CHAPTER 18
The drive was silent.
None of us spoke.
We didn't have any reason too. He was lost in his thoughts and I was lost in mine. We were sitting together, were in the same space but miles apart. He had ghosts of his past chasing him and I had mine. Even though we knew each other but we had come to a point where we barely knew each other. As much as I wanted to meet him in the past few days, my thoughts about him were changing. Not that I hated him or anything, There was this gnawing feeling at the back of my head that wanted me to steer clear of his path.
Everything that had conspired in these few days had made me anxious. I was more on edge than before and after tonight's incident, I wasn't sure if I would be able to trust anyone. My step-uncle, even though we weren't blood related, he had raised me, he knew my mother, yet he still abandoned me like trash. I was nobody in his eyes, just a wealthy possession. As soon as he got the right amount, he discarded me. I was alone and I had no one to depend on. My hand subconsciously went to my necklace to seek some comfort as a lone tear escaped my eye. I didn't wanted to be weak but here I was again, crying because I didn't know what I wanted to do at this point.
All this time, I have been only getting mysteries and more mysteries, no answers at all. I always found myself amidst all this chaos and I had no way to get past it.
Maybe It would have been better, If I had just ran away. Why did I decide to go look for my past when I should have focused on my future? I should've ran away. I should've focused on getting away. I should've focused on myself. What was in my past couldn't be changed, then why did I chose that path. I sighed regretting everything!!
It was a twenty minute drive that gave me more than enough time to regret my choices and the decisions that I made. I sighed dejectedly.
What have I done?
" We are here" His voice brought me out of my mindless thinking and I sighed again. He was staring at me trying to figure something out.
I was also trying to figure out a lot of things that were now out of my control.
Ignoring him, I stepped out of the car and walked towards the front door which was now open. It was exactly the way it was when I was being dragged out of this place.
I stepped inside but the sight made my insides churn. I felt like vomiting and that's exactly what I did. The whole place was a gruesome mess. It was painted red. There was blood all over the place. There were hand marks that dragged along the walls painting a horrific scene that played in these halls. The table was broken in the middle as if somebody was thrown over it. Sofas were upside down and chair were smashed near the walls. The centerpiece was barely hanging through the ceiling.
What the hell happened here?
I looked around only to notice that Aehannik was standing at the door scrolling through his phone not being bothered by the situation at all. It was like this was nothing new to him, like he has been used to seeing this all the time. He was so carefree.. He didn't step inside at all. I, on the other hand, was worried about the entire situation.
I climbed up the staircase to my room and what I feared for had already happened. My room was indeed searched, I ran towards the spot that had my journals and to my dismay they were gone. I had no time to contemplate as I felt a creak from the wooden floor outside the door.
Was this Aehan? Did he follow me upstairs? I couldn't even feel El after our last conversation in the car. I had no support. I took a stick that was spilling from my bathroom's door just to be cautious and charged forwards on the intruder. I only met air...
Nothing...
I looked around but there was nothing. I had nothing else to take except for those journals and they weren't here.
I was lost without them.
Had I known this was going to happen... then what? Would I have been able to manage this... I was lost. The place gave me chills. Not wanting to spend another moment in this house, I walked down the stair contemplating whether I should take the back door or the front door.
At this point, I didn't know who was after me. I felt eyes on me but I definitely couldn't find the source no matter how hard I tried. One minute, he was helping me and the other not so much but for now he was my safest bet. I walked towards the door, walked past him and sat in his car.
There was no point fighting this, at least for now...
Aehannik just looked at me like I had grown two heads. I was being obedient, obviously he noticed. I just shrugged my shoulders not knowing what else to say. I was tired of this day and just wanted it to end.
Aehannik drove the car in silence and looked at me every once in a while. I just held my mother's pendant in my hand to seek comfort as I rolled down the window to breathe in the fresh air. I closed my eyes doing so remembering these past few days...
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A step...
Another...
I am floating..
huh!!
My eyes opened on their own accord with the rhythmic movement that I felt. Where was I? I lifted my head only to notice I was in his arms.
I WAS IN HIS ARMS!!!!
" What the hell are you doing?" I almost shouted at him as I tried to get out of his grasp that was too tight.
" What I've been doing all night, helping you obviously" He scoffed as he walked past the security.
"Let me go" I moved around only to be dumped on the ground, hard. The pain from before came in full force and I jolted from it.
" Heartless" I mumbled as I tried to gather myself up. He was the reason I was in this mess. If only I hadn't help him i-
" What did you say?" He asked me as he grabbed me from my other arm and pulled me close as soon as I got my footing right.. Man, I was a wreck..
"Nothing" I spoke as I looked down to avoid any confrontation at this point.
"That's what I thought." He grumbled ahgain as he freed me with slight force. What is this man?Mood swings!!! I shook my head as I sighed and limped after him. My ankle was in extreme pain because of his stupid ass and my right arm had already taken a fall.
He was walking too fast for my limping body to keep up. I limped as fast as I could but gave up trying, knowing there was no way I could match his pace. When he noticed, I wasn't exactly following him, he turned back.
" You can't even walk properly now" He walked towards me in full speed. In a swoosh, he lifted me in his arms. I tried to speak up, but he beat me to it..
" Not a word, faerelore, Not a word." He sped through the hallways and took us up the stairs on the second floor, past the chambers. He went into the same room where I was hiding when I first decided to come in this place. I could only focus on his face, the way his brows furrowed as he concentrated and the creases that draw on his forehead as he gets irritated. He was handsome.. I could watch him all day... Wait!! Was I bipolar???He had walked us up till the back of the room and was moving something around the wall. He looked frustrated.
" you can put me down you know" I mumbled. I felt bad for him and I didn't even know why...
" Hold tight" He sighed looking into my eyes as he adjusted me in his arms.The position was far from ideal. I was straddling him, our bodies pressed together intimately. I laced my arms around his neck, my legs holding onto the back of his thighs trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my ankle. His one arm still held my waist firmly. I could feel his heart beating in sync with mine. Our breaths mingled, his scent intoxicating—musky, masculine, and strangely comforting. Did he feel this too? I was nervous; was he too?
"How long?" I questioned trying to distract myself from this intense feeling that I was getting with this close proximity, whatever it was??
"A-almost done" His grip tightened around my waist as he cleared his throat and mumbled slowly. A minute later the door slid open so that's where he went that day.
He walked farther in the room, cradling me like a baby, still having no intention to put me on the ground.As he held me close, I couldn't help but wonder if this moment meant as much to him as it did to me.