
I shook my head and turned into the Kitchen; unable to understand why she would put herself back in that situation.
“What are you doing?” She asked, and I could tell she was getting upset.
At this point, not being near her was the only thing that I could do to stop myself from getting more mad about what she was going to do.
“I’m not going to help you make that big of a mistake. I’ll be here when you want to come back.”
I knew that her mother didn’t mean what she said and it was only a matter of time before Addison would need to leave again.
She picked up Emerson and I heard the door slam as they walked out.
I couldn’t help but walk over and peek out the curtain to see them, but I immediately regretted that decision when I saw them all together out there.
How could she just forgive like that? I would never be able to forget what happened and go back there, especially this soon.
~~~
A few days had passed, three to be exact, and I never stopped thinking about them—Addison mostly, but Emerson too.
Every day, as I left the house, I looked over at theirs and never saw anything going on. Newspapers were built up in the driveway and I hadn’t seen a single light on or movement since they walked out days ago. I thought about how they had been home all that time and all of the things that could have gone wrong. I kept imagining it in my head—how Addison got those scratches. I knew she said they were from Emerson, but I could tell when she was lying and this was one of those times. I knew that her mom had done something to her, mistake or not… accident or not… it happened.
~~~
I walked into my bedroom and it was 11:15. I figured I would get in bed and put on Sports Center or something, since I had nothing else to do.
I went over to grab my phone charger that had fallen onto the ground, and as I went to lean toward the outlet, I noticed Addison’s bedroom light was on next door.
Days ago, before Emerson and her stayed here, I would not have done this, but I couldn’t help myself anymore. I had to text her and make sure everything was alright. I thought that since they had stayed here, Addison and I were at least past the resenting each other part—I think she could think of me as a friend now.
I went back over to my bed and held my phone in front of me.
SMS>Compose New>Addi
“Hey, how is everything going there?”
I looked at the message about 100 times before I finally sent it.
Then I turned on my TV and just waited.
11:30…
11:45…
12:00…
12:15…
And hour had gone by and my phone was about to die. I leaned over and got my charger, pulling it up and plugging it into the bottom of my phone. I turned my volume up all the way, as I did the past 2 nights, just in case she called or texted me. I wanted to make sure I woke up if she needed anything at all.
I looked past my curtains one more time and her light was now off. Even though she could still be up, I told myself she was sleeping—giving her the benefit of the doubt and also so that I felt like she didn’t ignore me.
“HERE I AM. ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE! HERE I AM. ROCK YOU LI—“
I lunged over toward my phone and picked it up without looking at the name or the time.
“Hel—“
“Jeff! I’m sorry.” Addison cried through the phone. “You were right. I can’t do this. Can I please come over?”
“Of course. I’ll come out now.”
I put down the phone and jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs opening the door as soon as I got to it. I went to go out and practically walked right into Addison standing there on my front porch, crying—this time she was alone. It looked like she had been crying all night and it made me feel so bad that she was hurting so much.
When she saw me she started crying even more and fell into my arms.
She grabbed on so tightly, “I am so sorry I ever left you.”
I couldn’t help but think about how I was the one that should have been saying that to her. The conversation should have been the other way around.
“It’s okay. You’re here now.” I said, trying to settle her down.
I held her there in my arms, just standing in the front hall, and the world seemed to stand still. I pushed her hair out of my face and placed it on her other shoulder, resting my head on her now empty one and I pulled her in closer to make her feel secure.
“Everything is gonna be okay.” I whispered in her ear and I could feel her calming down.
“Is mommy gone?” Emerson murmured the words that I couldn’t say.
And for the exact reason I didn’t want to ask her, she answered. No Emerson. We’re going home for a little.”
So many emotions were going through my head right now.
“You’re honestly going back home?” I asked her, trying my hardest not to get angry with her for her poor decision.
“Well I do live there.” She snapped back.
“You don’t have to, Addison. Live with me—Emerson can too.” I started to get closer to her, hoping that she would feel okay with my offer and stay.
I usually don’t push like this, but I didn’t want her to make that mistake again. I would do anything to get her not to go back to that.
“She needs us. She promised it was just a mistake.”
I shook my head and turned into the Kitchen; unable to understand why she would put herself back in that situation.
“What are you doing?” She asked, and I could tell she was getting upset.
At this point, not being near her was the only thing that I could do to stop myself from getting more mad about what she was going to do.
“I’m not going to help you make that big of a mistake. I’ll be here when you want to come back.”
I knew that her mother didn’t mean what she said and it was only a matter of time before Addison would need to leave again.
She picked up Emerson and I heard the door slam as they walked out.
I couldn’t help but walk over and peek out the curtain to see them, but I immediately regretted that decision when I saw them all together out there.
How could she just forgive like that? I would never be able to forget what happened and go back there, especially this soon.
~~~
A few days had passed, three to be exact, and I never stopped thinking about them—Addison mostly, but Emerson too.
Every day, as I left the house, I looked over at theirs and never saw anything going on. Newspapers were built up in the driveway and I hadn’t seen a single light on or movement since they walked out days ago. I thought about how they had been home all that time and all of the things that could have gone wrong. I kept imagining it in my head—how Addison got those scratches. I knew she said they were from Emerson, but I could tell when she was lying and this was one of those times. I knew that her mom had done something to her, mistake or not… accident or not… it happened.
~~~
I walked into my bedroom and it was 11:15. I figured I would get in bed and put on Sports Center or something, since I had nothing else to do.
I went over to grab my phone charger that had fallen onto the ground, and as I went to lean toward the outlet, I noticed Addison’s bedroom light was on next door.
Days ago, before Emerson and her stayed here, I would not have done this, but I couldn’t help myself anymore. I had to text her and make sure everything was alright. I thought that since they had stayed here, Addison and I were at least past the resenting each other part—I think she could think of me as a friend now.
I went back over to my bed and held my phone in front of me.
SMS>Compose New>Addi
“Hey, how is everything going there?”
I looked at the message about 100 times before I finally sent it.
Then I turned on my TV and just waited.
11:30…
11:45…
12:00…
12:15…
And hour had gone by and my phone was about to die. I leaned over and got my charger, pulling it up and plugging it into the bottom of my phone. I turned my volume up all the way, as I did the past 2 nights, just in case she called or texted me. I wanted to make sure I woke up if she needed anything at all.
I looked past my curtains one more time and her light was now off. Even though she could still be up, I told myself she was sleeping—giving her the benefit of the doubt and also so that I felt like she didn’t ignore me.
“HERE I AM. ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE! HERE I AM. ROCK YOU LI—“
I lunged over toward my phone and picked it up without looking at the name or the time.
“Hel—“
“Jeff! I’m sorry.” Addison cried through the phone. “You were right. I can’t do this. Can I please come over?”
“Of course. I’ll come out now.”
I put down the phone and jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs opening the door as soon as I got to it. I went to go out and practically walked right into Addison standing there on my front porch, crying—this time she was alone. It looked like she had been crying all night and it made me feel so bad that she was hurting so much.
When she saw me she started crying even more and fell into my arms.
She grabbed on so tightly, “I am so sorry I ever left you.”
I couldn’t help but think about how I was the one that should have been saying that to her. The conversation should have been the other way around.
“It’s okay. You’re here now.” I said, trying to settle her down.
I held her there in my arms, just standing in the front hall, and the world seemed to stand still. I pushed her hair out of my face and placed it on her other shoulder, resting my head on her now empty one and I pulled her in closer to make her feel secure.
“Everything is gonna be okay.” I whispered in her ear and I could feel her calming down.