Chapter 12 #2
Each step felt heavier, almost as if I were dragging my heart behind me.
I didn’t look back, because if I did, I feared my strength would fail me and I’d take him up on his offer, even just so I could feel something again.
I pinched the bridge of my stinging nose as I came back to the present, doing my best to stave off the tears that demanded to be set free.
Sadly, it was the second time I’d walked away from him, but it wouldn’t be the last. The third—and final—time I saw him had almost killed me, because I left my heart and soul behind with him.
But I couldn’t go there right now.
Over the next decade, I’d worked tirelessly to build my career on boundaries. And even then, the few times I crossed paths with him again were because of my work. And it ultimately brought me here. Into his home.
I exhaled and crossed to the sofa, sitting on the edge. I was the picture of composure with my back straight and my hands folded neatly in my lap. But my mind was a mess, solely focused on the man who left an imprint on my soul one cold, lonely night.
He hadn’t changed. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. He had changed, and it went beyond a few silver strands at his temples.
This Lykos Costello was harder and darker than the one I remembered. As if time had honed him instead of softening him.
I shook my head, painfully aware that I was at least partly to blame.
This is a mistake, my mind screamed. The self-preservation urged me to flee and my gaze shifted toward the door, but I remained glued to the couch.
This could be my only chance to get closer to them.
A soft creak echoed through the quiet room and I held my breath, expecting Lykos. Instead, Aria’s curly blonde hair peeked through and a set of blue eyes met mine.
I held my breath, the moment stretching while I soaked in every inch of the girl’s face. She was beautiful, her gentle soul reflecting in her eyes. I couldn’t help but note that Lykos had done well.
I cleared my throat. “You don’t have to sneak, you know.”
The door opened a little wider and footsteps followed. “Papa told me to go to my room.”
“And you always do what he says?”
She smiled, adoration for her dad stamped on her expression. “He rarely asks anything, so yes.”
I nodded.
She hesitated, and I realized how tight my shoulders were. I moved to soften my posture, making the space feel less clinical, less intimidating.
“Do you want to sit?” I asked, gesturing beside me.
She hovered, weighing the decision. It didn’t take her long, and with a stubborn tilt to her chin that reminded me so much of my sister, Lily, she crossed the room.
However, she took a seat on the armchair across from me, keeping a distance between us.
It hurt, but I shouldn’t have expected more. I was but a mere stranger to her.
Her light purple dress reached down to her knees and she crossed her legs, appearing calm. But her hands betrayed her. She picked at a loose thread, twisting it and untwisting it as she worried at her bottom lip.
“So you’re here for my mother,” she said.
I nodded once, although I wasn’t quite sure. “That’s right.”
“Can you cure her?” she asked, her voice trembling lightly. “It would be so nice to have a mom.” I stiffened, pain slashing through me. Unaware of the impact her words had, she continued, “Papa is great, and so is my brother, but I can’t talk to them about some things.”
“I haven’t met your mother yet, so I can’t say,” I said evenly. “And what things do you mean?”
Her lips pressed together. “Boys. Mean girls.”
“From school?”
“Yes.” Her shoulders slumped. “Sometimes I get so mad that I want to murder them.”
“Your papa and brother?”
She shook her head, her curls swaying.
“The kids.” She leaned forward, meeting my gaze. “Do you think I’ll end up like my mother? Crazy and wanting to kill everyone?” Her voice wavered. “I don’t want to be like that,” she whispered.
I wanted to pull her into a hug and protect her from the sharp edges of the world. But I knew that wouldn’t go well, so I settled for the pain of my nails digging into my palms, letting it ground me.
“You won’t turn into her,” I said gently.
Hope flickered in her eyes before extinguishing almost immediately.
“How do you know? It’s genetics.”
I leaned forward slightly, putting my hand on hers to calm her restless fingers. “You are not her and you will never be her.”
She frowned. “You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” I said calmly, although I couldn’t tell her how I knew it with such certainty.
I stuck to the facts that I’d learned and observed over the years.
“Yes, certain mental illnesses can be hereditary, but genetic predisposition is often combined with environmental factors,” I explained softly.
“You live in a loving home. Your papa and brother love you and cherish you. And if it comes to the point that you need someone else to talk to, I’m here as well. ”
I really hoped I would be here for the remainder of my life because now that I’d seen her and talked to her, I knew it would be impossible to walk away.
Aria searched my face. Her shoulders loosened slightly and she let out a relieved sigh. My conviction and facts must have assured her.
“I like you,” she decided. “A lot.”
My eyes burned and I blinked furiously, trying to keep my composure at bay.
“I like you too, Aria,” I rasped.
“Will you stay?” I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded. “You promise?”
I held her gaze. “I do.”