c u p p ii e ' s ❥ t e s t i n g

visitors.

+ one	100.0%	[ 53 ]
Total Votes:			[ 53 ]

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxx




APRIL TWENTY-SECOND， ２０１８

MAY THIRTEENTH， ２０１８

Aaron would be lying if he said that he hadn’t walked at a snails pace up the hill and to where Diane was standing. Even with giving both himself and Diane extra time, by walking around and kissing Eleanor and unbuckling Scout before he walked up, he still managed to catch the end of Diane’s sentiments towards her mother. Aaron definitely didn’t know what it was like to have a mom who cared so much, or could even understand the feeling of missing a parent the way Diane did because truth be told when he thought about James and Riley Hale there was nothing to be felt except misplaced memories.

Instead of interrupting he walked up behind her with his hands in his pockets, waiting until Diane had called him over. When she did he walked up and crouched down next to he plaque and pulled out a few weeds that were growing around it, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “Hi, Isabella, happy mothers day,” he started before crossing his arms over his knees and then looking over his shoulder up at Diane. “Happy mothers day to you and your daughter actually,” the words came out with a smile before turning his head forward again. “We miss you, out of everyone you were the closest thing this house had to a mother figure,”
Aaron hardly ever came to visit Isabella, maybe once a year, if that, but there was no denying the connection the two of them had. Isabella treated everyone that came to her with the same love and respect, Aaron felt that deeply in the way she looked and talked to him even with their interactions being far less than her’s and Bentley’s.
There was a moment he paused, closing his eyes, and then taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry it took so long, Diane has grown so much and so have I and all the rest of the kids, Even with Diane behind him he couldn’t be sure what he was apologizing for exactly, not giving her the letter, not being able to take care of Diane or Bentley or anyone else for that matter as if she had ever asked him to do that. “There was just never a right time, or I guess there was but I don’t know, I’m just sorry,” the thought weighed heavy on his chest, even more so over the last two years with all the chaos that had occurred, leaving him silent, the only noise between the three of them being the wind brushing through the nearby trees.

The silence stretched on and on, Aaron looking for the nerve or courage to finally do what he had set out to today, Diane suddenly forcing his hand when she had asked about Scout and Eleanor. “Diane, I—,” it wasn’t like him to be nervous, Aaron suddenly got to his feet and faced her. “This is yours,” Slowly he opened up his denim jacket, peeling back the flannel below that so he could reach into his inner pocket. Out came a discolored envelope, years of being tucked away from place to to place in Aaron’s possession, the only person to know about the letter besides Diane’s grandmother and more recently Eleanor.

“Isabella wanted me to give this to you on your eighteenth birthday,” He sucked in a deep breathe, thinking about how he had been carrying it around for nearly fifteen years, such a large burden for such a small child. “I know you’re twenty one now, but there was never a good time, and I’m sorry for that, ” it was in that moment the wind decided to pick up once again, the breeze tickling it’s way through Diane’s hair and a part of him knew that Isabella was there with them, encouraging Aaron to continue. “She loved you, Diane, and I do too. We all do,” Aaron placed his hands inside of his pockets and nodded again, “If you need a second I can find Eleanor and Scout, or we can take you home,” the sun was now almost gone, the darkness starting to creep around him which mean’t the cemetery had to be closing fairly soon.

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] bentley's phone





🗓️ memories, may thirteenth 2016 6:12pm

📍 the meadow, CO

👤 diane 🌸💙, scout 🌱

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 04/01/18, 02:24PM





goldenlies Not sure who's having more fun, my girlfriend or
goldenlies my niece


♡ xxxx ↪ xxxx ✉ xxxx ⟳ xxxxxxxx ☖

liked by honeymilktea and 402 others


1 comments
honeymilktea I would love to say Scout, but I
honeymilktea think I'd be lying 🤍

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] eleanor's phone





🗓️ april twenty-second 2018 3:08pm

📍 diane's house, CO

👤 diane 🩰

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxx




MAY THIRTEENTH， ２０１８

Aaron would be lying if he said that he hadn’t walked at a snails pace up the hill and to where Diane was standing. Even with giving both himself and Diane extra time, by walking around and kissing Eleanor and unbuckling Scout before he walked up, he still managed to catch the end of Diane’s sentiments towards her mother. Aaron definitely didn’t know what it was like to have a mom who cared so much, or could even understand the feeling of missing a parent the way Diane did because truth be told when he thought about James and Riley Hale there was nothing to be felt except misplaced memories.

