Trigger - Part 1

CHAPTER 12 - I Won't Lose You Again

I walk towards the door and see her curled up in a ball on the bed. I enter the room and sit at the bottom of the bed facing my back towards her. Her sudden movement gives me reason to believe she's awake.

"You okay?" I ask quietly.
Her silence speaks volumes.

"I'm here when you're ready to talk."
I get up and start walking towards the door.

"Shane..." Her voice sounding brittle under her tears freezes my body. I turn around seeing her eyes red and swollen. I walk towards her and sit on the bed again facing her.

"Why are you being nice to me?"
"What do you mean?

"I did a horrible thing to your brother but you're still nice to me."
I see the pain in her eyes.

"Because I can see you regret what you did." I say taking her hand.
"How did he know Shane? I was going to tell him but I didn't expect him to know already!"

A tear starts rolling down her cheek.
I lean forward and wipe the tear with my thumb and press my lips together.

"Well, Devan is a cop and naturally when you didn't answer your phone he went to check on you at your place. Seeing you're not there he called Ashley and she said some things-"
"-things? What things?"

"I can't remember everything, basically he should stop suffocating you, you're happy and getting what you want. She was drunk, So Devan phoned me and that's when I went to Ashley and she finally told us you left with a guy."

I see her eyes fill up as she squeezes her hand.

"We were worried you might have gotten hurt." I say holding her hand tighter.

"He will never forgive me!" Her cries shoot out of her as she falls forward against my chest. I grab her head, holding her tightly against me.

"Shh... it's okay" I comfort.
"It's not okay!" I hear her faint voice against me.

I pull her head up looking her in the eyes. Her gray eyes riddled with guilt and regret.
"Give him time. It's still fresh."

"Time? He is going to kill Aiden and never speak to me again. Yes things have not been great between us and I wanted to call it but I didn't want this, I didn't want our relationship to end like this... I guess it's too late now."

I pause as I process what she said.

"You need to be honest with him and tell him how you feel. I can't say he'll be alright with it or that he will forgive you. I would like to say he would and I am sure he can but Sage... If this is how you feel about your relationship with him then you have to tell him. Don't let this be the reason then okay."

I can't help but feel sympathy for her seeing her in this state. Knowing that this was really just a mistake. Wrong place, wrong time but my brother... he can be so difficult.

"Do you want me to go with you when you talk to him?"

A faint line appears on her forehead.
"I can't... This is going to break him Shane."

"Sage..."

"No Shane! I'm not going to cause him further pain. I might as well rip his heart out and stomp on it... no.. Please, don't tell him this! Promise me you won't say anything!"

"Sage you can't -"
"-Promise me Shane!"
Her begging burns my ears. Everything inside me is screaming to follow my gut, he deserves to know...

"Okay..."

Damn-it Shane... Why can't you say no to her?

"Promise?"
"I promise..."

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