Beloved (Editing 50%)

Chapter 2

He knelt down looking at me straight in the eyes and sighed. "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked. I straightened myself and sat. "I signed up," I told him.

It took him a few seconds to absorb what I just told him. "You did what?" Now he seemed confused.

"I signed up my name. I'm going to the trial to be one of the five girls to be sent to the palace to be screened." I was looking down at my lap willing the tears not to fall. I hate crying. "I want to meet him Ash. I just..." now the water works are on and it cannot be stopped. Wet streaks of tears are leaking from my eyes across my chin to my jaw and falling on my open palms that's resting on my lap. At that moment, Asher sighed.

"I know it's hurting you not to be with him. I've seen you crying even though you haven't noticed me." He stated patting my head.

"We have been together since we were children and I know everything about you. We grew up together, that's why. You're my best friend and you're the only girl that I--" he stopped. He took a deep breath and climbed up to bed sitting in front of me, legs crossed. "--you're the only girl that I am closed to. Well not including my mother, I love her. And my step sister Clarissa, I love her too, as a sister of course. But--" he stopped again. He came nearer and embraced me. So tight that I can't move my body but just my hands.

"Aims," Asher whispered.

I stayed where I was, in his arms, breathing deep and fast, heart pounding like drums, hoping that the dryness of my throat and the clammy felling on my palm would go away. It was like a dream and finding out something important that you must not find out in that way.

"Aims?" He sounded like he had something caught in his throat. "Look, I'm so sorry. I just..." I wanted to back away, out of his arms. But before I can push him away his arms tightened more and he said, "I like you too much,"

A hot flush suffused me, like the smoke you create when you pour hot water on a cold one. "Wha--" I was supposed to ask him what he was talking about, but I know deep in my heart what he really meant. I have known that for a while.

"Let me finish, please." he said and I nodded. "I like you too much that it hurts me that you are hurting because you can't be with your destined one. It would be selfish of me to beg of you to stay with me because I need you. No. Because I am in love with you but I won't do that. I won't do that to you of all people. I know that if I beg you enough you will consider staying with. You are too good hearted." Of course I would. He is my best friend in the world and I would do anything for him.

He let go of me and sat back to the stance he was in a while ago and continued, "So I will help you with all that I have to get through this. I will help you win. alright?" I nodded. "You understand me?" I nodded again.

I wiped my face to get rid of the tear stains. "Thank you Ash." I whispered to him. "I hope you find someone will love you truly. And I hope you never have to know what it's like to have to try and live without them." He looked at me and I can see the pain in his eyes but he concealed it with a smile. To other people, he looks fine, to me, his best friend, he does not. I can see through his facade. I can see through the mask of a smile he constantly wears when he's upset. I can see through it like a clear bottle. And now, the dominant emotion there is pain and loss.

He feels that he have lost me. And that made my heart ache. I feel that half of it is being slowly squished. I touched his cheek and looked him straight in his eyes. "I'll always be here. Always. I'm your best friend Ash. You will never lose me."

This time, his smile was genuine. Making the ache in my heart subside, for a bit.

He bounced off from bed and picked up the scroll that I have thrown across the room and opened it. "Oh. I know the reason why you were upset when I went in. You don't have a dresses and a ball gowns. Am I right?" I nodded shyly. Too ashamed for being a girl without a piece of a formal dress. Most girls parade themselves in different dresses while I wore a boy's clothing. For me, I wear what's comfortable. I just don't have a thing with appearances. "My sister Clarissa adores you a lot, you know that." Asher said.

"And what does that to do with my problem?" I tilted my head sideways like what a dog does when it's confused.

Ash chuckled. "I think she is about the same size as you and she has a closet in a size of your whole house, not to be rude, but I think she can lend you a hand with your problem." Why didn't I think of that? No, because I don't want to owe people, well, vampire people. But still. I'm too apprehensive to ask Clarissa of her dresses. What if she's not a kind of person who lends her things?

Asher caught the hesitation etched on my face because he sighed and grabbed my arms, pulling me up and on the floor. "Come on. Put on your boots and let's go to my house. My mom missed you too and I know she would love to help you out too."

After I've put on my boots, I let Ash haul me to his house. We just walk silently on the gravel street. And I was hoping that this charade won't leave us both with our hearts broken.