Instead of interrupting he walked up behind her with his hands in his pockets, waiting until Diane had called him over. When she did he walked up and crouched down next to he plaque, pulling out a few stray weeds that had grown around it as an excuse to gather his thoughts. “Hi, Isabella, happy mothers day,” he started before he crossed his arms over his knees and then looked over his shoulder up at Diane. “Happy mothers day to you and your daughter actually,” the words came out with a smile before turning his head forward again. “We miss you, out of everyone you were the closest thing this house had to a mother figure,” Aaron hardly ever came to visit Isabella, maybe once a year, if that, but there was no denying the connection the two of them had. Aaron felt that deeply in the way she looked and talked to him even with their interactions being far less than her’s and Bentley’s.

There was a moment he paused, closing his eyes, and then taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry it took so long, Diane has grown so much and so have I and all the rest of the kids, Even with Diane behind him he couldn’t be sure what he was apologizing for exactly, not giving her the letter, not being able to take care of Diane or Bentley or anyone else for that matter as if she had ever asked him to do that. “There was just never a right time, or I guess there was but I don’t know, I’m just sorry,” the thought weighed heavy on his chest, even more so over the last two years with all the chaos that had occurred, leaving him silent, the only noise between the three of them being the wind brushing through the nearby trees.

The silence stretched on and on, Aaron looking for the nerve or courage to finally do what he had set out to today, Diane suddenly forcing his hand when she had asked about Scout and Eleanor. “Diane, I—,” it wasn’t like him to be nervous, Aaron suddenly got to his feet and faced her. “This is yours,” he simply spit out. Slowly he opened up his denim jacket, peeling back the flannel below that so he could reach into his inner pocket. Out came a discolored envelope, years of being tucked away from place to to place in Aaron’s possession, the only person to know about the letter besides Diane’s grandmother and more recently Eleanor. Leading up to this very moment he couldn't help but think about how he had been carrying it around for four almost five years, and Diane's grandmother long before that. It was now almost sixteen years since Isabella had written this out, and he was finally here to deliver on that unspoken promise.

“Isabella wanted me to give this to you on your eighteenth birthday,” Aaron would never understand why Isabella chose him of all people to handle such a delicate situation, but some how she knew, she knew the impact and red string that the four of them, Diane, Cherise, Bentley, and Aaron would always hold between them far beyond what Aaron himself could have ever imagined at the young age of nine. “I know you’re twenty one now, but there was so much happening in those between years that there just never seemed like a good time, ” reiterating what he had just told her mother because truly he believed that he was protecting their entire family by waiting until today to give her the letter. “She loved you, Diane, and I do too. We all do,” Aaron placed his hands inside of his pockets and nodded again, “If you need a second I can find Eleanor and Scout,” the sun was now almost gone, the darkness starting to creep around them which mean’t the cemetery had to be closing fairly soon.

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxx




MAY THIRTEENTH， ２０１８

A part of him was surprised that Diane wanted him to stay, but then he remembered his role in her life and the comfort he was supposed to provide for her, for Bentley, for everyone else, but at the end of the day who was supposed to provide comfort for him? It was only two years ago that Eleanor had come into his life, what about all the years before that?

So he waited, patiently and quietly, as her shaky hands tore open the envelope and read it over to herself. Albeit, Aaron knew what the letter was about, he never opened it because it was never his to open in the first place. But in more recent years the thought crossed his mind, the similarities between Isabella and Bentley. The two of them misunderstood and ultimately too good for this world, abused by someone they loved, and Diane now had to deal with it twice. At the very least Bentley was still around and there was time to change his mind, slowly but surely.

When she was through, her reaction was to be expected, upset of course, she was right it wasn’t his choice to make and yet he did. “I understand that Diane, and I’m sorry, I told you that,” he started but the more Diane rattled off accusations and blame the more upsetting the situation became for him as well. So he paused, waited for her to get it all out, and then finally asked. “At what point did you want me to tell you Diane?” Aaron didn’t mean to be condescending but he couldn’t help it, no, he didn’t understand what it was like for her not knowing, but she also didn’t understand what it was like for him either.

