CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
SILENCE

The past three days had been extremely difficult for the blond boy. Aaron had been having quite a hard time at home since his last argument with Steve.

His parents had been ignoring him since their return home, there was no change there. And while it bothered him, he couldn't even force himself to care as much about it as he usually did. What was really getting to him was Steve.

His older brother had been ignoring him.

Steve had been ignoring Aaron.

If anything, Aaron believed it should be the other way around - that Aaron should be the one ignoring him.

Yet somehow, the entire conversation had been blown out of proportion and now Aaron felt like a complete asshole for hurting his brothers feelings when all he had done was try tell him how Steve had hurt him.

It felt like the story had been twisted and Steve had managed to make himself the victim in a situation where he was at fault.

The blond knew that siblings argued and that it was a normal thing - he and Steve argued all the time.

However Aaron feared the twos last argument sounded a little too much like an argument the pair would have had a couple years ago rather than recently, and that worried him.

Aaron was going to apologise to smooth things over, simply because he wanted the two to get along. He wished he'd never brought anything up to begin with, but then again he'd only spoken because Steve had pushed him to and then got angry when Aaron had answered him.

Aaron didn't end up apologising, the boy deciding that there was no way he would say sorry when it was really him who should have received the apology rather than Steve.

However because Aaron hadn't apologised, the two brothers hadn't spoken since, it seeming like Steve was determined on not talking to the boy to show his annoyance.

No one in his house was talking to him, not talking to him because of stuff they had done. Because of how they had treated him.

Aaron had only realised later that neither his parents had even sent him a second glance when they'd first seen him, not even flinching at the bruises or cuts on him. Like they didn't even care.

And to add to all his problems with Steve, his parents were furious with him for how he had handled them when they'd came home.

Aaron had somehow managed to ruin everything for himself.

"What do you think?" Aaron asked anxiously, messing around with his watch on his wrist nervously. "Do you think I overreacted?"

"I don't think you did." Kimmy told him honestly in response to his worries about his brother, frowning at him as she spoke. "He's a hundred percent in the wrong for ignoring you. But... if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure Steve will come around soon enough."

"I don't think he will." Aaron stressed instantly, desperately wanting advice on how he could fix the mess he was currently in. "He seemed like he was really mad at me, mom and dad too-"

"Wait, why are your mom and dad mad?" Kimmy asked curiously, leaning forward slightly while tilting her head. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"Well apparently I have done something wrong. Apparently I shouldn't have stormed out their first day home and apparently I shouldn't have caused all this stuff with Steve." Aaron placed his head in his hands as he spoke, glad he at least had Kimmy who wasn't mad at him.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Aaron." Kimmy told him solemnly with a nod.

The girl then stood from her spot opposite him, shifting to sit next to the blond boy. They were sat on the same grassy field they had been sat on during their first date, the two had recently found themselves heading to that field anytime they were out.

Kimmy reached over with her free arm and gently moved his hands away from his face while laughing lightly. Aaron looked to her with an exagerated expression of defeat while he groaned.

"Seriously, Steve will come to his senses." Kimmy nodded at him, keeping her fingers loosely around his wrist as she spoke. "And I know what you're thinking about doing. Don't you dare say sorry to him, Aaron. I swear to god. If it really went down the way you're saying it did then he should be the one saying sorry to you."

The blond sighed, pursing his lips slightly in thought. He knew he shouldn't be the one saying sorry but he also didn't want to walk around his house where the people he was living with made it a point to ignore his presence.

Aaron didn't even need Steve to say sorry, he just wanted him to act like he cared even the slightest bit about how he had hurt his brothers feelings previously or at least heard Aaron out.

The boy knew that he'd probably never be able to fully get everything off his chest, not if he didn't want to be ignored any longer than he had to be.

"I know." Aaron mumbled after a brief pause, glancing to the girl next to him with a reluctant expression. "But..."

Aaron trailed off, not sure wether or not he should continue with what he was going to say.

"What?" Kimmy asked in a mildly concerned tone as she urged him to continue, Aaron able to see her small frown from the corner of his eye.

The boy took a small breath and shrugged his shoulders, hesitating to talk. He wasn't sure if maybe it was the wisest thing to blurt out how he felt, knowing it could make him look stupid in the long run.

However while he would have usually kept his mouth shut and brushed off his feelings as if they were no big deal, he didn't do so.

It was as if there was some strong feeling that made him want to tell the brunette every single thought that rushed into his head.

It was bizarre, Kimmy was the only person he ever felt like that with. Even with Lucas who was his best friend the boy found himself refraining from expression the full extent of his feelings, as if scared they'd be used against him or something. He watched what he said in regard to himself around everyone - but not Kimmy. Aaron truly had no idea why that logic made sense to him, because really it made no sense to him. He didn't understand how he could be so comfortable with being so open and vulnerable with her but not with anyone else.

