Aria's pov;
I hissed in pain as a cotton pad of alcohol brushed over the newly traced scar over the skin of my neck, a jolt of pain moving through my entire body. I sat on the back of an ambulance, my feet tangling together and my gaze intensely on the scene around me. Dozens of people were carried out of the tall, three story building, most of them alive or slightly injured, but the sight of those who had lost their lives fighting for justice or injustice, haunted my brain.
Images of my own body being carried downs the stairs, by Harry's large and warm embrace, lightened my mood a tad bit, until the feeling of uncertainty crawled back into the back of my mind, as I remembered the way he accused me of cruel actions only the day before this one. My gaze flitted next to me, to meet Harry's green irises, as he watched me, his eyebrows pulled low in concentration.
"How do you feel?" He asked me, his voice low and deep in concern.
"Slightly dizzy. But I'll be fine" I said. It was no surprise I was going to feel lightheaded after taking a hit to the head, which caused some blood to flow out and after more damage done to my skin. The amount of blood I've lost in the last couple of weeks, has been terribly much, but it was the least I cared about. All I cared about was one thing; We have nearly won this fight.
Harry had managed to walk out of the building with only busted knuckles from fighting, matching my own from when I hit Emily earlier. I could not wrap it around my head that he managed to find the strength and shoot Emily, the girl he once thought he would marry, to save me from getting my throat sliced. Herself- Emily- had gone to the hospital now for her injury, but after that, she would surely be locked in until the police called us to testify in court.
"God, Aria... I lost it when you passed out in my arms" He said, reaching out for my hand, to pull it underneath his, his fingers intertwining with my own. His small gesture of affection warmed my heart and it fluttered in my chest.
"It was just from the blood loss. You should have known, you've been fighting for five years and your own sister is a doctor" I teased him, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips.
"You think I could think straight seeing you like that?" He asked me, still uneasy by the thought.
I decided against talking this time, the only thing I wanted to say being an insult of some sort, cursing him out that he wouldn't care, because he previously thought of me badly. The fact that he answered my call so quickly and risked to be here when I only asked him to call the police, showed me that he has surely changed his mind, but anger was still searing in me from the day of the event in this exact building, when he saw Emily was alive.
My eyes widened and a tight knot appeared in my stomach as I saw my dad approach my way. I have no idea how he got here and how he found out where I was and what happened, but something told me it had to do with his friend, Mr. Barton.
"Aria, honey, oh god" He said, pulling me in for a hug, his embrace tight around my petite body. I hugged him back, as he let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Dad" I breathed. "What are you doing here?"
"I got a call. I was in New York to see you and right before I reached your apartment, Matthew called. He told me what happened, I came right away. Are you okay? You're hurt, sweetheart, why-"
"Dad, dad! I'm okay" I laughed half hearted. The scar on my neck was now bandaged up and my head was completely cleared of any blood residue from the hit I received. I was lucky no piece of glass from the damn lamp Emily hit me with, was stuck on my head or even was pushed further to cause any serious damage. I was sure after that, that there was no sight of humanity and sanity left in her head.
Although he was seeing my newly done injuries, he hasn't seen the one on my thigh from ever since I got shot and I didn't intend on telling him. I know he will insist on coming to court but that will only reveal my more serious injury to him. Although completely healed, he will still be worried sick about me if he finds out and push back his work schedule, which I didn't want to happen. I realized in this moment, there was somebody else who didn't really know about me getting shot; Harry. All he knew was that one day, I bled out from that spot, but I completely shut him off about it after that.
"Are you sure?" He asked, searching in my eyes for confirmation.
"Yes, I am sure" I reassured him.
He nodded and his eyes traveled to the person next to me, holding my hand securely into his. "Son. I remember you. You once saved my daughter on Christmas, right?"
Harry smiled politely and shook his head. "She fought for herself, I did nothing"
"Always so humble, huh?" I looked at him, raising a brow. "He did, dad. And he called the police today and carried me down here after I had been injured. If it wasn't for him... I don't know what would have happened up there" I said, biting my lip. I had to give him credit for that. He listened to what I told him. He called the police for me, he run up to find me when he saw I had been up there for way too long. He did save me.
