A/N – Thank you for all the kind reviews! They inspire so much to continue writing. I hope you enjoy this update, I've been receiving so much positive feedback! Please read, review and enjoy!
He felt the heavy object crack against Darrel's shoulder and the older man cry out in pain. His grip loosened on Aaron's wrist and he shoved him away. Darrel fell to the floor. Taking his chance Aaron dropped the object in his hand, unlocked the door and ran out.
He pushed himself past people on the landing and stairs and through groups of people huddled downstairs. He needed to find Jackson. He didn't care that people were staring at him as he shoved past. He could still taste the blood in his mouth but it was the least of his worries. He needed to find Jackson and quick. He wanted to get out and run as far away as he could. Run back to Smithy Cottage and lock himself up in his room. He wanted to hide himself away from everyone. He violently jumped when someone unexpectedly touched his arm and tried talking to him. He couldn't hear a word they were saying, their face to close for comfort and the music still pumping loudly from the speakers. Aaron shoved them away and carried on searching for the builder. He could feel himself beginning to panic. He felt five years old again and he'd lost his mother in the shopping mall In Hotton, terrified and alone.
In the kitchen he found Jackson, leaning against a countertop chatting with a few friends, two beers in his hands. He was laughing and joking with them as he went over. Jackson's face dropped as he took in the state of Aaron as he came closer. Fresh bruises were forming on his face, angry red bite marks marred his skin along his neck and collar bones and blood was dried on his chin and lower lip. His shirt was disheveled, a few buttons under as if they were done up in a rush and he was missing a belt. No way could Aaron have gotten into a fight at the party. Nobody could get into that state, who would bite in a fight? He could tell by his demeanor something a lot sinister had gone on. Aaron's head was down, one hand gripped his upper arm and hugged himself across his stomach and he seemed smaller. He knew it sounded stupid, but Aaron seemed smaller, more vulnerable.
"Aaron, what's happened?" Jackson asked him, stepping away from his friends and guiding Aaron to a quite corner.
Aaron couldn't tell him. Not there, not with everyone listening in. He felt disgusted with himself enough. Jackson reached out his hands to place them on the teen's arms but Aaron flinched backwards.
Before Jackson could ask anymore, Sammi from the other night at Bar West came into the kitchen and made a beeline for them. "Jackson what's happened?" Sammi asked, looking at Aaron, taking in his current state.
"I don't know." Jackson told her.
"I just heard that Aaron was in a right state so I came looking for him." Sammi said, always the mothering figure. She turned to Aaron. "Are you alright?" She asked him. "Sorry, stupid question."
"I hurt him." Aaron said quietly. "I think I hurt him."
"Hurt who?" Sammi asked all ears. She had to strain her ears even more to hear the next part. "Aaron. . ."
"Darrel. . .I h-hit him." Aaron shook, it seemed so hard just to tell them that much. He could still hear Darrel's cry as he lashed out at him. "Jackson I just want to go home. Please." Aaron begged.
"Sure." Jackson said confused, going to touch Aaron's arm. The younger man shrinked away again. "But where's Darrel, Aaron?" He had to ask. He couldn't bare thinking about what state Darrel could be in if Aaron such a mess. Was he lying in a room close to death? He knew Aaron had a way with his fists, but Darrel was twice the size of him and he'd already come better off than the younger man once before.
Aaron swallowed thickly. "Upstairs."
"How badly did you hurt him? Do you know?" Jackson asked him. He couldn't leave a man to die, no matter what he'd done to Aaron. But then thinking about it all, adding everything up he questioned whether he could. He just wished that what he was concluding to in his head wasn't real.
"I-I don't know." Aaron stuttered, he couldn't remember. He couldn't see a thing as he ran out the room. He couldn't go back in there and no way was Jackson. "I want to go home, please Jackson."
"Jackson. . . You don't think. ." Sophia whispered to him as she too began to add things up.
All Jackson could do was look at her. He couldn't say no, but he couldn't say Yes either. He hoped and prayed he could say no. That Aaron hadn't been harassed but he knew he'd be lying if he did.
"I need to tell Sophia." Jackson told her, already popping his head out of the kitchen door hoping she was in the lounge.
"Don't worry, I'll do that." Sammi took control. "Take Aaron home."
"But Da-." Jackson began.
"No. Take him home." Sammi ordered. "I'll deal with things here. I've got more than enough guys here to deal with him if need be. Just go. Take care of him."
