Don't look back.

Chapter 15

Arylan looked through her old books clearing them out, and making room for her new internship. On her way back from the trash can she found an old letter laying on the floor. The letter was meant for her.

She rushed back to her room opening it, the photo on the inside of it, confused her. Two adults and two kids, the kid looked like the one from her dreams as well as the man beside the woman.

She set the photo down on the closest beside her bed as she continued to look through her stuff, she then found a medical record with her name on it, the record for a drug and car incident, with a throb in her head she saw the white van run over her body over and over again. After shaking her head a few times and grabbing a pain killer for the headache she had she rushed over to the bathroom splashing water all over her face.

Terrified at the vision she had, she found herself breathing heavily.

Uncle Tim knocked on the door, grandmother wasn’t home on that day. Ignoring the man at the door she contained to look through everything that was in her room searching for more, she then rushed over to grandmother Biels room messing up the place, she needed to know who those people were, she needed to know who was the girl in her dreams and she needed to know what was going on. She found the rest of the medical report from a few years back “Permanent amnesia” written on the records of a car incident, she fell to the ground slowly catching herself, “Amnesia” she kept on reading it to herself,

Grandmother walked into the room, her clothing scattered all over the place…Arylan stood up standing in front of her, her face sulked at the sight of the document sitting in her hand.

“ I can explain, ” grandmother says walking towards her.

“ How could you hide something so important about me, from me for so long!”

“ it’s not like I had a choice Arylan. Even if we told you what happened it would’ve been useless painful information that you have zero memory to back up.”

“is that how pathetic you guys see me? I think over time if I were told. I would’ve known by now that I am actually apart of something big.”

“ Arylan I..”

“so don’t explain, I’ll find out on my own from now on, ” she says leaving the room.

Grandmother began picking up everything thrown on the floor as she held onto the photo of her son, “ I failed to protect her to…”

Arylan rushing over to uncle Tim's house barged in, finding her grandfather seated there as well, she sat there looking at the both of them as they waited for grandmother to arrive.

“ who’s going to start?” Arylan asks handing the photo and record to them

“ Tim don’t you dare, ” grandmother says threatening him.

“I warned you, Beil, she wants answers.”

“ Biel, you haven’t told her yet, ”Abdullah says looking at the photo of his son.

The room suddenly felt cold.

“ im not leaving till I get answers…” Arylan said folding her arms.

“ you’ll be waiting a long time than…” grandmother said leaving.

Tim and Abdullah did the same.

“ can you believe it, ” she says yelling at them

****

“the worst part is that they don’t feel guilty at all," she says turning towards Aiden.

“ im sure that isn’t the case Arylan, ”Aiden said as they continued to walk home, Arylan stood at the edge of a bridge looking towards him.

“what's the point of living, if I can’t remember…”

Slowly she began moving forward…as she yeard for peace

With Aiden pulling her towards him, she broke down in his arms. “ don’t be like this, ” he says gently holding her, “you’ll find out soon, everything will be okay.”

Aiden called grandmother reassuring her of Arylans safety.

The night went on, and Arylan found her self awake on her couch at home…she rushed over to work as she was already late, social worker…something similar to a therapist and psychologist…just less complicated and easier, she completely willingly gave her heart out to her work.

“ Aiden can we meet tonight?” she said over the phone before dropping the call

She prepared a gift for him after work, as a token of her apology. She was embarrassed beyond anything about her behavior on that day.

She slides the box over to him looking away.

“What's this, ” he asks trying to make eye contact.

“Just a little token of my appreciation…im sorry about last night.”

“Why are you apologizing?” he asks smiling, “ are you forgetting that I’ve done worse. Remember when I got drunk and puked all over you.”

“ I told you not to go to that party,” she said bursting out into laughter.

The night went on with memories being shared, as well as good food being spared.

*

“ what happened, ” she asked shaking his head that was laid flat onto his desk.

“ Father said he won't be able to come for my birthday again.”

“A real scumbag, ” young Arylan said before sliding a bar of chocolate into his hand, “ I’ll be your partner at your party Eric don’t worry. And in the future, I’ll be the one beside you as well.”

His face lit up as he ate the chocolate nodding in satisfaction.

Eric sat in his big office with his mind flipping through all the memories he shared with Arylan. Was betraying her for his father's approval really worth it? She was his only support system growing up.

“ You thought I forgot Surprise!” Arylan said hopping into his office with the lights switched off...

The only light in the room was that of the candles placed onto the cake, suddenly the office was filled with laughter and joy. She placed the cake on his desk before making him make a wish…once the candles were blown Aiden turned the lights on…placing the home-cooked food onto the table.

“ Just because you’re a busy man who chooses to ignore my messages, doesn’t mean I’ll break any of my promises, ”Arylan said messing his face with cake… “To me, you’ll always be the rebellious cry baby,”

He rushed over to their side chasing the both of them with cake before they sat and ate the food bought over.

“ was he really a cry baby?” Aiden asked smirking at him

“Don’t get me started there was this particular incident in grade 6,” Eric shoved a chicken leg into her mouth

“spare me the embarrassment please, ” she took a bite from the leg.

“ bribe accepted, I’ll tell you some other time Aiden.”

But was it enough to convince him not to do it?

“Arylan, ” Aiden called out to her on their way home, “ Arylan, I…I like you!” he yelled.

Her attention turned towards him as Eric stood there uncomfortably…