"Aria... You were strong, you-"
"Harry. Stop it" I squeezed his hand and my dad saw our little exchange.
"Thank you, for doing all that and saving my daughter. I wouldn't live without her" My dad said. "Mr. Barton wants to speak to me, is it okay if I go there for a little? Do you need any help from me, do you really feel okay?"
"Yes, of course. Go" I smiled. He nodded and kissed my temple.
A pang of guilt hit me and I sucked in a shaky breath. I hate that I have made my dad feel this way, that he could have lost me too, just like he did with my mother. I hate that I put myself in such danger and risked my life, when I knew he would be left alone if anything happened to me, that would be worse than this. I did it all for one purpose. To keep Harry alive. Selfishly of me, I don't regret it, because he's right there next to me, holding my hand. Alive, breathing.
"Hey" He said, stealing my attention. "I know what you're thinking. This could in no way be your fault. I don't know the whole story but... Josh is the one to blame. Josh and... Emily. Okay? You shouldn't blame yourself for something you can't control entirely" He said.
"Exactly. I can't control it entirely, which means I could somehow control it and not let this happen. If it wasn't for our visit to your apartment yesterday, these people wouldn't have died, Harry. None of them deserved it and it's my fault" I said, shaking my head.
"Aria..." He said, slowly. "Listen to me, okay? You didn't cause this. You are not responsible for these deaths, none of them. Don't put such weight on your shoulders. If someone should be blamed, it should be me. I'm the one that... That blamed you and got Emily so mad" He said, his gaze dropping from mine to fall on the ground.
"Then it's both of us. You can't just come here and tell me it's not my fault, but it's yours, Harry. We will do this together" I said.
He smiled lightly and brought my knuckles to his lips, kissing them softly, his warm touch lingering on them for a second before he let my hand go.
"I was wrong. I know and I-"
"Not now. Okay? Maybe after... The trial. I don't think I'm ready to do this yet. I still have a lot to think of and I need you to give me some time and space" I said. My heart throbbed in my chest and it could surely burst out any minute now.
Harry's lips parted, ready to respond, when a pair of people run up to us, cutting him off. I felt a wave of relief wash through me, afraid of what Harry could possibly respond to my plea of space, that could make me ache more than I already do.
"Ari! Jesus, you look like a mess" Jayleen said, taking me in for a hug.
"Always a little too honest, aren't you Jay?" I asked her, laughing.
"No, no, you look gorgeous. I mean, you're hurt" She said, pulling away.
"Way to save yourself" Daniel chuckled, next to her.
I smiled at them both for coming and Daniel hugged me after as well.
"You're okay?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah. Just fine" I said.
I raised a brow at the two of them as they scowled at Harry, when they saw he was right next to me, holding my hand. Still, I haven't pulled away from his small gesture. It was too nice and comforting to do so.
"What?" I asked them.
"Hey" Harry told them, his voice low, as he scratched his neck awkwardly.
"We're not talking to him" Daniel said.
"Oh" Harry said.
"That's what you get for not believing our friend" Jayleen said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
I rolled my eyes at them and chuckled. "Well, if you want to know, he ended this all. He helped. He called the police and got me out alive" I said.
"And you just talked to me only by telling me you're not talking to me" Harry smiled playfully.
"Oh shut up" Jayleen said, frowning in defeat.
I let out a small laugh and savored the moment. It would take a while for us to be normal again, all of us as a group and individually. I traced my thumb over Harry's palm, his skin soft underneath my fingertips and craved to feel more, but chose otherwise. If I rush things, my thoughts will be clouded and it will give me no clear vision of what I have to do.
Mr. Barton came up to us, giving us a small smile before speaking up, his tone indicating authority. "You should go up and collect your items, since the building will be under investigation, dear. Get some help from your friends, don't pressure yourself any further, you have done enough. The trial will be schedule, I talked with the team and if all goes well, it will be scheduled for next Saturday" He said, leaving us all alone once more.
