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Post by Skylar Leighton on Nov 23, 2018 15:27:10 GMT -5
Skylar was at a complete loss as she followed Chace up to his bedroom after returning to the Aldridge home. She had no idea what to do or what to say right now. The evening had started off well enough, in spite of her awkwardness. The encounter with his grandfather had been less pleasant, and even though it had played at a lot at her insecurities, and there had been a sense of discomfort being alone in the older man's presence, she had figured it would just be a bump in the road. The events that had followed, she still couldn't entirely process. Chace's anger was still burning, she could easily tell, but she knew there had to be a stronger hurt beneath there, and she didn't know how to approach him right now. She knew there wasn't really anything she could say to make it better, and she couldn't understand entirely either. She couldn't put herself in his shoes. They had such different lives and experiences, it was just impossible. So she remained silent until they reached his bedroom, silently slipping out of her shoes and pulling out her hairclip before she moved to take a seat on the edge of his bed, looking up at him.
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Post by Chace Aldridge on Nov 24, 2018 10:56:18 GMT -5
The entire ride home Chace said nothing, staring out the window still boiling with anger and wishing taht he could just not be a part of this messed up family. Even his mother's words hadn't really helped to soften him that much, any twinges of sympathy that he felt toward her easily pushed away as he was still so angry. Angry with everyone really, except for Skylar and for Leslie despite the small bit of betrayal that he felt when she went to their mom, he still wasn't really mad at her. He knew how she'd barely pushed through this and he didn't hold it against her. She was in the same boat he was in, even if she didn't see it that way. When they reached the house he almost hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind him after Skylar had gotten out and went inside. When he saw his girlfriend sit down and look up at him from the bed she let out a long sigh, some of the anger dissipating because he was alone with Skylar and she'd done nothing wrong at all here. His family might have failed him but he failed her tonight. "I'm sorry Skylar, I shouldn't have brought you into this," he apologized.
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Post by Skylar Leighton on Nov 24, 2018 14:31:02 GMT -5
Ever since Skylar had started dating Chace, there had been so many things about his life that were new and unknown to her. Sometimes it was a lot to take in, and it did make her question if she was really a good fit for him, because it always somewhat felt like she'd never really be able to fully understand the way he experienced things, or have those experiences apply to her. But she generally pushed that feeling aside, at least for the time being, and typically, as time went by, she got more comfortable with it. His house, although it was still big and imposing, was familiar now. She wasn't quite as taken aback as she'd been on their first date when his mother just handed him extra money for something like it was nothing, and she welcomed his vacation stories rather than wonder at how that could actually be real life. Tonight had been something else entirely, though, and she felt it would probably take a bit longer to process it all. Looking up at him as he apologized to her, saying that he shouldn't have brought her into this, giving a light shrug. "I mean... wouldn't it have just happened sooner or later?" she questioned. These gatherings seemed to be a frequent happening in his social circle, and if they kept on dating, she felt it was just a matter of time. And if his grandfather speaking to her was what had tipped the balance and made him put it all out in the open... well, he probably wouldn't feel this way for a little while still, but the way she saw it, things could only go up now.
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Post by Chace Aldridge on Nov 27, 2018 9:59:46 GMT -5
The one fear that Chace had right now was that Skylar was going to be mad at him. THat she would blame him for this too, saying that he should have known that this would happen and shouldn't have brought her at all. It would be fair of her to do so but he really hoped that she didn't. Therefore there was a sense of relief as she shrugged and mentioned that it would have happened sooner or later. With a sigh he nodded, because he couldn't deny that eventually it would have had to happen but that still didn't make it right. "Even so, you didn't... the way that he talks to people, you didn't need to hear any of it. I shouldn't have brought you into anything like that just because I wanted to be with you," he said, looking down at his hands and feeling incredibly guilty about the fact that he hadn't managed to protect Skylar for even one night. How could he be okay with himself if he couldn't do even that much? "I'd understand, if... I wouldn't hold it against you if this was too much for you. This isn't what you signed up for."
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Post by Skylar Leighton on Nov 30, 2018 9:25:15 GMT -5
Skylar was admittedly a bit relieved that, whatever anger Chace had held against his grandfather, his parents and his siblings over the past hour or so, he had intention of direct it at her. Of course, even if he had, she would have known it was from frustration and not because he was actually upset with her, but nonetheless, she was glad that the moment he'd turned to her, he'd seemingly started calming down a little. Not just for her sake, but because it would do him no good to remain resentful and angry for the rest of the night. Shaking her head a bit though as he went on to add that she didn't need to hear any of the way his grandfather talked to people, because she felt that she did - it made it easier to understand. Getting back to her feet at what he added next though, moving up to him and taking his face between her hands. "Chace, I get that you're upset right now, and that it probably feels like you have the worst family in the world," she began slowly. "And you've got every right to be angry at people you feel have let you down or hurt you. But I'm not..." she sighed and bit down on her lip lightly, trying to figure out how to phrase everything. "I don't see my mom. She's a good mom, but she works all the time. And sometimes, I feel like I'm more of a convenience to her than a daughter, because she doesn't have to worry about what happens with my brother and sister while she's at work. But I know that's not actually how she sees me," she went on with a small smile. "And I know it's unfair to be, but sometimes, I'm mad at my dad, and at my mom, because they didn't have a better plan for a what if. And because of that, I don't get to be a normal teenager. But they did what they could with what they had," she spoke, her voice getting a bit tighter although she quickly pushed those emotions aside. "Sometimes, parents do things... things that affect their children in ways they don't understand. And just because they're grown ups, doesn't mean they're held to perfect standards. Nobody can see everything, or know everything that's going on. And I know this isn't the same thing at all, because you were dealing with actual abuse, and maybe they should have known. But they didn't. And you can be angry at them, because you shouldn't have had to deal with any of this. But don't double down on them. Be angry at them for what they did, or I guess what they didn't do. Don't be angry at them for what he did. As far as you and me go..." she trailed off. "Chace, I didn't sign up for your family. No matter what anybody else may think. That goes for the good, and for the bad. I'm with you because of you, and that's it. And nothing about you and me changed tonight, alright?"
