Chapter Eighteen: A Foolish Woman...
*[Author's Note: *Everyone seems to love Seth...why is that?]
Seth P.O.V
"Hey man, where's Aiden?" I asked Vulcan. He was twitching his leg and biting his thumb. "I don't know." We hadn't seen him at all and we were worried about his biology class. "Want to check his Bio class?" I asked. Vulcan thought about it then nodded. Before we could get there, Vulcan's phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and unlocked it. "It's from Eli..." He opened the message and read it aloud. "Hey Vulcan, Aiden's with me. We're at the hospital with Brett just chilling and keeping him company. Aiden said he'll head home soon. Try not to worry too much lover boy." Vulcan sighed. "Phew...now I feel better." "Lover boy huh?" I teased. He smirked. "I can't believe I'm that obvious." "Well obvious to everyone but Aiden." I pointed out. He sighed again. "Sometimes I wish he'll catch on so I don't have to say it out loud." "Yeah well I think it's better this way. That way you'll squirm and I can enjoy your suffering." I grinned at him. He just gave me a dry stare. "You're so retarded. You need professional help." I laughed. "Professionals need to seek my help. Now what's your game plan?" "My game plan? I dunno, tell him?" I rolled my eyes. "No shit Sherlock but how are you going to work your way into his little heart?" Of course I knew he was already in Aiden's heart but I couldn't help but enjoy this. I mean, how often does a rom-com come to life and in the form of your best friend? "I'm working on it." He replied. I didn't believe him for a second. "Oh yeah Romeo? What have you done so far?" His face turned red. Now I was curious. "Romeo?" He looked away. "What did you do?" I asked. "Well...it was kind of a chicken move on my part." He replied. I stared Vulcan down, mentally commanding him to spill his guts. "You know that psychic shit don't work right? You'd need a brain." He said with a smirk on his face. "Don't change the subject." I said after I flipped him off. He sighed. "Dude, I may have gone all Sleeping Beauty on him." I thought about that for a bit. "You kissed him in his sleep." I stated. Vulcan nodded, his face turning a shade darker. "I...yeah." I arched a brow. Vulcan just waved me off. "Nevermind, when it happens it happens." I shrugged. "Whatever you say."
We were then interrupted by the she-devil known as Aiden's mom. She walked up to us looking nervous and fidgety, like she just got caught smuggling drugs or something. "Um, excuse me...I..." We waited. "Have you seen Aiden?" She asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. "He's at the hospital." Vulcan replied. She immediately panicked. "What? Is he okay? What happened!?" She grabbed onto my shirt and shook me. "Whoa, calm down lady he's there to visit a friend." I pried her hands off me and gently pushed her away. I did not want to give anyone ideas. "A friend?" She finally calmed down. "Oh I see..." Vulcan just stared at her. "What do you care anyway?" She looked at him, anger clear in her eyes. "I care a great deal about him." He arched a brow. "Oh really?" He didn't believe a single word from her. "You don't know anything so don't give me that look." She said in a warning tone. Vulcan just shrugged. "Whatever..." "Where is Aiden staying now? His father told me he ran away from home." Vulcan and I exchanged glances, wondering if we should tell her anything. "Well? Do you know or not?" She crossed her arms over her chest. Where was the nervous looking woman from a few minutes ago? "I'm not sure we should tell you that." I replied. "What do you mean? I'm his mother! You have to tell me!" She was now looking pretty upset. "We don't have to tell you anything lady." I said. Vulcan put a hand against my chest. "Listen, I think it's best if you give Aiden some space and just wait until he's ready to talk to you." Vulcan said in a gentle tone. She seemed to calm down a bit. "I want to tell him." She mumbled. "Tell him what?" I asked. "Tell him why I left." She replied. Vulcan looked at me and I shrugged, completely confused. Then we saw that she was about to break down and cry so we panicked. "Oh...um...Vulcan?" I looked at him. "Um...let's go to the Biology room. There's no one in there right?" She shook her head. "Okay then." Vulcan looked around and then gently nudged her to move.
We practically had to drag her weeping body. We got to the classroom and closed the door behind us. "Okay now talk." She sighed and wiped away her tears. "I fell in love." She said. We just looked at her. "What?" Vulcan and I said in unison. "I fell in love." She said again. "We got that lady." We said again. Vulcan and I looked at each other and then shook our heads. Today we were in sync. "I met a man who treated me in a way that was so new to me. He was kind and gentle and everything Ray, Aiden's father, was not." I just stared at her. "You left your son...so you could go play happy ever after with your new tool?" Vulcan pushed me. "Too far bro." He whispered. I shook my head. "Oh hell no, why didn't you take Aiden with you!?" I was pissed off now. "He wanted to take Aiden with us...but I...I just couldn't." She covered her face with her hands. "He wanted so much to take Aiden with us. But I couldn't...or I wouldn't...I don't know. Part of me just didn't want to see his face again." "Why?" Vulcan asked, his voice now cold. "Because he'd remind me of Ray. That I bore something Ray put inside me." She replied. If she wasn't a woman I would seriously deck her stupid ass. "Let me get this straight, you left Aiden...because you couldn't face your past? Did you love Aiden at all?" Vulcan was now clutching his fists so tight his knuckles were turning white. "I love Aiden. When he was born he was the most precious thing to me. Then when I just...I don't know." She was shaking now. "You know what lady? You're twisted."
