When They Cried (9)

Chapter 9 - Loving Them

June woke up with Tristan’s arm around her in her bed. She played with his fingers soothingly and smiled. Him shirtless with his jeans on and no socks. She was happy she let him stay even if the scene was a slight bit familiar. He didn’t even try to kiss or anything. Just hold her until she fell asleep. Jeremiah didn’t even barge awake. He had slept peacefully throughout the entire night. Holmes right beside on his back kicking his legs having a nice puppy dream. Nathanial and Lucas were eating cereal in front of the TV awaiting for everyone else to wake up like they usually did. Tristan woke up to feel June playing with his fingers.

"Did you know that Holmes brought joy yesterday?" He asked tugging at her fingers as well. June smelled nice in the morning.

"Yeah." June sat up and smiled. "So did you, too."

"Yeah." Tristan got up and shrugged his shirt on. "I should probably head home before my mom notices I am not up yet."

"Sure." June frowned but walked to the door with him.

"See you tomorrow." He lightly kissed her cheek. "Nathanial can borrow my board. Bye."
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Tristan headed home. Smiling and rejoicing his happiness. When he saw Layla walking down the street. When she looked and spotted they stopped to face each other. She blinked and licked her lips.

"I cheated on you." She whispered. Tristan couldn’t believe his ears. "With Milton. I don’t want to see you anymore."

With that she turn and walked away. Tristan walked after her.

"What’s the matter?" He was happy it was over but it couldn’t just end like this.

"Nothing." Tears began to fall down her face. "I just wanted you to be happy and I am going to be happy. Cause that is what single girls do. Not thinking about you." She shoved Tristan into the brick wall. "I never loved you! I never cared about you. Ever thought about that? I was just doing it for your dad!"

She continued her way home. Tristan looked at her. She turned around as she faced him.

"But I’m still thinking about you." She whispered it so softly as she ran the rest of the way home.

Tristan walked home his head pounding. Layla had changed so much in just one night. Tristan didn’t bother with sneaking home. His parents were eating breakfast when Tristan just plunged into the chair. He ate his eggs slowly. His father stared at him. He told them everything from beginning of being in the park with Alex to seeing Layla in the streets.

"She wasn’t much of a girl anyway. There will be more." David gobbled his eggs and toast down.

"Yeah like June!" Tristan’s smiled and leaned back. David pounded his fork down on the table making Leslie jump back at her husband’s sudden outburst of rage.

"No son of mine is dating a piece begging trash!" David stared deeply at Tristan.

"I am not listening to you. First, you hook me up Layla what good that turned out to be? June doesn’t beg, I just give it because I think I…I think I love her!" Tristan stood up not finishing his breakfast. "Yeah, dad. I love her. And you can’t make me kiss or hug or love another girl I don‘t love then shit like this happens!"

"Sit you ass down boy before you get what’s coming!" David continued to eat his food.

"No." Tristan folded his arms against his chest. His time to shine.

"Boy!" David stood up his chair screeching across the dining room floor.

"I love her!" Tristan couldn’t take it. "She isn’t using me. She loves me and it took a lot to make her feel that! Why do you hate her so much?"

"Because I use to date her mother!" David couldn’t help it. "I loved her but she didn’t care. She found some new guy and gave birth to June! That man treated her right. Then she left him for this another guy who was great. Then she meets this scum who hurts her. I use to pay her to stop hurting her daughter that way! I told to get her freaking tubes tied! She has four kids she can’t even support! I loved her and look what happen. Get the fuck over loving those people! They only make the wrong decisions!"

"So her loving me is a wrong decision?" Tristan asked already shrugging his coat back on. "I’m a bad decision now? You know what dad? You rather see me get my heartbroken by something you call real trash then get my heartbroken from real love!"

Tristan ran out into the cold air. Screw them all. He wasn’t going to be held down anymore.
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The boys were playing with Holmes in the yard while June made dinner. She watched them through the kitchen window as the pot simmered around her. Holmes was yelping and barking at them as the leaves crunched under their feet. Winter was approaching quickly this year. She saw Tristan trudge up the street carrying Pets R Us bags. June watched as he ran into the house. She always left the door unlocked when the boys were playing outside.

"I got the dog a flea collar, a collar, a name tag, dog food, a dog bowl and a chew toy. All of it cost me nine bucks!" Tristan smiled as he kissed June’s cheek. "I like dogs. I always wanted one but my dad is allergic. Oh, what’s for dinner?"

