"Hanged himself with his own belt."
"Who discovered the body?"
"The gentleman over there."
Police cars and ambulances clog up the entrance to the hotel's parking lot. A female detective and a male police officer are speaking to each other as the rescue team behind them wheels away a body bag on a stretcher. Aaron and Samantha stand under the awning of the hotel's main entrance, avoiding the rain. Aaron's jacket is on Samantha's shoulders now and so are his hands. Aaron wearing his white dress shirt with unbuttoned vest and loosened up tie. The detective approaches them.
"Hello. Carrie Sosa, I'm with Thurston County Police. Which one of you was it that saw the body?"
"My name's Aaron."
"Aaron, I know you must be disturbed by this experience. I just want to know, did you see him as he did this or was he dead when you got there?"
"I... walked in and he was dead."
"How did you know he was dead?"
"I, well, I didn't. I mean... I didn't bother to check him, I guess..."
Samantha adds to the exchange with a furrow of her brow and lips puckered in sorrow.
"Aaron totally freaked out when he saw him and ran to get me..."
Detective Sosa doesn't seem at all moved emotionally.
"One at a time, alright? I'll get to you."
Samantha's lips retract into her mouth and she looks away from Sosa. Aaron does not like the tone in which Detectve Sosa just spoke to Samantha so he makes it known.
"Alright, look, Sosa... I understand you have no personal investment in this, but we just lost a friend, so at least have enough decency to watch how you talk to her."
"Let's calm down, sir. I'm a private investigator, and quite frankly there isn't much here to investigate. Suicides aren't my thing, I'm gathering as much info as I can. It would really help figure out the motive if I can talk to the last person that last saw him alive..."
Samantha hesitates before speaking, since Sosa wasn't speaking directly to her, but does so anyhow with a sarcastically polite undertone.
"That would be Paul, ma'am. In the ball room, that's who Michael was last seen talking to."
"Were they arguing? Was he depressed? Sad? Angry?"
"Not at all; he was laughing, actually... He was drinking and laughing."
"So there was alcohol involved... And what were they talking about? Did you pick up on that?"
"Yeah, they were talking about light rock, I think."
"Light rock. The music genre?"
"Yes... Sheryl Crowe...? Coldplay...? Everything But The Girl...?"
Aaron now cuts in before Samantha's list goes on.
"Pardon me, Sosa... This is pointless. We're obviously shaken up right now. If you want details on their conversation or whatever, go find Paul and ask him."
"Where can I find this 'Paul'?"
"He's probably inside trying to calm everyone down. Paul Lyons, just ask for him, everyone knows who he is."
"Sure. Well, this is an open and shut case anyhow. We'll keep in touch."
Detective Sosa walks away from them. Aaron shakes his head as he watches her go talk to the cops. Samantha pulls out her cell phone and begins scrolling through her contact list. Aaron notices this out of the corner of his eye.
"Don't call your mother yet, just tell her in person. She'll worry if you tell her over the phone."
"I'm not calling mom; I'm calling a cab. I just wanna go home."
"I'll drive you."
Moments later, Aaron is at the wheel of his car and Samantha sits in the passenger's seat. She is looking out the window, as if mesmerized by the streaks of falling rainwater against the glass. The swipe and thud of the windshield wipers is muffled by the hum of the car's engine, yet sharpened by the hissing of the rain in traffic. Aaron glances over at Samantha and opens his mouth to say something but no words come out. He licks his lips now, then runs his hand down his face while exhaling.
"Thanks for the ride, Aaron."
"Don't mention it."
Aaron slightly smiles at her, but she isn't looking at him. He licks his lip again and continues to watch the road. Samantha rubs her neck a bit and turns to look at Aaron.
"There is an elephant in the room, isn't there?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said some very weird stuff to me earlier."
"Oh. That... Listen, I'm sorry I said those things. I really do have feelings for you , but you're right; I probably am just confused."
"I really value our friendship."
"Me too, Sam. And now that this happened to Mike, I feel horrible for being jealous of him... For thinking you were... You know..."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"Me too."