“When you found out you were pregnant at eighteen with my brother who couldn't, and still can't, even support himself?” Truth be told, that was the first time he had tried to tell Diane, soon after she found out Scout was growing in her belly, but stress had been the main cause of her hospitalization as of late and he couldn’t risk the complications.

“Or all those months that you and I both had no idea where Bentley was at all hours of the night? Remember the bruises and the busted lips he would show back up with, because I do?” he asked followed by a nonchalant shrug as if he hadn't a care in the world. When, the way he remembered it, it was late nights for the both of them, endlessly calling Bentley who would ignore them and leave them worried sick.

“Or should I have mentioned it when Bentley ended up in the hospital because he thought killing himself was a better option than— What?” another aggressive shrug, Aaron was so upset recounting such vivid memories. “Accepting that he’s worth more than the life our s**t parents had to offer and that he’s worth being loved? Just like you, just like me and Cherise and Scout, and everyone else.” It was the messiest time in his life, then, but that just went to show that Aaron had tried time and time again even when his life was falling apart because the need to put everyone else before him was all he had ever known.

“And let’s not forget you ultimately getting sick shortly after because my a*****e brother had provided so much stress on all of us that you quite literally collapsed from exhaustion and I nearly lost my God damn mind,” It was only as of recent things had started to get easier between the four of them and yet here he was shouting at Diane, sure that if the cemetery had been more packed he’d have an audience by now. Lucky for him it was only a few passerby’s, everyone already headed home for the day.

Each and every instance was reminder of how it would have soiled both the moment and memory of Diane’s mother if given to her in such difficult and uncertain circumstances. It was never easy for any of them growing up and Aaron, for the first time ever, wished Diane would really acknowledge that. “So don’t tell me that I don’t understand, because I do Diane, I really ******** do.” From where he was standing, he knew that Diane had every right to be upset, but not at him, not after everything..

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxx




MAY THIRTEENTH， ２０１８

When they were younger he was sure that James and Riley dropping them off here was ultimately a blessing with the way James abused Bentley and Riley allowed it to happen. But the older he got, the more he began to wonder what life would have been like had they never did and then of course he’d feel bad about the thought. If James wouldn’t have persuaded Riley to give them up, James probably would have ended up destroying Bentley mentally and physically and Aaron would have never been able to recover from it. But what good was all that when Bentley was doing no better only years later, and the thought made him more angry than he could fathom.

“You’re the reason Bentley ended up in the hospital,” he shouted before he could stop himself. Aaron hardly ever raised his voice, only ever Bentley who just wouldn’t listen otherwise, but he’d be lying if said that he didn’t resent Diane for Bentley’s hospitalization. Of course he knew it wasn’t fully her fault, Bentley had a lot of trauma to work though, but he was sure that she was a big part of his decision that night. Yet, Diane’s words still managed to have cut right through him. It almost felt like he couldn’t breathe when she told him that he had made things harder for her, for all of them, and just like that he stopped. The only sounds to be heard was Scout’s screaming and Eleanor’s soft voice who couldn’t quite break through what felt like ringing in his ears.

And then— it felt like something broke in him, his voice suddenly neutral as he spoke. “Just like you, I was a child Diane and we both had to grow up so ******** fast,” His entire life he had been focused on making sure everyone else was okay, always patient and always listening, and for what if this was the way she felt? “I made these choices because I was asked to, by your mother and then again by your grandmother, I never asked for this responsibility and yet here I am—” He brushed off Eleanor’s hand off his arm who had just given a screaming Scout back to Diane. Her touch no comfort to him at this point as he realized how upset that he was making everyone but apart of him couldn’t shake this feeling in his chest. “Dedicating my entire life trying to replace that comfort for you, when maybe I should have just been worried about myself and Bentley,” because at the end of the day, when things were painted black and white that’s who the two of them only ever had, each other.