Jackson nodded his head and sent Sammi a look telling her he was forever grateful for what she was doing. She gave him a small smile before leaving the kitchen, in search of some muscle to help her with the scum bag upstairs if he would cause any more trouble.
"Home?" Jackson asked Aaron. As if he would say no?
All Aaron wanted to do was go home. He didn't want to stay in the house any longer. He didn't feel safe. Everyone walked to close by, kept staring at him. He didn't like it. He was scared. He was actually scared, more than scared, petrified. He didn't have the energy or the fight left in him. He wanted to go home, crawl into bed and not emerge for several days. He longed to feel safe. To shut out the real world seemed awfully nice to him at the time.
Sammi had kindly leant Jackson her car, to drive them both home. As neither of them had brought Jackson's van, but had taken a taxi instead they would have had to have waited for a bus or a taxi to get back to Emmerdale. So Sammi had insisted he took her car and got Aaron back home safely. The drive home had been deadly silent. Jackson was unsure of what to say and Aaron seemed to have lost his voice. He was trapped in his head as all he could do was replay the events in the upstairs room and fret over what damage he'd caused to Darrel. He could face prison again if he got caught doing anything violent.
The whole of Smithy Cottage was silent as Jackson let them in. Aaron hung around in the kitchen doorway unsure of what to do with him self. His clothes were still disheveled and when Jackson flicked on the kitchen light he could see the true extent of what Darrel had really achieved. Aaron hugged his arms around himself protectively, still scared. It hurt Jackson to think Aaron couldn't relax even around him, but then his confidence really had been knocked. He'd never seen the younger man so vulnerable before.
"Why don't you go sit down in the living room." Jackson suggested. "I'll make us a drink. Tea? Or something stronger?
"Something stronger." Aaron answered. He could knock back several whiskeys if it would mean he could forget what happened to him.
Aaron would hate it that Jackson went to wake Paddy up, but he didn't know what to do. It was either Paddy or his mum. When Aaron had gone into the living room, he'd raced upstairs and knocked on Paddy's bedroom door before he walked straight in. The older man propped himself up on one elbow, squinting against the light that now assaulted his eyes.
"What is it Jackson?" He asked grumpily.
"Aaron." That was all it took for the older man to be swinging his legs out of bed and following him downstairs as he explained all. Paddy's blood ran cold as Jackson told him what he'd come to in his head. They had yet to get Aaron to tell them what had actually happened. But how Jackson had explained to him, Aaron seemed in no fit state.
They found Aaron curled up on the sofa in the lounge, hugging a cushion tightly to him. Paddy couldn't help notice the younger man's white knuckles as his hands bit into the soft furnishing. He hated to think what was running through the teen's head. He was thrown at first when he heard Jackson unscrewing the lid to the whiskey bottle he kept on the trolley in the lounge. But then due to everything he wasn't surprised. Even Jackson was shaking as he placed a half full cup of whiskey on the coffee table in front of Aaron. Paddy tried his best not to crowd Aaron, keeping on the other sofa as he thought of how to approach things.
"Aaron, I know this must be hard for you. But can you tell me and/or Jackson what happened?" Paddy asked of him.
He didn't think Aaron had heard him but then after a while Aaron cleared his throat.
"I've been so stupid Paddy." Aaron said breaking down towards the end. Tears streamed down his face as he reeled in his own stupidity. Why couldn't he have told Jackson or anyone when Darrel first attacked him? Instead of being a 'hardman' and keeping it all bottled up inside. They were right, it never done him any good. Darrel's hands had left dirty paths behind.
"What do you mean stupid, Aaron?" Paddy asked him, pushing for more. He needed to keep Aaron talking.
"I-I should have told you or Jackson." Aaron cried, dragging the back of his hand across his eyes.
"Told us what? We can't help you if you don't tell us more." Jackson told him. He still ached to reach out and hold Aaron.
"About Darrel." Aaron breathed through his tears before taking a deep breath.
Paddy looked at Jackson. He knew Aaron had gotten into a spot of bother with Darrel before now. Surely Darrel hadn't . . .
"Has he done this before?" Paddy asked attentively. "The other day, when you went on a call out to Darrel . . . He didn't, he didn't try anything did he?"
Aaron nodded his head. He couldn't look at either of the older men. He didn't want to see them looking at him full of pity or disappointment. He hated it, he hated it all. He knew he had been stupid. As soon as he'd gotten back the other day he should have told either of the two men what had happened. Then maybe Darrel wouldn't have attacked him again that night. Sammi was right by what she said at Bar West on Max's birthday. When Darrel wants something he'll do anything to get it.