Aaron didn't know what to say. "Did you think I couldn't protect myself ? Do I seem weak to you ? Answer me." "I'it's not that, Lily," he hesitated " I just didn't want him to upset you again." "I can handle it myself, Aaron. Do you see what you've done to him? What is he dies ? What if something serious happens to him ? What if he can't make it ?" "Nothing will happen to him, Clara, call the ambulance." Lily was still holding him by his collar and Aaron refused to free himself from her hold. "You shouldn't be caring about him, Lily. He had made you suffer a lot more than this." His eyes pierced into her's. His gaze never leaving her, he held her hands which were tugging at his collar. "He'll be alright, I promise." The tense air in the hospital lounge was stifling. The white walls, the faint smell of antiseptic, and the muffled sounds of hurried footsteps and distant monitors only amplified the unease that had settled among them. Lily was sitting on one of the plas
He had always prided himself on being in control, on knowing what to do in any situation. But now, he felt like a failure. He had tried to do the right thing and had only made things worse. The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Finally, Clara spoke again, her voice gentle but firm. “Lily, we can’t do this here. Zared’s in surgery, and we don’t know what’s going to happen. Let’s just focus on that for now.” Lily hesitated, her shoulders sagging as the fight drained out of her. She nodded reluctantly, brushing away her tears. Without another word, she turned and walked back to her seat, leaving Aaron standing there, his heart shattered into pieces. As he watched her go, Aaron felt a profound emptiness settle over him. He leaned against the wall, his head hanging low. The sting of her slap still lingered on his cheek, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his chest. Aaron barely registered the low hum of activity around him in the hospital corridor. The
He wanted to reach out, to stop her, to tell her that everything he had done was for her. But what was the point? She didn’t see him the way he saw her. She didn’t feel for him the way he felt for her. And that realization hurt more than anything else. For the first time Aaron Knight was lost. Zared’s eyes fluttered open after a few hours of Lily sitting on a chair beside his bed, the harsh fluorescent light above momentarily blinding him. He blinked a few times, his vision adjusting, and when he finally focused, his gaze landed on her. Lily was sitting in the chair beside his bed, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her caramel hair was slightly messy, strands falling over her face, and her hazel eyes were fixed on the ground, though her expression was unreadable. “Lily,” Zared uttered, his voice hoarse and weak. His lips curved into a small, relieved smile. “You’re here.” Lily shifted in her seat, sitting up straighter as she looked at him. “You’re awake,” she said
When the three of them returned home, the air in the house was heavy with unspoken words and lingering tension. Lily retreated to her bedroom immediately, her heart weighed down by guilt and confusion, she wanted to be in a close space rather than the chilly windy weather outside. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out the closed glass window, the weather was beautiful, it was the perfect proportion of a chilly night and a warm night, it wasn't very cold but also wasn't very warm. The sky looked beautiful, painted with all the stars, it was almost like the weather was mocking. She of the events of the day replaying in her mind like a relentless film reel. The image of Aaron’s face after she slapped him was burned into her memory. The shock, the hurt in his eyes-it had been unbearable to see. Lily groaned softly, burying her hands between her thighs. Maybe I went too far...she thought. Yes, it was Aaron’s fault that Zared ended up in the hospital. His anger had exploded, and
The breakfast table was unusually quiet as the three of them sat down, the clinking of cutlery and the birds' chirping filled the silence. Aaron, dressed sharply for the day, focused on his plate, eating with measured movements. Clara tried to lighten the mood with casual chatter, but Lily remained quiet, her gaze flickering toward Aaron nervously. As he finished his breakfast and pushed his chair back to stand, Lily took a deep breath, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. She should probably say something, she thought. For Aaron to not utter a word not even talk with Clara if not Lily, was something Lily didn't often notice "Aaron," she said softly. He paused, glancing at her briefly but not saying anything. "I just… I just wanted to say I’m sorry," Lily continued, her voice sincere but hesitant. "For what I did yesterday. I shouldn’t have—" “It’s okay,” Aaron interrupted, his tone nonchalant, as if brushing off an inconsequential matter. He didn’t even look
It wasn’t fair to anyone-especially not to him-to pretend those feelings didn’t exist. Even if they stayed just as friends for a while, the goal was never to just remain friends with her. So, he kept his distance. He busied himself with work, with errands, with anything that would keep his mind off her. He stayed out of the house as much as he could, avoiding those quiet moments when it was just the two of them and the tension between them grew too thick to ignore. She crossed her arms, refusing to back down despite the unreadable expression on his face. “Stop avoiding me.” Aaron’s brows furrowed, and he let out a low chuckle that held no humor. “Avoiding you? Why would I do that?” “I don’t know,” she said, her voice softer now. “You tell me. You’ve barely spoken to me for days. You won’t even stay in the same room as me for more than five minutes.” She shrugged. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossing over his chest in a defensive posture. “Maybe I’ve just bee
