The Dark (DEVON) // ✔️ // [NEWADULT]

|| Chapter Thirty - The Beginning ||

   When I came around from the emotional shit-storm, I was in a bed. Not just a bed, but Devon's bed. I realised, as soon as I turned my head to see him sleeping next to me. Half-sitting-half-lying-down with his mouth agape.

   Admiring someone sleeping has always been creepy to me. However, in this moment it wasn't creepy at all... it was just, I don't know? I felt like a doting gir-

   "Watching me sleep is weird, Aria." I hadn't noticed he'd stirred until he spoke. I jumped slightly, aware of myself and curled up onto my side. Facing away from Devon.

   Suddenly, the moment of serenity was over and all my thoughts come flooding back, "My mom!" I shot up, ram-rod straight before looking to Devon.

   Despite him not looking all too pleased, he got up too, "I'm on that, don't worry. I have a plan." He responded, his eyes half shut.

   "This plan doesn't involve you drugging me and locking me up in some top secret vault under your room does it?" I asked, half joking, half serious.

   Whilst what Devon had done was completely out of order... it worked. Parker was caught and we got the information we needed, potentially at the expense of my mothers life but nonetheless, we got it.

   Devon, to his credit, had the good sense to look apologetic, "Nothing of the sort. In fact, I've deemed it to dangerous for you At all." He shrugged, "The person we are mixed up with here is Victoria. She's insane, if she sees you she'll just-" he scoffed, dropping his head, "she will kill anyone who gets in her way..."

   I understood. Victoria was bonkers. Case closed.

  This my mom though. My mother.

   "I won't just sit idly by." I said simply, "Not when my mothers involved. You think Victoria will freak out when she sees me? For whatever re-" I paused, the words caught in my throat, "Oh. My. God. She's the girl isn't she... she's the girl you were forced to-" Devon looked at me with wide eyes.

   So that's a yes.

   "That's why she's so... you stayed with her?" I gasped.

   He nodded, "After a while she found, solace in me... told me she loved me." His shoulders shook slightly, "it was the trauma I know, she still suffers with the trauma that's why she feels like she has this connection to me she's... she's gone insane trying to get me back." I felt the pain lacing his words, "and now I want you-" he went rigid.

   My breathing caught in my throat. Devon didn't dare turn to me.

   Oddly enough, I found I wanted him to.

   I reached out slowly, my fingertips brushing his shoulder. He visibly loosened up, but still didn't turn his head, "Devon..." I whispered, "look at me." I asked.

   He slowly turned his head and scanned my face, scanning for doubt? Scanning for fear? Scanning for amusement?

   Before he could analyse me further, I moved toward him and captured his lips. It was different this time, it was soft, cautious, as if by doing this he risked us being ripped apart again. We probably wouldn't be so lucky second time around. They won't make the same mistakes again.

He was the first to pull away, watching me carefully. It was odd, and unsettling, to see him so wary.
"What's wrong?" I pushed, daring to reach out and touch his cheek. He leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut.
I felt his jaw clench.

"I've only ever hurt people who get close to me." He mumbled, "My parents, my friends, my girlfriends..." I shook my head, tapping his cheek lightly.

"No. Don't be silly. People don't come into harms way because of you." He laughed humourlessly but I carried on, "People get hurt because of other people. I should know that better than anyone... my-my mom, that's because of associations with Isaac. Not you."

Devon let out a shaky breath, "I really- really wish I could guarantee that when I go in there looking for your mom... she is going to come out alive. I wish I could." He rubbed his hands down his face.

My eyes burned. He wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know. But to see him cave in and confess that maybe he can't save her... that unsettled me to a hellish extent.

"I-" he covered my mouth with his hand and pulled me into his arms.

"You don't have to say anything but the last thing I'd wanna' do is come out of there empty handed and have you be disappointed in me... I don't want you to think I've failed you Aria." Devon was straining to get his words out by this point. He wasn't a cryer, I knew that much, but he was fighting hard to hold it back.

I shushed him, "I wouldn't ever think that..." of course it was easy enough to say that now, but he needed to hear it.

Devon sighed and slipped away from my grasp, he sauntered over to the wardrobe and tugged off his shirt. Leaving him in just his joggers, "I'm going to uh-do some training I think. I can call Jodi up or? You can just-" He flailed his arms around trying to find the words.

"It's fine. I'll be fine." I breathed, trying not to stare too long at the torso in front of me. Devon grunted his notice before slipping out the door.

I fell backwards on the bed and sighed. My eyes drifted toward the haphazard cardboard plaque covering the wall, next to it, a browning piece of paper. A newspaper cut out.

Waiting five minutes, I kept my eyes on the door. Ensuring he didn't come back before I grabbed the paper.

My eyes scanned the page and my heart stopped dead in my chest...

   "Local Businessman Trevor Davidson Killed In Organised Dragon Drive-By"

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Oof, now she knows.

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