Aaron paused for a moment, running his fingertips through his hair just like Diane had moments ago. His cheeks now flushed, his freckles more prominent, the winter air doing nothing to help cool him off. “Don’t worry, Diane, from here on out I won’t be get involved,” it was only then that he decided to finally acknowledge Eleanor who had been standing there quiet the entire time, aside from when she had broken up the fight in the first place. “But if that’s the case, stay the ******** away from Bentley,” the request ridiculous since he was the father of their daughter, but Aaron knew she understood what he had mean’t. And it was at that point he grabbed Eleanor’s hand. If Diane was ready to go, then they were too, they were only out here because of her anyway. “It’s time to go home, Honey,” and without another word he turned and started walking away. But not without Eleanor continuously squeezing his arm, trying to talk some sense into him, yet he just wouldn’t hear it. That day, Aaron had left Diane and his niece in the middle of the cemetery after sunset all alone to wait for her abusive boyfriend.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

MAY THIRTEENTH， ２０１８

Aaron shouldn’t have unloaded like that, Diane didn’t need the weight of his trauma on top of hers, he felt bad, he really did but he just couldn’t shake her words. Albeit, he didn’t have many nice words to say either, feelings he didn’t even know he had until they came out of his mouth. But that didn’t change the lack of contact he had with Diane following. It had been almost two weeks since their last interaction and now he was sitting in Eleanor’s car trying to mentally prepare himself to walk inside the house. if it wasn’t for Eleanor explaining to him that Diane still wanted him to pick Scout up he probably would have told Bentley he’d just have to go by himself, but of course that made him nervous too. When he had gotten home that night Bentley asked how it had went, without much hesitation and still being upset over the situation, he simply explained that he and Diane had a falling out and left it at that. There were no extra details, no explanation about a letter, and certainly not him telling Bentley that he had left both his ex and daughter at the cemetery after hours.

Never the less, there he was, by himself, and as soon as he walked up the porch and let himself in he called out “Diane, I'm here," but before she could respond he immediately took note of Scout’s giggling in the room nearby and followed the sound. The last time he had seen his niece she was crying over something he had done, his poor behavior in front of Scout probably scared the life out of her because uncle Aaron was always so happy when she was around. So instead of giving his attention to Diane, who was standing only a few feet away, he crouched down beside his niece and gently pinched her cute little chubby cheeks. “Hey, sweetheart. Behaving?” He couldn’t help the way he smiled at her response, “Good,” she was talking so much these days. “Hey, how are you,” he asked as he got to his feet and stood there awkwardly, niceties that needed to be made but truth be told he just wanted to pick up Scout and head out.

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxx




MAY EIGHTEENTH， ２０１８

Truth be told, Aaron didn’t know what to expect from Diane when he showed up but her asking for Eleanor was the least of his expectations. “No, she had a work meeting with her publisher,” a bit irritated that that was the small talk she wanted to make. Eleanor hardly came with him, it confused him why she asked, but he didn’t care enough to ask. Instead, he let it go and answered her follow up question, “Decent,” albeit his response was short. He didn’t really know how to answer the question to be honest, “decent” truly was the most accurate depiction as of late. Bentley was still upset with him, cold shoulder, but that’s how he always was and Aaron was tired of fighting it. Maybe, Diane was right, only having to worry about himself and being able to shut his brain down would be a breath of fresh air, as long as Bentley stayed out of serious trouble. But of course, he’d never admit any of that to Diane, not now, not ever.

He shook the thought away, “Works been getting busier, schools out for a lot of kids which means parents need their coffee,” and just like that the room got quiet again, especially when neither of them tried to extend the conversation. There was no doubt that he took note of the way that Diane never once looked at him since he had arrived in the room, and that was when he mentally asked himself why either of them were even bothering. “Speaking of kids and parents, we should head out,” he turned his attention back to his niece before crouching down and talking to her again. “Ready to go see your dad, cutie?” his heart automatically warming to the idea that Scout genuinely seemed excited to spend time with Bentley. Because of Mother’s Day it had been a little longer than usual but at least Scout’s visit at his place was extended this time because of it. “Bentley’s waiting on us,” he said almost as if he was asking permission before he just picked Scout up and walked away with her, without actually having to ask.

Before she could even respond, the three of them heard the front door open, all of them now looking in the direction only to see Milo take his place in the kitchen with them. After what Eleanor had told him, any last bit of respect he had for Milo had completely disappeared. He had always thought he was a little off, but now knowing that he was verbally and emotionally abusive to Diane only made him think of his dirtbag father and that was enough. “Good to see that you two are still together,” but that wasn’t his problem anymore, Diane had obviously made her choice. “Wasn’t sure after she spent the night at my house the other day,” it was at that moment he decided to pick Scout up and look back over at Diane, no longer asking for permission and forcing her took over at him. “You caught us on our way out, good to see you as always, Milo,” his voice now void of all niceties, deciding it was actually time to leave. Bentley really was waiting for Scout back at the house. Aaron was sure of it, because for the first time in days, Bentley had been home for the majority of it.


━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

MAY TWENTY-THIRD， ２０１８

When Aaron had gotten back he had thought about it all night, so much so that he allowed it to be the pillow talk between him and Eleanor before they had fallen asleep. Nothing had changed over the span of half a week, but Scout needed to get back to her mother and it’s not like he could refuse or have her pick her up herself. “Alright, I’m going to go drop Scout back off, I’ll be back in a bit,” Aaron had just grabbed his coat, throwing the denim over his shoulders only for Bentley to suddenly stop him before grabbing Scout and heading out. “She’s doing this on purpose,” he mostly was speaking him to himself, but the moment Bentley acknowledged it he shook his head. “Nothing, sounds good, be safe.” and the moment Bentley walked out the door, his resolve escaped as he squeezed the kitchen counter in frustration. All Aaron could do was stand there and tell himself that this was because she didn’t want to see him and not that he had pushed her into wanting to see Bentley.

[c u p p ii e]

xx𝗯𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲










𝗮𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖

“Aaron, Honey, I need you to listen to me. Milo, he’s manipulating Diane and it’s not healthy. I know you don’t want to get involved but as someone who’s like an older brother, please I think you should say something?”

““I’ll talk to her the next time I see her”

Bentley overheard the conversation, after arguing with Aaron he had spent most of the day out of the house and had returned in the evening just in time to be on the receiving end. If it were possible, Bentley knew he could grind his teeth into dust with how hard he was clenching his jaw and yet he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Instead, he opened the door fully, placing his skateboard at the entry way and walking past the two who were now starring at him from the kitchen. “I’m back, don’t wait up. I’m heading to bed, didn’t sleep much last night,” and just like that he excused himself to the shower where he spent a forty-five minutes talking himself down from going back over to the house and putting Milo in his place. If that’s what Diane wanted, then he wasn’t able to stop her, no matter how much he wanted too.


𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴

diane 🌸💙

happy mothers day, diane. scout's already so much like you, i see it in her mannerisms all the time. hopefully it stays that way, our daughter deserves to have a happy heart and the kindness you provide to everyone you meet. thank you for being there when i couldn't.

delivered


𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴

Bentley spent most of the day on edge, until it was finally time to rip the band aid off. “Actually, I’ll go get her today,” yesterday evening, Bentley had been minding his business when he received a concerning text from Diane saying that he had to come pick up Scout himself from here on out if he wanted to see his daughter. Bentley would be lying if he said that text hadn’t put a stone in his stomach, the two of them hadn’t talked since the night of her birthday, and much longer before that, not sharing two words the following day given the circumstances. So the change in behavior was confusing to say the least, even more so with Aaron’s response, and even more so because he still had no clue what had even happened between the two of them on Mother's Day.

It took him all of two seconds before a crease was pressed into his forehead, “Alright, I’m heading out,” now concerned over what the ******** he was even talking about. Aaron had been acting so weird since Mother’s Day, he could hardly explain it. Bentley was still upset about how his brother handled Diane staying over, but the Aaron that was seen on that day with Diane was no where to be found anymore. He was so removed and so unlike him to the point where Bentley knew that what was dubbed as a falling out had to be more than just that. He wanted answers, so much so that when Eleanor asked for himself and Scout to go on hike with her and Aaron he solely agreed so he could speak to Eleanor about it and yet the only response he received was that Aaron would talk to him when he was ready.

But Bentley was ready now, especially if it had to do with Scout and maybe Diane would be easier to talk to. He was about to find out, but first he had to find Diane, setting scout down on her little feet when they had gotten to the house, carrying her more than halfway. “Scout, where’s your mom?” he asked as if she’d know, almost as if he was trying to buy himself more time by not looking for her. And yet when she came rounding the corner shortly after he couldn’t explain this discomfort he had felt and whether it was just him or if she was feeling it too. Last month when they had talked at Aaron’s place he had been so open and honest with her, explaining things to her that sometimes didn’t even make sense to him, and yet she now looked at him with distant stare as if she had no idea who she was. Then again they hadn’t had a sober conversation in months which begged the question, did those conversations even count?

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 05/21/18, 4:32PM



honeymilktea
(comment secion) ♡



viewed by



tab Milo Abrams tab

tab @m.abrams tab





tab diane moreau tab

tab @forgetmenot tab





tab Aaron Hale tab

tab @goldenlies tab





tab CHERISE PRIDEAUX™️ tab

tab @cherieaux tab

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 05/21/18, 6:58PM



goldenlies
(comment secion) ♡



viewed by



tab Milo Abrams tab

tab @m.abrams tab





tab CHERISE PRIDEAUX™️ tab

tab @cherieaux tab





tab diane moreau tab

tab @forgetmenot tab





tab Eleanor Amelia Kennedy tab

tab @honeymilktea tab

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 05/21/18, 8:42PM






bjh adventures w you 🌱


♡ xxxx ↪ xxxx ✉ xxxx ⟳ xxxxxxxx ☖


liked by goldenlies and 72 others


23 comments
honeymilktea I love this photo 🤍
bjh thanks for taking it @honeymilktea

[c u p p ii e]

xx𝗯𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲









𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴

The two of them hadn’t had a sober conversation in God know’s how long, Bentley honestly couldn’t recount a time where at least one of them weren’t under the influence and with the way Diane was acting he couldn’t help but ask if this was one of those times too? “Diane are you—,” he started but she left him no room to speak once she started. Immediately it was accusation after accusation, question after question, each one being more ludicrous than the last. Bentley couldn’t help grow more angry as they came out, only leaving him to stand there and take it, getting in a few words here and there when she would allow it.

Bentley wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, who was he to know what she was going through, he purposely walked away two months ago after she made it very clear to him that Milo was what she wanted, after lying to him, after leading him on, but that was enough to add fuel to the fire in this already inferno. “At least Eden has never cheated on me,” the statement came out without a thought, it was easier than telling her the truth, but Bentley immediately regretted saying it. Quickly adding on, “Give me the book back, Diane,” upset that she even had it, focusing on that instead. Bentley had been looking for it for days, worried that Aaron had gotten his hands on it, only to find out it was left to a worser fate.

The book struck his chest and yet he hardly paid any attention to it or the fact that Scout had picked it up and was now trying to give it to him. Bentley couldn’t think, he could only hear the words Isabella and suicide and the world shifted beneath his feet. “Diane, how would I know that?” the perfect image of Isabella suddenly shattering, she always seemed so put together, but so did Diane, and that’s when it dawned on him. Isabella always seemed so perfect but who’s to say that she wasn’t falling apart like Diane was in front of him right this second. “Why would Aaron know that? Why did he have the letter?” and suddenly the falling out had made much morse sense. Bentley shook his head again, “No, Diane, I didn’t know about it,” at least she had written a letter, Bentley was going to go with no notice and nothing to leave behind except his shitty attitude and poor decisions.

“But I did mean every word I sent in those texts,” so her saying that he was going to leave upset him even more. “The only thing I want from you these days—,” he paused, hesitating for a moment, his tone turning so much softer at the mention of their daughter.“Is to help me make sure that Scout is taken care of and never doubts how much we both love her,” because at the end of the day, Bentley never knew what it was like to have loving parents. Diane did, at least with Isabella, which was why he needed Diane by his side when it came to their daughter.

“No one is asking you to be the middle person, you made your choices and we’ve all respected them, or at the very least I have,” he sucked in a deep breath, the hurt he was feeling settling deep into his bones. “So anything beyond that isn’t my problem unless it pertains to Scout,” and just like that, like clockwork, Scout started crying as if she knew they were talking about her. Bentley was unsure how long she had been pulling at his pant leg, or how long her arms had been raised with his journal in hand, what he did know was that his daughter was now red faced and tear stricken and just like that the atmosphere around him shattered.

Immediately, he crouched down and grabbed the journal from her, tossing it on the floor beside him before he leaned in and wiped her tears. “It’s okay, love bug, I’m sorry,” he said as he leaned in and hugged her, picking her up as she clung to his neck. Bentley stood there like that for a long moment, taking in a deep breath, running soothing circles over Scout’s back, before he took a deep breathe and looked up at Diane after looking at the ground for far too long. “I think we both need some fresh air,” his tone now neutral as he finally got to his feet with Scout still in his arms. “Is Milo around,” he asked before he realized how that sounded. “To watch the kids while were out,” Bentley took the opportunity to look away, pulling Scout away from his neck to check on her, He gently pushed her curls behind her ear and kissed her cheek in attempt to soothe her further.