"Forget it," he said coldly. "It doesn’t matter." Lily stared at him, her anger faltering for just a second as his words hit her. The way he said it-like it did matter, but he didn’t want to admit it-made her chest tighten. She turned to go but this time Aaron's voice stopped her. "Just...don't think I dont care." "You don't, quit acting like you do." She turned away again, ready to storm off for good, but before she could take a single step, a warm, strong hand wrapped around her arm. The grip wasn’t rough, but firm enough to stop her in her tracks. In an instant, Aaron turned her back toward him, his movements swift yet controlled. Lily’s breath hitched as she found herself inches away from his face, his silver eyes piercing through her frustration. His touch sent a jolt through her, a mix of anger and something she couldn’t name. "I do care, Lily," Aaron said, his voice firm but laced with emotion. "Don't think for a second that I don't. And yes, I may have an ego, bu
She didn't want him to think that her desire to mend things with him was rooted in guilt or desperation but at the same time she felt telling him would be wrong. Aaron deserved the truth, didn’t he? The truth that her concern for Zared was just…human. You don’t just erase someone from your mind and heart overnight. Even when love fades, there’s still something left behind-a care, no matter how faint. That’s all it was now. But saying that aloud to Aaron felt complicated. What if he misunderstood her intentions? What if it made things worse instead of better? She wasn't ready for a new relationship, the thought made a picture in her head. Aaron and Lily sitting on a couch curled up in a blanket watching a rom-com, Aaron kissing her forehead time to time. She blinked her eyes rapidly in order to shake the picture out her mind. Should she tell him ? Should she not ? The thought of Aaron avoiding her forever and them being on the terms they were right now made her stomach churn i
There she was-sitting on the floor by the window, knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her caramel hair was unkempt, strands falling over her pale face. The moonlight washed over her frail figure, making her look even smaller, more fragile. “Lily…” Aaron’s voice was soft, cautious. She didn’t move, didn’t look at him. He stepped inside, his chest aching at the sight of her. Slowly, he lowered himself to sit beside her on the floor, his shoulder barely brushing hers. His heart ached, ached that the man who had caused her nothing but pain is still continuing to do it even after his death and Aaron couldn't do anything about it. “You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured, staring out at the same moonlit view she seemed fixated on. “But I’m here. I’ll always be here. I just want you to know." For a moment, it seemed like she might respond, her lips parting slightly, but then she closed them again, her gaze dropping to her knees, it made Aaron tak
He couldn’t shake the feeling, couldn’t silence the voice in the back of his mind screaming that Zared wasn’t gone. Zared was sharp, calculating, a man who wouldn’t fall so easily. But Aaron had no proof, no real reason to believe it-only a gnawing instinct buried deep in his chest. "He’s alive," the thought whispered again. But Aaron forced the thought away, shaking his head slightly before turning his attention back to Lily. She was still sitting there, small and fragile in the dim light, and he realized she needed comfort more than he needed answers to the questions clawing at his mind. “Hey,” he said softly, nudging her knee with his. “How about some hot chocolate? It won’t fix everything, but it might make this night feel a little less heavy.” Lily looked up at him, a ghost of a smile flickering across her lips for the first time that night. “Sure, thanks.” Aaron stood, his movements careful as if not to disturb the fragile calm that had settled between them. A few
For one fleeting moment, Lily felt him there-with her, surrounding her, a warmth that would linger in her heart long after she walked away from his home for the last time. "Oh, what have you done Zared." She said aloud. "Why did you have to do it, it was all your fault for turning your fate, why make me suffer by doing this." She sat on the couch with her head in her hands. Clara's home was dim when Lily returned, the faint glow of a lamp spilling light into the hallway. Her steps were slow, almost hesitant, as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Aaron was pacing near the window, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, while Clara sat curled on the edge of the couch, her head snapping up the moment the door creaked. “Lily!” Aaron’s voice cut through the silence as he rushed towards her. “Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?” Clara stood, her eyes wide with concern. “You didn’t answer your phone. We thought… we thought something happ
