What If Instead Of...

14 Aiden

"I...I killed a man," Vivian stammers, barely audible.

I notice she is starting to tremble.

The woman standing nearby has a suspiciously familiar face. However, I think I knew her with a different hairstyle.

My guts tell me to grab Vivian and run without looking back before anyone calls the police.

I quickly take her by the wrist and lead her to the nearest stairs – it's closer to get to my car from the back door.

The girl's hand is icy and powerless – I don't know what happened, but I assume she had to go through hell.

She'll tell me everything later, in the meantime, we have to run, run, run.

On the way to my car, Vivian screams faintly, slowing down a little. I turn around warily and see her touching her foot. She's not wearing her heels, only tights, which don't protect her feet from stones, fragments and all other kinds of shit scattered on the pavement.

We don't have a second to lose, so I make an attempt to pick her up, however, she gently pushes me away, "Don't, I'll go myself."

I don't argue – it will really be easier this way (and I don't want to make her feel even worse).

My car turns out to be open (which is not surprising, because I left Vivian in it), yet, fortunately, everything is safe.
At least at a cursory glance.

I try to stay calm in order to think sensibly and not to aggravate an already tight situation, but my hands still start to shake and my stomach flip over from spiked anxiety.

That's okay, I can drive anyway.

My hair that was once combed back falls on my forehead, blocking the view, which makes me fix it all the time, and it can not but add fuel to the fire.

I'm running my hands over the steering wheel and fidgeting anxiously in my seat.

I've run away from the police and dangerous guys more than once, however, this time is special because it decides Vivian's fate.

I couldn't care less about myself, it's her I consider my duty to save at all costs.

She sits silently, huddled into a ball, with her palms crossed on her chest.

Threads of diamond tears gather in a single line on her chin and descend like a gleaming waterfall down her neck.

It hurts to watch her cry.

My girl doesn't deserve any of the shit she has to go through here.

I want to tell her that I warned her and that she had to leave with her parents then, but who am I kidding, I'm glad she chose to stay with me.
Vivian is the only reason for me to hold on to my shit show of a life.

"Aiden, I can't do this," my love whispers softly after a while, and I turn to her, not getting the point.

"What can't you do, baby?"

"I can't hide, I have to face justice for what I did."

Damn her morals!

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I know where to go," I try to answer as calmly and convincingly as possible.

"Please, turn the car around. Please," Vivian begs, tears spill from her eyes.

How I hate the fact that it seems almost completely impossible for me to say no to her.

Not hiding my displeasure and sighing loudly, I still reach the nearest turn to go back at her request.

I have to glance at the girl every time, making sure how broken and vulnerable she is, in order to resist the temptation to warn her what is supposedly waiting for her, and what I generally think about her noble decision.