"I just think that it would maybe be best for them if I didn't try fix it." The blond blurted to the  girl next to him, wanting to get his... troubles off his chest. "I mean, I think it would be easier for them to just ignore me without having to try pretend there is no awkwardness. At least now we all know that they're ignoring me and it's not so uncomfortable for everyone-"

"It's not what's best for you though." Kimmy injected with a calm expression. "You would hate that. You need to stop putting everyone else's feelings above yours and care about yourself for once without feeling like an asshole after."

The boy tilted his head to face the brunette and sent her a forced smile, unsure what he was supposed to say in response.

It was clear that he was hesitant, clearly unsure how he was supposed to just suddenly put himself before everyone else - whether they'd wronged him or not.

"Listen to me, you've not done anything wrong. If your parents think you overreacted then that's on them." Kimmy continued in a much more serious tone than usual. "The three of them are making you feel like shit, if they think they can just ignore you when they please and just talk to you again like nothing matters once they're over it then they're wrong. You have to stand your ground, Aaron."

Aaron was taken aback just the slightest bit, not having expected the girl to be so... angry for him. The brunette was seemingly much more frustrated on his behalf than he expected her to be.

Aaron tried to hide his surprise, glancing away from her and towards the grass they were both sat on as he spoke. "I get that but-"

"Okay, think about it this way," the brunette cut him off before he had the chance to start his rambles, already knowing that he was going to try make excuses for his family members who had upset him. "What would you think if someone did that to me? Doesn't have to be family, just anyone. Imagine someone did and said that stuff to me and then wanted me to say sorry, would you think that would be fair?"

"No." Aaron answered instantly, not having to think twice about it.

"Exactly." She nodded, the boy feeling her shift against him. "You need to be easier on yourself, sometimes I think you're too hard on yourself."

Aaron nodded while he bit the inside of his cheek roughly, knowing the girl was right. He knew he was too hard on himself sometimes, but it was much easier said than done to simply stop criticising himself so harshly.

He didn't even mean to, it was something that just came naturally.

"Come on, Sparky." Kimmy teased in a faux happy voice, trying to cheer the boy up. She reached forward and grabbed his hand once she'd stood. "We could get see if there's any cool stuff to do to get your mind off it?"

"Hm... I guess." Aaron drawled mockingly, throwing his arm over her shoulders dramatically as he pulled her into his side.

"Stop it." Kimmy laughed almost bashfully, her cheeks tinting red as well as the tip of her nose due to embarrassment.

"What?" Aaron snickered as he continued to tease and embarrass her, glad she was unknowingly taking his mind off his problems a lot faster than either would have expected.

"You're just- I don't know. You don't usually do shit like this." The girl stressed, making no attempt to remove his arm from around her. In fact, the blond could have sworn she leaned closer into to him.

"What? Am I not allowed to put an arm around my girlfriend's shoulder?" He sighed sarcastically, finding the entire situation much funnier than he should have. "God forbid I want people to know you're not a casual acquaintance."

He then proceeded to tug her even closer and kiss the top of her head firmly to torment her.

...

Kimmy and Aaron ended up getting popsicles so they could eat and cool down before the two ended up going for an aimless walk were they really had no destination.

Like always, Aaron had insisted that he would pay for their popsicles, just like he did with everything they ever ended up needing to buy.

Kimmy hid her small heartfelt smile as she watched him get his money from the back pocket of his shorts, the girl catching sight of the pictures of the two of them from the fair. The pictures of them blatantly obvious inside his wallet.

He had clearly had to fold the strip of four pictures to make sure they'd fit, only two on show now. The one where they had been laughing between themselves before they had realised the pictures had been taken as well as the picture of the two smiling where they'd actually been smiling for the camera.

Aaron hadn't noticed her watching him, or at least she was pretty sure he hadn't. He had opened the wallet to get his money so swiftly that Kimmy was sure the pictures had been put in such a place for the sole purpose to be seen every time the wallet was opened.

Neither Kimmy or Aaron wanted to think about how far they had walked that day, the couple staying out way past dark.

It was weird, the time they were together had passed so quickly for both of them, at the very most Aaron felt like he'd been out an hour with her in contrast to seven.

Seeing as Lucas was still on vacation, Aaron had been spending all his time with Kimmy. The brunette really had no choice in the matter, seeing as she still hadn't heard from Max.

Aaron knew the fact that she wasn't hearing from Max was stressing her out. However she didn't like to show it, knowing that the redhead was being distant for a reason.

Although the longer Kimmy went without hearing from her best friend the more she began to worry.

She hadn't told Aaron any of this, but he knew it was slowly beginning to get to her.

Aaron just hoped she'd hear from Max soon enough, even just a phone call so that Kimmy would be able to put just a fragment of stress to rest.

...

12k reads?!?!😮 tysm for all the support on this story it means so so much!!

Every vote and comment is so appreciated!!!!

Sorry this chapter is kind of short there will be longer chapters soon when this smaller story-line picks up more!!!

Hope everyone had a great day!!!

- AJ :)