chapter twelve: reminiscence... amongst other things

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DEDICATED TO ReedXD1


Keon got to know Aria's parents on a deeper level after Hunter's death. He went to see them at least twice a week and made sure to give them some much needed emotional support. They always did their best to carry on with their lives as normally as they could; however, their hearts were clearly broken beyond repair.

The weeks that went by certainly sucked. One of the things that broke Keon's heart the most was seeing how much Aria had changed after Hunter's death. Of course, it's expected that she wouldn't be as happy as she used to be after losing her brother, but it still hurt a lot to see her like this; and he missed seeing her real smile. However, he didn't mind that she had much less energy or willpower to do things, or that her personality had changed; there was absolutely nothing that could make Keon stop loving Aria. Even if she would never be the same, he was still smitten with her, and was willing to do anything to rekindle her spirits.

About two months after the tragedy, he decided to take her to watch the sunset at the Surfside beach; the place where they met for the second time, and also, the place where Keon met Hunter.

"I love this place," Aria mentioned. "I've made many unforgettable memories over here."

"I love this place too," he embraced her, nuzzling her neck.

"Hunter and I used to come here almost every week. This is where we began to have a close bond. The two of us loved coming to the beach..."

"Whoever doesn't love the beach is crazy."

"Yeah," she smiled.

"Ooh, made ya smile," he bumped her nose.

"You did... thank you for that, Keon."

"You don't have to thank me. You know that one of the things I love the most is seeing your smile, angel."

"I love that you always find a way to make me smile, even if it's just for a moment," Aria held Keon's hand, stroking it slowly with her fingers. "Believe it or not, it helps keep me sane."

"I love making you happy," he replied. "And I love you."

"Keon, how..." she released his hand, looking him in the eyes. "How can you still love me so much? I'm always sad, moping around... babe, I'm not the cheerful girl you used to know anymore. You know well that my mental health is all over the place, yet you chose to love me either way. How do you manage to do that, knowing how much I've changed?"

"Because there's nothing that can make me stop loving you, precious. I don't mind at all that you're not the person you once were, because being with you is the best decision I've made in my life," Keon kissed her hand. "I love you, Aria. You're my everything."

"I..." Aria smiled, holding back her tears. "I love you too, my bear... I love you more than words can ever describe. You're the light of my life."

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?" he looked into her eyes.

She smiled weakly and nodded before beginning to sob, after which Keon embraced her tightly. "It's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to be strong all the time," he whispered into her ear. "You're already one of the strongest people I know."

"Thanks, bear," Aria spoke, letting him go. "Ever since we lost Hunter I've been putting up an act at home so that my parents don't have to worry about me. I hide my pain for my parents' sake. For everyone's sake, in fact. I don't want people to know how weak I actually am. You're the only one that knows how hard it is for me to get out of bed. How hard it is for me to smile and laugh with my friends as if nothing happened. How hard it is for me to be..." she swallowed hard, her eyes puddling with tears as her voice trailed off. "Strong."

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