33. Aria
33
ARIA
I jolt awake, heart pounding, as raised voices echo through the house. Scrambling out of bed, I pull on a robe and rush downstairs, tension crackling like an impending storm.
“How could you let this happen?” Mom’s voice, laced with fury and disbelief, cuts through the silence. “She’s just a child!”
I falter as I enter the living room, my parents’ enraged faces turning to me. Their eyes bore into me, a mixture of anger and disappointment etched in their features. Jared’s absence makes my heart sink.
“Aria...” My stepdad’s voice is strained, his eyes pleading. “We know about your... relationship with Jared.”
The words hit me like a slap. I stagger backward, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle a gasp. My mind reels, trying to make sense of it all.
Lisa.
She betrayed me.
Memories flash—late-night conversations, shared secrets—all shattered like broken glass. I trusted her with my heart, and she used it against me.
“He was grooming you, sweetheart.” Mom’s words are gentle, but the accusation cuts deep. “We had to get him out of here, away from you. It’s for your good. The cops didn’t catch him, but they will.”
My breath catches. “You called the cops on him?” I ask, voice shaking. “He’s your son!”
Mom’s expression hardens, a flicker of regret passing over her features. “Aria, he’s not well. Jared hasn’t been well for a long time.”
His dad steps forward, eyes pleading. “Your stepbrother has struggled with a severe personality disorder since childhood, Aria. The fixation, the obsession... it’s all part of his illness.”
My head spins as I try to reconcile their words with the depth of connection I felt with Jared. My throat tightens.
“That’s not true,” I protest, shaking my head. “Jared loves me. What we have is real.”
“No, honey,” Mom says gently. “What you had was an unhealthy, toxic relationship fueled by Jared’s delusions. He needs professional help.”
Dad nods in agreement. “We’re worried he’s stopped taking his medication. That’s when his obsessive tendencies spiral out of control.”
I feel as though the ground is shifting beneath my feet, the foundations of everything I thought I knew crumbling around me.
“Where is he?” I ask, my voice rising with desperation.
“The cops haven’t been able to find him,” Dad says, his voice heavy with regret. “He’s on the run.”
Those four words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of me.
On the run.
My Jared was forced to flee like a common criminal because of our love.
I shake my head, refusing to accept their version of reality. “We’re not related by blood. It’s not illegal. You shouldn’t have called the cops on him. You need to call them off.”
My stepdad moves closer. “We’re worried he’s off his meds, Aria. It’s dangerous for him and you.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “He doesn’t need medication. He’s just...”
Intense. Possessive. Mine.
Suddenly, the front door swings open. My heart stops as I recognize the silhouette framed in the entryway.
Jared.
He steps into the room, his eyes wild, holding a knife. His gaze lands on my parents, and his expression darkens. “You,”he snarls, taking a menacing step forward. “You called the cops on me.”
His dad moves between us, his body tense. “You shouldn’t be here, Jared,” he warns, his voice steady despite the looming danger.
Jared’s eyes flash with a dangerous mix of emotions as he takes another step forward, his hand tightening around the knife. “I came for Aria. She’s coming with me.”
I dart around my stepdad and rush to Jared’s side, ignoring my parents’ protests. “I’m leaving with Jared,” I declare, standing tall and grabbing his hand. “We won’t bother you again.”
I see the myriad emotions playing out on their faces—worry, anger, and finally, defeat. They know there’s no convincing me.
The sound of sirens pierces the tense atmosphere and grows louder. Jared’s grip tightens on the knife and his body tenses. Immediately I realize they've caught him just in the nick of time. But if he fights, it will be so much worse.
“Jared, no,” I whisper, reaching for his hand with the knife in.
In an instant, he lets go of the knife, tossing it aside. The clatter of metal on hardwood echoes in the room.
The police burst through the door, weapons drawn. Their gazes land on us, and I step protectively before Jared.
“Nobody needs to get hurt here,” one of the officers says, hand on his gun. “Jared Wilkins, you’re under arrest for cyberstalking. Please keep your hands where we can see them and come with us quietly.”
I turn to Jared, searching his eyes for any hint of hesitation or fear, but all I see is determination. He takes a step toward me, his eyes burning with intensity.
“I’ll come with you without a fight,” he says to the offices, looking at me. “Aria, I’ll be back for you. Nothing can keep me away.”
The officers move forward, hands outstretched. I watch as Jared is led away, his gaze locked with mine until the door closes between us.
The air feels heavy, the silence oppressive. I stand there, frozen, my heart torn between the life I knew and the unknown path that lies ahead.
“Aria, come away from there,” Mom says softly.
I blink, shaking myself from my stupor, and step back, my eyes never leaving the door. Tears blur my vision as I turn and stumble up the stairs.
I burst into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. My gaze falls upon the friendship bracelet Lisa made for me years ago, a relic of a bond now irrevocably shattered.
With a choked sob, I snatch it from the dresser and hurl it out the open window. The beads of the bracelet scatter like a broken promise.
My path is clear now. I will free Jared, no matter what it takes, no matter who tries to stand in my way.
We belong together, two souls intertwined by a love deeper than anyone could ever comprehend.
And nothing, not my parents, the law, or even the world itself, can keep us apart.