"Rice with hot chili meat. With canned corn." June grimaced which made Tristan laugh. Jeremiah ran into the house carrying a stack of mails.

"The mail lady sent this!" He giggled heading to run back.

"Jeremiah!" June got on her knees and stood in front of him. "Say that again."

"The mail lady sent this." He said smiling. June hugged him.

"You don’t know?" She asked him as she rubbed his cheeks.

"No." He shook his head and June gave him a peck on cheek.

"You spoke a whole sentence without stuttering." June smiled at him. Tristan finally got it.

"I did?!" He smiled. "I am doing it! I can say it right again!"

Jeremiah jumped up and down as he ran outside of the house again.

"Brothers!" He exclaimed jumping off the porch.

Tristan poked June in her side making her giggled. She tugged his hair grabbing a whole chunk.

"Ouch! I didn’t do that to you!" He kicked her softly. She shoved him and giggled.

"Don’t test me. I have magical powers." June set the table. "Are you staying again?"

"Beats being with my dad." Tristan looked at June and smiled. He had something he wanted to know. "Does this mean you are my girlfriend now? You know since Layla and I broke up?"

"Yeah I guess." She shrugged putting the dishes on the table. She was about to get her brothers but Tristan stopped her.

"You mean it?" He traced her cheekbone making her shiver. "Really?"

"Yeah, now let me go, silly!" She giggled as he blushed and moved away from the door.
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Audrey usually loved to go to the beach. She use to dream about taking her kids here but she just couldn’t. She loved getting drunk, having sex on the beach and then diving into the cold water. She would then return home play mom and then leave again. She didn’t know why her daughter at the tender age of thirteen cried every night. Or why her son stuttered and had nightmares and didn’t run to her for comfort. You could say she envied June’s strong ability to ‘play’ mom. She could right now give her daughter all custody but what if the right choice was the give them up? Audrey played it over and over in her mind. Silently putting the pieces together she remembered David.

Her parents had be sending her to some preppy high school which people who wouldn’t be seen wearing last year’s outfits or trends. David was the only one who talked to her. Constantly. But there was a reason she left him for this poor sour life. Nobody ever wanted to see her happy. Even when David was trying to convince her that her man was hurting her daughter. Ryan would never hurt her June, she thought as the memories flooded back.

"Are you okay?" Ryan laid next to her on the sand smoking a cigarette.

"Did you ever hurt June?" Audrey dared to asked.

"No. That girl is messed up in the head." Ryan lied. "Not as pretty as you."

Audrey smiled. Was every mother always in denial when it came to her man and her child?
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Tristan was excited to be in the same with June again. She had already fall asleep. He traced her spine up and down. How skinny this girl was, he thought. As skinny as he was. They were perfect for each other. Nothing could go wrong at this moment of time. Jeremiah silently entered the room, Holmes right behind him.

"Tristan, can I sleep here?" He whispered softly. "I am scared he might hurt us or you."

"Who?" Tristan asked making room in between June and him as Jeremiah and Holmes snuggled into bed.

"Daddy." Jeremiah rested his head against Tristan’s chest and sucked his thumb until he fell asleep. Tristan rubbed his soft hair.

In the morning, Holmes and Jeremiah must have sneaked out later that night because when Tristan opened his eyes, June was playing his fingers again.

"Why do you always do that?" He asked tugged her ear with his free fingers.

"Your fingers are smaller than his." June smirked. "Which means we have the same hand size!"

"Oh wow." June turned around and kissed him. He would have kissed her back but he was scared.

June pulled away and pouted. Tristan laughed poking her side which had June cracking up. Nathanial and Lucas ran onto the bed and jumped up and down.

"Come on! I want to play!" Nathanial cheered.

"At the park!" Lucas added out of breath. Tristan grabbed Nathanial and Lucas down.

"Well okay. I’ll give you ten seconds before I come in and eat your heads off." Tristan winked at June. "Ten, nine,-"

"RUN!" Lucas and Nathanial bolted out of the room. Lucas tripped on his pajamas but jumped up again and continued to run.

"How do you make them forget and be happy?" June asked getting up grabbing her towel and her clothes.

"Easy. I just give them what they always wanted." Tristan got up fixed his hair.

"Which is?" June grabbed her toothbrush from him and smiled.

"Loving them."