The Silence | ✔️

36. O

"He made a mistake Arian," he glanced up and his eyes were red, so was the tip of his nose. Again, I glanced away because I couldn't see him in pain. "He has had to live with that. And I know what he did was wrong. But he wasn't himself—"

"I don't care—"

"He's my best friend," he stepped forward but I stepped back. I knew that I could leave. I could leave because Aiden would never do something to hurt me. I had to keep reminding myself of that because I was scared. I felt weak. I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to force myself to walk out of this apartment. "Arian please, I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to help him. Please understand. Please."

"I do," I nodded and my breath quivered. I wiped my sleeve across my nose and let the tears blur the vision that I had of Aiden looking weaker than I had ever seen him before. "I see your point. But I don't accept it," I said with a quiet broken voice. "I can't. I can't stay here. Please let me leave. Just- just let me leave."

He watched me for a moment. His eyes pooled with tears that spilled when he blinked. He was so beautiful. Despite the fact that he cried, he was still perfect. There was a tense pause that would have been silent if I hadn't been blubbering and sniffling. But the sound of my heart shattering as he stepped aside was the loudest most devastating sound of all.

I walked past him and went straight for the door, wrapping my hand around the handle before his quiet trembling voice said my name. I paused but didn't turn to look at him. "Take the car. Please. I don't want you waving down a cab on the street in this weather. . . I — I love you."

I nodded because I wasn't going to turn down that offer for the sake of pride. "Can you please cover the garden beds with the weather proof cases."

I didn't wait for an answer. I ripped the door open and almost ran down the corridor. Before I left, I crouched down in the living room and pulled Evin into my arms. She was shuffling with distress and began licking my cheeks. As if she was kissing the tears. "I'm okay," I sobbed. "I'm going to miss you baby girl. You be good alright. I don't know when I'll be back so don't forget about me?"

It wouldn't have been fair to move her again. She needed to settle in one place and I had no idea where I was going. She would be happier here. With food and her nice bed. I held her tight and kissed her soft ears a million times before I stood up again. She followed me to the elevator and barked, jumping up at me the entire time. She was strung out and I felt terrible for causing that. It was hard to make sure that she didn't get on the elevator or in the way as the doors closed. But I watched her sad little face as the metal came together and my legs gave out from under me.

When I woke up, my face was sore. My nose was blocked. And the morning sun was heating up the car that I'd fallen asleep in. I'd ended up in Tampa. Outside of my parents house. I sat in the drive and stared at the single story white brick house that I'd grown up in. The front lawn was mown short. The surrounding garden beds were covered in small pebble stones with little square hedges plotted about a meter apart. Someone had been maintaining the gardens.

I hadn't been able to go inside last night. It was just too hard. The emotional trauma had been at its peak when I arrived after midnight. I was exhausted and so instead, I settled for sleeping in the back seat of the Range Rover. Even that in itself was hard. I could smell Aiden. I could see him driving. I missed him so much that it hurt but I felt betrayed by him. And I know that he hadn't done that on purpose. He hadn't gone out of his way to hurt me. But that was how I felt right now. I hoped that I could get past it. But I was scared that I'd never be able to look at him without knowing that he helped the man who killed my parents, live a life free of consequence.