[c u p p ii e]

xx𝗯𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲









𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴

Honestly, not much of a difference than how they had left at the house, Bentley deciding he would hold Scout, it would give him something to do especially while he was unsure where to start the impending conversation. It was quiet, so much so that he could actually hear the wind rustling through the trees, Bentley assuming they were both trying to gather their thoughts, as he gave Scout all of his attention and none to Diane. As they walked he spoke softly in Scout’s ear, responding when she would ask him something or when she wanted to show him something. Bentley was excited for this age, she was starting to get so vocal and she was already so smart, but he did hear something about terrible twos and a part of him could only hope that deep down inside of Scout, she wouldn’t start showing any early signs of his bad attitude or habits that would always be simmering under the surface for Bentley.

When Diane finally started to speak he nodded, appreciating the fact that she was apologizing because quite frankly Bentley firmly believed he didn’t deserve to be spoken to like that. There had been many instances in the past, but now was not one of those times. Instead, he simply nodded his head, refusing to make eye contact, even more so when she mentioned that she was starting to have her period again. Bentley knew that she hadn’t since Scout was born, her condition making it difficult for her body to balance out but maybe that was a good thing, maybe she was getting better. He thought to ask, but he reminded himself that it wasn’t his business, he promised that he would only ask questions from here on out that involved Scout, it was best that way.

But it seemed that Diane didn’t see it the same way, the irony wasn’t lost on him as she brought up his journal again. “I’ve seen you a handful of times, granted none of those times were sober,” he responded just as Scout started tugging on his shirt, almost as if she was jealous that she wasn’t the only person he was focused on. He couldn’t help but look down and smile at her, reassuringly, tickling her side with his free hand, her giggles making his heart sing. But that of course didn’t change the lingering tension in the air, no matter how much it had subsided since being back at the house. “I think this is the first conversation we’ve had where neither of us were on something in a really long time,” he paused and looked back over at Diane before asking, “Right?” finally asking what he initially was going too when he had arrived. The last thing Bentley wanted to do was have this conversation where one of them didn’t remember it, it seemed like it had been like that a lot as of late.

The moment she reassured him he nodded and then looked away, “You’re right though,” almost afraid where his next statement would lead them. “You shouldn’t have read it, that was unfair to me.” Bentley hardly wanted to get into it, but he needed Diane to forget any if all the things she had read no matter how much or little. “I’ve never read your journal, it’s the same thing,” it would save them both a whole lot of trouble if it stayed that way. He respected Diane far too much to do that to Diane anyway, no matter how many times she had carelessly left it out. Unlike Diane though, Bentley had always hidden his journal away, it wasn't mean't for anyone's eyes but his. He was more of an actions speak louder than words type of person, and when there was no way to make those actions his thoughts would get tucked away into his journal so they would stop floating around in his head, if only for a moment.

The silence picked up again, the deeper the two walked the uneven path, Scout now wiggling to get down now that Bentley was hardly paying her much attention. So he sat her down, allowed her to run off a few feet ahead but not far at all, especially not with all the cliffs and drops off nearby. He knew this area like the back of his hand, Diane probably did too, but Scout certainly did not, one day maybe he could change that, just not today. There was too much he was focused on otherwise, starting with, “What did you mean, back at the house, when you said Aaron had left you and Scout at the cemetery,” it couldn’t have sounded what it seemed like, it was so unlike Aaron, but then again Aaron had been acting so different and Bentley was unsure up to what point and where it was all coming from. As much as he was still upset with Aaron and how different pages they were on, this was his chance to finally understand.

[c u p p ii e]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 05/23/18, 6:42PM



bjh
(comment secion) ♡



viewed by



tab Milo Abrams tab

tab @m.abrams tab





tab Aaron Hale tab

tab @goldenlies tab





tab CHERISE PRIDEAUX™️ tab

tab @cherieaux tab





tab eden noelle tab

tab @e.done tab





tab diane moreau tab

tab @forgetmenot tab





tab Eleanor Amelia Kennedy tab

tab @honeymilktea tab