"Wait... Isn't graduation next Saturday?" Harry asked.
"Great" I said, sarcastically. "Way for Stone to always seem to ruin good things. It's as if he knew and asked for the trial to be then"
"Just think that you'll be graduating and winning a trial all at the same day. It's a double win" Jayleen said.
She was right, I can't deny that. But I'm not looking forward to those days at all.
A few days later, about a couple before the big day, I met up with my dad and spoke about the graduation and the trial. I explained to him a few things about the whole situation I was in and what went on, besides some very bad details- like me getting shot-, because I don't want him to get more worried than he already is. He got the whole idea of what happened and he agreed with me that he doesn't attend the trial. At the end of the day, he has nothing to do with it and he is a busy man, he should focus on his work and not worry. It's all over, it's all ending really soon. Not just for me, but for Harry.
I'm so happy that he will finally have his own freedom as a person. He will do whatever he wants without the fear, he will be able to love, he will be able to work on his music, do shows, just be... carefree for once. I'm sure he's still shocked with the whole Emily situation and I'm also sure he might be spending some time with her over these days, they have a lot of talking to do. I don't have the right to be jealous about this and nevertheless I want my own space and time to think about how I feel about him and what is going on between us, if anything at the moment. All I know is that I love him and I can't change it now.
I put a nice dress on for my graduation day and prepared for what was going to take place next. I have made a really big decision and I can't tell if I am more excited or nervous about it. I'm not going to inform anybody about this. I want them all to forget about me a little, focus on themselves. But pretty soon, I will need to help Jayleen plan her wedding. I still cannot believe my best friend is getting married on the age of 24. I might be against getting married on that age, but for her I think it is ideal and I believe she can make it work. She's practically made to be married to Derek.
Daniel and I arranged to go to graduation together with his car. I am pleased that we remain good friends and haven't complicated things or have been awkward after all that has happened with us. He's such a good person and I am glad that he's in my life right now.
"Nervous?" He asked me, as he drove to the venue the graduation was taking place.
"About which part of our day, exactly?" I asked him.
"Everything, in general" He said.
"I'm just exhausted already. I can't wait for this to be over, really" I said. He nodded and let out a breath. He was unusually quiet, he's always bubbly, teasing me and making all sorts of jokes, but today he was the complete opposite. "Anything wrong?"
"No, why?" He asked.
"Just thought it was. Is your girlfriend coming? I can't wait to meet her" I smiled.
He parted his lips to speak but sealed them shut again and shook his head. "She's not, no. She's not my uh my girlfriend anymore, I guess" He shrugged.
"Oh. You broke up? But I thought everything was going great?" I asked him, furrowing my eyebrows together in confusion.
"It was. We didn't exactly broke up, we're on a break, giving each other time. Sort of what you and Harry are doing" He said.
"Okay, Harry and I were never in a real relationship. A week is not considered a relationship, it's just dating. Anyway, doesn't matter. I'm so sorry, Dan. I really hope you talk it through, you seem so happy whenever you talk about her and how you feel. I know you feel a lot for her and I hope she sees it" I said and smiled at him, patting his shoulder.
"Aw, thank you Ari, my future business partner" He smirked.
I giggled lightly at his remark and got my seatbelt off as Daniel had just parked at the parking of the venue. I was excited for us to work together as photographers, as artists. I knew he was good, I have seen his work and it's not the first time we work together on something.
My heart throbbed in my chest as we got closer and closer to our friends, including Harry. I feel nervous for some odd reason, to see him after so long. Maybe it's because of my decision, maybe I'm scared to be hiding something so big from him that is making me feep this way. It is not the first time I have a big secret behind his back, but this time it is different. When he finds out, it will break his heart. He'll try to change it, I know it, but I won't let him. It's what's best for both him and I, and I am sure he will understand that after some time.
I smiled at my friends as I waved at them and avoided any eye contact with Harry. How can I look at him when I know I'm going to be lying to him all day?
"Hey, are you okay?" He caught my attention. