Date: Tue, 6 May 2014 15:32:41 -0700
From: andy dearth <andyistiredoftimeandspace@gmail.com>
Subject: Rings and Promises #18 by Kane

*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.