Outside of Bethany's house, it is very quiet when Aaron's car pulls up. Aaron steps out of the car and goes around to the passenger's side, but Samantha had already helped herself out. She is holding Aaron's jacket over her head to cover herself from the rain. Aaron gently closes the car door behind her and then walks with her toward her mother's front door.
"Do you have keys?"
"Yeah. But mom should still be up."
They now stop right at the front door.
"Sam, this is... not how I... It's not how I hoped this night would go."
"I doubt anyone hoped it would go like this, Aaron."
"No. I mean, yeah, well, you're right. But I mean I thought it was going to be... the greatest night of my life. Worst case, I thought it would be a normal night. But instead..."
"I see."
"You didn't even... I mean... The necklace would have looked beautiful with that dress."
"It's in ny purse. I wanted to wear it but it felt like too much."
"Nothing's too mu--"
"Aaron. Good night."
Aaron bites his lower lip with a slight frown.
"Good night, Sam... Good bye, Sam."
Aaron walks away from Samantha. His head lowered, staring at the ground as he slowly drags his feet toward his car. The rain water drenching his hair and running down his face serves as a camouflage for his uncontrolled tears. He gets to his car and enters the driver's side. Samantha is standing at her mother's door watching him, and Bethany soon comes out and opens said door just as Aaron's car drives away."
"Sammy, was that Aaron that was just at the door with you?"
"Yeah."
"That walk of his, looked like he was sad, almost mourning a loss or something."
"That's exactly what it is."
"Memories of his dad?"
"No. Someone died tonight."
"What?! Are you--"
"Let's go inside. I'll tell you all about it."
Meanwhile, Aaron is in his car driving through the city on his way home. His head slightly lowered and his watery eyes focused straight ahead.
"Good bye, Sam. It's not just Mike, it is also my hopes and dreams... Dead... That's it, just dead? Why do bad things only happen to good people?"
He looks up at the reflection of his eyes in the rearview mirror.
"She must have feelings for you, Aaron. She went outside looking for you. She could have stayed inside flirting with Mike, but she went out to follow you..."
He shakes his head and lets out a grunting sigh.
"But she told you she doesn't have feelings for you. She sees you as a friend, a brother, even... But... No... A life was lost tonight, the life of the person that drove her there... Yet on the ride back, the only thing that broke her silence was the reminder lf my love confession, not the dead body... Does that mean it meant more to her? That it was more important?"
Aaron licks his lips and takes in a deep breath. He then runs his hand down his face while exhaling, followed by the running of his fingers through his damp hair.
"No, Aaron, no... You've done more than enough, you're finished. That's it. Game over. Accept the fact that you will never get her, and accept that this is life. It is ugly and unfair. And there is no happy ending."
Aaron's eyes, locked straight forward, reflect the passing lights of the rainy traffic around him. Tears run down his face as he tightens his lips.
"Too bad Mike had to die for you to realize he wasn't the problem. Now what do you have? Nothing. A broken heart, a broken future, a broken friendship, and broken hope... Instead of Samantha's hand in your hand, you have Mike's blood... Way to go, Aaron..."
He shakes his head in disappointment as more tears flow from his eyes. The lonely car ride continues in pure silence, other than the car's purring motor and the fanning of the windshield wipers. Aaron's cell phone begins to ring, while it sits in the center cup holder. He glances at it, sees the caller ID, and grabs the phone. He looks at it but does not answer the call, as it continues ringing. Aaron hesitates, but then finally hits the button... The "ignore" button. He puts the phone back in the cup holder and continues his drive.
"No..."
Aaron finally arrives at his house and pulls into his driveway. He exits the car and sets the alarm. The rain has now become lighter and has almost ceased. Aaron walks up to his front door, unlocks it with his key and enters the house. In his car, his cell phone is still in the cup holder, once again going off, with the caller ID reading "Bethany's House Number."
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Author's Note**
I am very open to any questions anyone may want answered in future chapters, or anything that you would like me to explain or go into more detail as well. Please don't forget to vote and fan me if you like my work :) Thank You so much for letting me share this with you. -GB