The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second stretching longer than the last. Clara sat on the couch, clutching her phone tightly in her hands, her thumbs hovering over the screen as if another call might suddenly bring an answer. “Aaron…” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “It’s been hours. She’s not picking up. Where could she have gone?” Aaron stood by the window, his back to her, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. His phone was already gripped in his palm, the screen blank after too many unanswered calls. “She wouldn’t just disappear like this,” he said, his voice sharp, his frustration barely contained. “Not without telling someone. Not after everything that’s happened.” Clara’s eyes shone with worry as she whispered, “What if something happened to her, Aaron?” Aaron turned, his expression softer now as he looked at her. “Don’t think like that. She’s okay. She has to be.” But even as he said the words, doubt gnawed at him. Without another word, Aaro
Lily hesitated but eventually said, "Did you see how he did it?" She looked up at Aaron. "Did you see how he was found ? Laurent, the pictures on the news, they were so disgusting, he had...you must've seen." "I did." Aaron noticed the disgusted look on her face. He once again recalled how he had done it. How he had screamed like the goat when it is sacrificed, how his eyes went rolling behind showing only the white part. How he had joined his fingerless hands in front of him in order to be forgiven. "Maybe he deserved it...Zared, for what he did, Karma, they say?" She asked. Aaron nodded in response but remained silent. He knew he was betraying her, betraying her trust, taking advantage of the situation she was in, the trust she had at this vulnerable stage of her life. In the quiet of the room, Aaron’s guilt festered, hidden beneath the surface. Lily didn’t need to know the truth-not tonight, and maybe not ever. But that was for him to decide after. Aaron's mind was in t
His hand moved to the doorknob, twisting it slowly until the latch clicked open instead of knocking in case she was asleep. Peeking inside, he expected to see her resting, maybe curled up in the blankets. Instead, he found her awake, sitting stiffly on the edge of her bed. The moonlight cast a silvery glow across her features, making her appear ethereal and distant. She was staring out the window, her expression blank yet hauntingly sad, as though she were lost in a memory she couldn’t escape. She didn't deserve this, didn't deserve such a tragedy, she was way too nice for this world, for Zared. He didn't deserve her agony, her tears, her sleepless nights. Aaron hesitated again but finally stepped inside, giving a soft knock on the door to announce himself. The sound made her blink, breaking her trance. She glanced at him, her gaze piercing for the briefest second before it dulled again, returning to the view outside the window. Without waiting for an invitation, Aaron move
Lily didn’t respond to Clara. She stared out the window, her mind replaying every second she’d spent with Zared, searching for answers that would probably never come. She thought about what thoughts must have consumed Zared when he decided to end his life. Was he thinking about her? Was he blaming her? Was he guilty of what he did? Or he just couldn't bear the thought of her leaving him? But again, why would she hold so much importance in his life for him to give it all up. His family, the company, his friends-though Lily knew none. Maybe it was a punishment? From god ? Maybe he wanted Zared to die in exchange of Laurent, maybe because he killed him? Maybe this was his revenge? She shook her head shooing all the thoughts away. The three of them were now back at Clara's house, the silence was comfortable, no one wanted to talk, Aaron, however wanted to comfort Lily, make her believe that it wasn't her fault. He knew she must be blaming herself, she was the last person to t
Lily, Aaron, and Clara walked briskly down the sterile, cold hallways of the hospital, their footsteps echoing, at the end of the corridor, where Zared’s parents and Aaron’s parents were standing together, faces etched with grief. The moment they approached, Lily saw Zared’s mother, her tear-streaked face crumpling further. “He’s already been moved,” Zared’s father said, his voice hoarse. “To the freezer. They’re preparing him for the funeral.” Lily froze mid-step, her heart sinking. She hadn’t realized how desperately she’d wanted to see him one last time. Her lips parted, but no words came out. “Why so soon?” Aaron asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “It’s the procedure,” Aaron’s father said, his voice heavy. “Once the body is declared and cleared, there’s no waiting.” Lily clenched her fists at her sides, overwhelmed by a mixture of grief and frustration. The chance to say goodbye was ripped away. All she had now were the memories-and the haunting, unanswered qu
A single tear rolling down his cheek before he collapsed back onto the bed, lifeless. "No,no,no,no." The news anchor’s voice filled the silence. “Zared Williams, known for his innovative contributions to technology and his efforts towards hi company, was pronounced dead at 10:47 p.m. Doctors have confirmed that his death was caused by the disconnection of critical life-support machines. Despite being close to a full recovery, it appears Mr. Williams made the decision to end his life. What the doctors are calling an apparent suicide." Tears welled in Lily’s eyes as her chest tightened painfully. She turned to Clara, who was still frozen in place, her hand trembling against her lips. “This…this isn’t real,” Lily murmured, shaking her head as if trying to wake herself from a nightmare. “It can’t be.” Clara finally looked at her, her eyes glistening with tears. “It is, Lily,” she whispered. “He’s…he’s gone.” Lily stumbled back, her legs weak beneath her. The weight of the news c