RAVENS #1: THE DARKNESS

Chapter 33 - Rational

Alyssa Takada

"What now? I want to hear what you say about me after I told you everything that happened." I hugged myself, preparing myself to hear hurtful words from Liam.

I told him everything, yet he didn't give me any reaction to it.

"It wasn't your fault." I looked away. Tears filled my eyes, and I buried my face to my knees. "None of it was your fault, Alyssa."

"I never wanted you to know. I left for Paris to prove to you that I can stand on my own." I said as I looked up to him. I wiped my tears, and he smiled softly at me.

"I know. You did prove me wrong, and what happened to you was a tragedy. None of it was your fault." I kept crying my heart out. It felt good somehow. My heart felt a little lighter after sharing it with Liam.

"I'm sorry that it happened to you. They will never bother you anymore." His words comforted me. Liam has always been my safe place.

"They're in jail now."

"No one will hurt you anymore. I can make sure of that." I want to believe him. I do, but his words will only be empty once we get divorced.

As much as I trust Liam and have him as my safe place, our relationship will end in less than three weeks. Holding to his words means holding on to something that's not there.

I've realized that this marriage was a big mistake from the start. I was seeking comfort from the man that I love to death. I was looking for a safe place from my dark past. Liam was a temporary light that helped me go through my darkest phase, but he's always been somehow a glimpse of darkness in my life.

We might be married to each other, but there won't be us in the future. I'm losing myself, hoping for something from the impossible, and I don't want that.

"Alyssa." He called me.

"Hmmm?"

"Let's have dinner together in one hour. How about you get ready? I booked a restaurant fifteen minutes away from here."

"I think I'll pass. I want to spend my time alone." I rejected it and got up from the sofa. I walked to the bedroom and laid on the bed. I continued to cry until I fell asleep.

Liam Hastington

And again... for the first time in my life.

I don't have the patience to torture someone. I wanted to kill them just to give her peace that those people would never bother her again. I tried to keep telling her that none of this was her fault.

Listening to her cry made me want to burn myself and the world for hurting her. I couldn't give her what she wanted, and I blamed myself for it.

I walked into the room and found her sleeping. I sat beside her and held her hand. I can see traces of her tears on her cheek.

For the time being, I decided to give her space. She needed it.

I left the villa and bought some food for her to eat later when she woke up. I left a note for her to eat after she woke up. I strolled around town to clear my head.

My feet brought me to a small cafe in town. I made my way in and ordered coffee and a carrot cake. I sat on the table beside the lake.

"You look like you have a lot of things in mind." My head turned to the old man. He was sitting with his wife, and I planned to ignore him.

"Ignore my husband, he's nosy." His wife smiled and tapped her husband to stop.

"What is it? Money? Girlfriend? You look like a rich young man." I turned to him, annoyed, but I said, "Wife. She wants a divorce." His wife looked surprised, but he didn't even react to my statement.

"What did you do? Did you cheat?" His wife smacked his arm, trying to stop him from butting into someone else's business.

"I can't love her like she loves me."

"Then get a divorce. She deserves someone better." I glared at him and let out a sigh.

"Get a divorce and see if you'll miss her once she's gone." His tone felt like he was challenging me.

"Tony!" His wife warned, and he chuckled before turning to his wife.

"You reminded me of my younger self. That's why I wanted to know why. I apologize if I'm being annoying and nosy." I nodded.

"Me and my wife, Sally, were arranged by our parents when we both turned twenty-one. The arrangement was to merge their business." Tony turned to Sally, who was smiling at him. "I was in love with someone else back then, so I thought I would never love my wife as much as I love my ex-girlfriend. I told Sally truthfully that I couldn't love her, and after two years, she filed for a divorce. I lived in hell after officially getting divorced."

"And you think I'll experience the same thing as you?" I raised my eyebrows, and he shook his head.

"No. I'm not saying that you'll regret it once the divorce goes through because everyone has a different situation, but... what I wanted to tell you is that you look like you let your head take control of your decision because you think it's more rational than what's in here." He pointed at his heart, and I let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"I don't have a heart to begin with, so... you're giving me a useless long lecture." I took a sip of my coffee.

"You'll learn, kiddo." With that, he left with his wife. Sally apologized one more time before leaving, and I gave her a nod. I stayed there for another three hours.

When I went back, Alyssa was already awake. She thanked me for buying her some food and asked me to eat with her. I sat down in the dining room and watched her eat her dinner.

"Where were you?"

"Strolling around."

"Thank you for these." I nodded.