I grabbed Vulcan's hand and tried to walk out. She stopped us. "Wait, I'm not explaining myself properly." "You kinda just summed up how insane you are." I pointed out. "I understand how you can hate me. I hate myself but listen to me please. I just want my baby back." She was crying now, and I was beginning to ease up. "What about this new man of yours?" I asked. "He is here with me. He wanted me to find my baby again. He says it wasn't right to leave without Aiden." She replied. I looked at Vulcan. "Are you hearing this?" He was becoming more and more pissed off. "After twelve fucking years you decide now was a good time to grow a conscience!?" Vulcan yelled. She flinched. "Do you have any idea what you put your son through!? The kind of hell he had to live with!? I don't know why he keeps that ring!" She backed away and hid her face. "Vulcan stop." I said, pulling him back. "She's terrified, look at her." He stopped and took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry. Aiden is just...he's more important to me than you'll ever know." "Ms. Straus, you picked a really bad time to come back." I said as I dragged Vulcan out of there.
"Vulcan let's go home." I said. He nodded. He was silent and looked a bit dead in the eyes. Aiden was not going to be happy when he finds out about this. We went home crashed on the living room floor. "She left him because she didn't want to be reminded of her old life." Vulcan mumbled. "Yeah I know." I said. We were just lying there and staring up at the ceiling. "Do we tell Aiden?" I asked. Vulcan didn't answer. We just laid there in silence. We were confused and angry and didn't know how to respond to this. How could such a selfish person exist? "Seth?" "Hm?" I waited for Vulcan to say something, anything to make me stop feeling as horrible as I do now. "We should tell Aiden." He said as he grabbed my hand. I squeezed his hand and sighed. "I can't believe such a woman exists." I mumbled. Vulcan put his arm over his eyes. "I really wish Aiden didn't have to put up with her." He said. I sighed and nodded in agreement. My poor buddy now has a lot more on his plate.
A couple hours later, Aiden came through the door looking happy. It was too bad we were about to crush that. "Aiden, could you sit?" Vulcan asked as he gestured to the chair in front of him. I sighed and prepared myself for this. There was no way this was going to be easy. "So um...we saw your mom today." Vulcan said. Aiden's face fell to stone. "And?" "She told us why she left." I continued. Aiden just kept looking at us. "I know why she left. She wasn't happy." He said with a sigh. "What I wanna know is why she didn't take m with her." "Yeah, we sorta got the answer to that too." I said carefully, glancing at Vulcan in case I need back up. "What did she say?" Aiden asked, leaning forward as if to hear our answers better. Vulcan and I exchanged looks before sighing. "She fell in love." Vulcan said. Aiden arched a brow. "Excuse me?" "She fell in love. Like you said she wasn't happy." Vulcan continued. Aiden motioned for us to go on. "She told us that the reason she left is...um...Vulcan?" I couldn't finish it. It was selfish and not to mention straight up harsh. "She couldn't look at you without seeing the past she was leaving behind." Vulcan said as he looked down. I should have done the same. The look on Aiden's face wasn't something that should be on such pretty features. But it was there. It was a cross between anger and tears. "She said that?" Vulcan and I nodded. "She wants to see you." I said. Aiden stayed quiet. "If I agree to see her, will you guys come with me?" We nodded. "That's no problem."
You know how every time you have a really intense moment then something comes along and kind of interrupts it? Yeah, that happened. Only the interruption was a welcomed one. I don't think I could take anymore of this sappy sob shit. The interruption was Maia. She came through the door along with my mom. "Hey mom." I greeted. She looked at us and arched a brow. "What's with this atmosphere?" She asked. I just shook my head. "It's nothing, just a bad day." She didn't press any further. "You coming home?" She asked. I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I think my bed misses me." Then I suddenly remembered Vulcan telling me about him having sex in my bed. All of a sudden my bed didn't seem appealing. "Well come on then." She said as she motioned me along. I got up and grabbed my stuff. "Later guys." I said as I waved. They nodded and smiled at me. I didn't feel right about just leaving, though. "Mom, wait for me in the car okay? There's something I have to do." She looked at me and then at the guys. "Well all right then, but don't take all day." She smiled at Vulcan and Aiden and closed the door behind her. "Hey Maia." She grinned at me. "Do you have homework?" I asked. She shook her head. "No but I have a big test tomorrow." She seemed proud of it. "Okay, well your brother, Aiden, and I need a few minutes alone so why don't you go upstairs and start studying?" She smiled and nodded, obediently heading to her room. When she was gone from view I hugged Aiden. I didn't say anything, I just hugged him. He relaxed into my arms and hugged me back. I looked at Vulcan who looked sad and angry. His eyes were turning red and I knew he wanted to cry for Aiden. "I'll always be here okay bro?" I let him go and looked him in the eyes. He nodded and smiled. "Thanks Seth." He said. I nodded and then brother-hugged Vulcan. "Let me know when he's good and ready okay?" I whispered. He nodded and then released me. "See ya'll later." With that I left. "What a foolish woman..." I mumbled as I got into the car. "I'm sorry Aiden." "What was that dear?" My mother asked. I shook my head and smiled. "Nothing mom." Yeah, Leanne Straus is a foolish woman.