23. "Why do you keep having these dreams?"
I woke up to the sound of mumbling. Yawning, I sat up in bed with sleepy eyes. Aiden's bed. We both gave each other the silent treatment for a while after his outburst, even during dinner, and then he went to sleep on the couch without a word.
My eyes wandered to the couch, where the sound was coming from. In the dim light, I could see Aiden stirring in his sleep and mumbling incoherent things. My eyes widened in realisation that he was dreaming again.
I pushed the covers off my body and hurried to his side as his voice grew louder, his words becoming understandable. Yet I couldn't figure anything.
"No... no... no... stop please. Don't do that... no! Let them go! .... Please!" He continued to plead, his face showing signs of extreme distress.
I was overcome with worry as he continued saying the words he did every time he had those dreams. "Aiden, wake up." I urged, shaking him as hard as I could.
"Don't hurt them!" He called, still not waking up.
I shook him harder. "Aiden!"
He still didn't rouse, his pleading becoming more and more desperate. I was panicking, wanting to cry.
"Aiden, please! Wake up!" I yelled out in desperation.
To my relief, he bolted up straight, panting. Sweat dripped off his forehead, his entire face morphed in fear. His head snapped towards me, and I stared back at him, equally frightened.
His eyes glistened with tears, shocking me. I was even more stunned when he moved forward to hug me. He clutched on to me like his life depended on me, burying his face in my neck as he sobbed.
My mouth gaped open as his tears fell onto the exposed skin of my neck. I could not believe that he was crying. Being so raw and vulnerable in front of me. Not putting up a facade. Not trying to act tough. He was letting his guard down. Being himself.
And that made me feel some type of way.
I gently ran my fingers through his hair, struggling to find words to comfort him. "Shhh." I managed to whisper once I noticed that he wouldn't stop sobbing.
"They're dead." He cried, his tears soaking my shirt.
My heart ached at the pain in his voice. "Who's dead?" I asked softly.
"Everyone," he replied, sniffling. "I couldn't do anything to save them."
I had no idea what he was talking about. "Save who?"
He pulled back, and my heart broke once I saw the pain and vulnerability all over his tear-stained face. My fingers spontaneously reached out to wipe his tears away as he his broken gaze looked back at me.
"What happened?" My voice broke. "Why do you keep having these dreams?"
His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. I waited patiently for him to speak as I knelt on the floor in front of him. "They killed them." He whispered.
"Killed who?" I whispered back, the curiosity killing me.
"My family." His voice broke, a tear falling out of his eye.
My jaw dropped, eyes widening. "W-what?"
He moved back a little, holding his head in his hands. "I have nightmares often," he cried. "I re-live it over and over again."
My jaw wouldn't close, and neither would any words form. "I don't... understand," I managed to say. "You re-live what? What happened to your family?"
He roughly wiped away his newly spilled tears, meeting my gaze again. My heart throbbed repeatedly seeing him in that state.
"You can talk to me. A problem shared is a problem halved," I gave his shoulder an assuring squeeze. "I promise whatever you say will stay between you and I."
He sucked in a deep breath, sniffling back his tears. "No one knows about this... I don't want anyone to know."
"I won't tell, I promise, Aiden. You can trust me." I said softly.
He took hold of my hand, squeezing it in his shaking one. I covered his hand with my other one, giving it a squeeze.
"My father owned Knight Enterprises. Just like now, it was the top most corporation in the country several years ago as well. We... we were... a happy family. Mom, dad, my little sister and me," more tears fell out of his eye, and I wiped them away.
His voice was shaky and full of pain. "Everything was perfect.
.. until one day, it started. Dad started getting threat letters and calls, over a fucking billion dollar project.
For him to drop it. It was an ego issue for dad.
He didn't take the threats seriously. He didn't know what was at stake.
.." he sucked in an uneven breath, sniffling once more.
I gave his hand another squeeze. "One day..." he took another staggered breath. "One day... our whole world turned upside down... a few men broke into our house. Do you know what they did, Aysel?" His last sentence held the most hurt.
"What?" I whispered, my heart palpitating dangerously in my chest as each word he spoke filled me with more and more fear and sorrow.
"They murdered them in front of my own eyes.
My parents, my little sister. They held me down as they brutally killed them, and I wasn't able to do anything.
I remained on the ground, on my knees, like a weakling," my breath got caught in my lungs as he spoke, anger and frustration now coating his tone.
A wave of panic and grief washed over me.
"That... that Liam," he gritted his teeth, fury flashing in his broken gaze.
"The guy that tried assaulting you... he was one of the guys who held me down," my jaw dropped once again at the revelation.
"I... I begged... and I pleaded... but they didn't show any mercy.
.. I was forced to watch the people I loved the most in the world bleed to death at only the age of fourteen.
" My heart almost stopped, contorting in bafflement and fear that someone could do that to a family.
How could someone be so vicious and inhumane?
"They were going to kill me too..." he continued. "But dad... he managed to shoot them before he breathed his last. Before they could hurt me too...Liam clearly survived... as did I," he hugged me again, burying his face in my neck.
I was too shocked to move or respond. "I wish dad had let me die too... I die every single day now... I keep seeing it... I try to act all tough, but I'm so... so broken inside," my heart shattered into pieces as I held on to him.
He moved away again. "I have vowed ever since to be strong.
To be so powerful that no one can ever hurt me that way again.
I vowed to become a nightmare for anyone who would even dream of making me live something so agonising ever again.
..." His broken, teary eyes met mine. "How do I forget?
The sounds, the screams, the pleas... the fear in my innocent little sister's eyes.
.. every single drop of blood that oozed out in front of my own eyes as I failed to do anything.
I should have done something. Anything."
Tears welled up in my eyes as he looked back at me in that hurt and raw state. How could I respond? What could I say? That I was sorry he went through something so horrible? That everything would be alright? Such words could never be salvation for what he went through.
I connected the dots then. Him losing his cool every single time I mentioned his family. It made sense. I was constantly scraping at his wound that never closed, hurting him repeatedly without realising how he felt.
I felt awful.
"Aiden." My voice came out as a broken whisper. I paused, speechless.
"Don't pity me." He said, looking to the side.
"What you went through is beyond horrifying. No one deserves to go through something so dreadfully tormenting. But I see you're blaming yourself for it. It wasn't your fault." I told him gently.
He retrieved his hand from between both of mine. "It was my fault. I should have been able to do something. To make a difference. If nothing, I should have died."
I gasped. "Don't say that! Aiden, you were fourteen! What could you have done? It's not your fault."
"I'll find him. And I'll make him pay for ruining my perfect life. The rest are already dead." His eyes darkened with vengeance.
I swallowed, putting my hand over his. "Yes, he will pay for what he did. But you can't keep blaming yourself. You won't heal from the trauma if you keep holding yourself responsible for it."
He didn't reply, diverting his weary eyes to his lap.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked softly.
He nodded weakly.
I gulped, hesitantly asking the question that had just popped into my head. "The night you came to the hospital... did Liam shoot you?"
He lifted his head, letting me see his gloomy eyes. "I shot myself."
I gaped at him. He stared back, appearing tired and lifeless. "Y-you what?"
"I couldn't bear it anymore. I was fed up of reliving that scene over and over again. I wanted to die." He confessed.
My eyes were wide as saucers, as a shiver rippled through me.
"I was mad at Samuel, my right hand. He was staying over, found me bleeding and took me to the hospital. I was mad at the doctors who saved me. I was mad at everyone. I didn't want to live." He disclosed.
My jaw wouldn't close at the new bits of information. He tried committing suicide. He was hurting so badly that he actually considered ending his life.
"I-is that why you were so mad at me?" I asked.
"I'm sorry." He muttered.
"Aiden, promise me you won't even think of doing it again." I urged, taking hold of both of his hands.
He didn't meet my gaze.
"Aiden," I said firmly, my hold tightening.
"You have to live. You have to fight. You're going to remain strong.
You have to get back at the people who did this to you and your family.
And most importantly, you have a legacy to uphold.
A corporation to run, a reputation to maintain. You have to make your family proud."
A few more tears spilled out of his eyes as he maintained eye contact with me. I wiped them away. "You're going to be fine. I'm here with you, okay?" I said tenderly.
He nodded slowly, leaning in toward me. I held my breath as he did.
He caught me by surprise as one of his hands snaked around the back of my head, and his lips pressed gently, yet firmly on my cheek. I closed my eyes, relishing at the warm and comforting feeling.
That night definitely changed things between us. For the first time, I felt like I knew him. The real him. He had opened his heart to me and showed me all the pieces it had broken into. And I was determined to put them back together.
But just around the corner, something sinister awaited. The gravity of which we were both unaware of.
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