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Post by Chace Aldridge on Dec 4, 2018 21:26:31 GMT -5
Chace wasn't too thrilled when Skylar started out by saying that it probably seemed like he had the worst family in the world because it felt like she was going to go ahead and discredit things but luckily that wasn't where she took things. Even as Skylar went on about her own family, he couldn't feel any sort of melting toward the resentment that still burned in him at his parents. He wasn't sure if he was doing as she said, being angry at them for what his grandfather had said in addition to being angry at them for where they'd failed him but he didn't really seem to be in that kind of mood to give it much thought right now. His anger toward them seemed to be just about them not being there when he needed them, for allowing this to happen by not doing more. If that was blurring the lines he didn't want to unblur them. His anger toward his parents wasn't ready to go out. He wasn't about to go ahead and put all of that out there to Skylar right now though, not as she continued about the two of them. There was a sense of relief, a lightening of the pressure on him as she told him that nothing had changed. "I'm sorry still," he told her. "That you've had to deal with me like this. I haven't ever allowed myself to be this angry and I.. I don't know how to turn it off. I'm so mad at them. At my grandfather. At grandma Robin. At mom and dad. At Kenzie and William. How grandma could stay with grandfather and let him have access to us. How mom and dad.. I guess didn't even realize it. It seems worse. Or Kenzie and William, knowing this would continue on to us didn't bother to try and stop it either. How could they all..." His hands shook with the anger that he was feeling once more. "How could they all be so bad at their roles?"
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Post by Skylar Leighton on Dec 9, 2018 13:32:14 GMT -5
Skylar didn't really know what else to say as Chace started speaking once more, but she felt like there really wasn't much to be said anyway. He would remain angry for a while, no doubt there, but hopefully things would get back on track sooner or later. She knew his mom hadn't just been trying to appease him earlier on when she'd told him they would talk about it later, and no doubt that it would be needed. As it was, it seemed that there were a lot of people he should talk to after this, to try and get things right anyhow. Reaching to take his hands in hers as she noticed them start to shake lightly, softly running her thumbs along the back of them as she let him finish. "I don't know, Chace," she told him, because she felt like she couldn't just not say anything right now, but at the same time, there really was no explanation to be given at this point. "I think... it's fair for you to allow yourself to be angry. I think a lot of you have anger and hurt that you've held in for too long. And maybe if someone else had let it out sooner, you wouldn't have had to. But now you did, and it'll last for a bit, but then it'll go away. And then when people start coming to you, well... you should probably let them," she spoke gently. "Not tonight. But later."
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Post by Chace Aldridge on Dec 19, 2018 13:42:44 GMT -5
Chace did try and calm down more as Skylar took his hands into her own, the pressure of her thumbs running along the back of them actually helping to soothe him. He listened as she told him to let himself be angry for a little bit. As she mentioned let people come to him later though he made a bit of a face, not wanting to think about what he was going to have to talk to everyone about later. "I'll consider it," he answered, not wanting to promise anything for the moment. Instead, he took a step closer to Skylar and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly and trying to lose himself in the sensation. He was going to stay mad, he knew that, but he didn't want to be mad with Skylar. He didn't want to make her night any worse than it had already been and thus, he tried to move on for the time being. Skylar was the one good thing that he had going for him that wasn't tainted by all sorts of negativity. "I only want to see you for now." She was the only one that he could trust at the moment anyway and she probably knew it.
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Post by Skylar Leighton on Dec 19, 2018 14:31:34 GMT -5
Skylar could tell Chace wasn't a fan of her suggestion, but she was hoping he would consider it as he'd said. It'd been easy to tell that both his father and mother had been shocked by the revelation he'd made tonight, and although she couldn't really speak on his dad's feelings past that - she'd never really interacted with him - the pain in his mother's reaction had been easy to read. As such, she had no doubt that she would want to speak with him, try and make things right. And she hoped he would accept it, because at the end of the day, she felt certain he would be happier for it. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as he came in for a hug, her hand lightly running along his back as he spoke to say he only wanted to see her for now. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised him in a soft voice. He needed comfort more than anything else at this point, it was easy to see, and she was more than glad to provide him with as much of it as she could provide. She wasn't sure what things would be like tomorrow, but tonight, it didn't matter. Making things right could wait a bit longer.
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