Rain

The rain was pouring intensely that night when Ava heard a loud knock on her door. She rested her book right next to her cup of tea on the coffee table and got up from her rocking chair.

Ava hurriedly put on her robe as the knock got louder and more aggressive. She then rushed to her front door and peeped into the spy hole. At that moment, tears fell from her eyes as her hands trembled to get the door open.

"Rake, what are you doing here?" Ava softly said, yet there was anger in her tone.

She stood at the opened door, staring at a man that had left her broken for so many years, and finally, when she came to accept the fact that he was never coming back, here he is, standing in front of her house soaking wet in the rain.

"I need your help. Your house will be the last place that they will ever think about looking for me at, so please help me." Rake said with his hand pressed against his side.

"Who's they? What have you gotten yourself into, Rake?" Ava worriedly asked.

But when she looked at his side, and her eyes caught a red liquid dripping on the ground, Ava decided to keep the questions for later.

"Come in." She softly said as she folded her arms and stepped to the side.

Rake gave her a soft smile before walking into the house. Ava then took a deep breath and shut the door.

"Wow, this place still looks the same." Rake mumbled as he stared around the living room.

"You don't get to do that!" Ava coldly said with wet eyes.

Rake did not reply as he stared at Ava's angry expression since he knew that whatever he said would only make the matter worse.

"Is that a bullet wound?" Ava asked out of concern as she stared at Rake's side.

"It's just a wound. I will be fine." Rake said.

Ava frowned at Rake's remark. She could not believe how clueless and heartless he could be.

"That's good then! Because not everyone is fine after badly getting wounded." Ava stated.

"Ava, listen. I am..." Rake tried to say, but his words got cut short.

"No, you listen here! You don't get to walk back into my life after years have passed and pretend as if nothing had happened between us."

"I understand that. But there's so much that you don't know."

Ava was in a state of rage at this point. She did not want to pretend as though she was fine and happy in the way she had been doing with her friends and family over the years. All Ava wanted to do was yell out all the rage and hurt she felt inside her heart.

"Haha! What could that be then? Was it so important for you to leave me on the day of our engagement party and vanish without a trace!" Ava screamed.

"Yes, it was." Rake said as he stared at the ring on Ava's finger.

The living room was quiet for a while, and only the melody of the rushing rain could get heard throughout the house.

"I will get the First Aid kit." Ava mumbled while fighting back her tears.

Without looking back, she walked out of the living room and headed upstairs to her room.

"I am sorry, Ava. But my life is too dangerous for you to be a part of. I was naïve back then to think I could keep you with all the danger surrounding my life. It's best that you hate me then to get hurt because of me." Rake mumbled as he removed the bloody shirt from his body.

Ava angrily opened her drawer and took out the first aid kit. She turned around to leave the room, but then dropped to her knees and bitterly sobbed.

"How can he still have this much effect on me? It's been so many years already. I should be over him by now. But why isn't it so?" Ava mumbled with an aching heart.

After some minutes had passed, Rake got worried that Ava was not down with the kit yet. Therefore, he went upstairs to check on her.

When Rake arrived at Ava's room door and overheard her soft cry, he rested his hand against the wooden frame and listened as his heart hurt.

"Ava, are you okay?" Rake called when he could not hear her sobbing anymore.

"No, I'm not." Ava harshly said.

"Can I come in?"

"If you want to do so."

Rake pushed the door open and entered the room. At that moment, he saw Ava on the floor with her head bent against her knee. With his eyes fixed on her, Rake slowly walked over to Ava and squatted in front of her.

"I am sorry. I know saying this does not make up for what I did to you or the pain I have caused, but I really am sorry." Rake softly said.

"Then why did you leave if you knew that it was going to hurt me?" Ava asked as she lifted her head and gazed at him.

"I can't say." Rake honestly answered while staring deep into her eyes.

Ava knew that he wasn't lying to her, and that caused her to be more curious about the reason he left her.

"Did you even love me?" Ava asked with concern in her eyes.

"I am bleeding. I don't think this is the right time for childish questions." Rake said.

He grabbed the first aid kit and headed into the bathroom, leaving Ava speechless and more hurt.

A minute later, after Rake had patched up his wound and bandaged it, he came out of the bathroom.

"Here your pillow and comforter. You can sleep on the couch for tonight, then I want you out of my house by tomorrow morning." Ava coldly said.

"Are you being serious right now?" Rake asked out of shock.

"Yes, I am."

"Fine."

Rake took the pillow and comforter from Ava's hands. He then walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"It's okay, Av. You have been doing great without him, and you don't need him now." Ava mumbled to herself, yet she was not confident about her words.

The moment Rake threw the stuff on the sofa, his phone started ringing in his trouser's pocket.

"Hello, boss." Rake said after he answered the call.

"Did you get the target?" A rough and cold manly voice harshly flowed into Rake's ears.

"No, boss. The mission was a bust. Someone tipped off the target, and he got prepared for my attack. I was lucky to get out of there with only a bullet wound?."

"Excuses! I need the job done tomorrow, or else a bullet wound will be the last thing you have to worry about."

"Yes, boss."

After the call ended, Rake tossed his phone onto the couch. He then sat down and covered his face with both his hands.

"By tomorrow, I will be gone, and you won't have to see or experience the other side of my double life." Rake mumbled out of frustration as he relaxed on the couch.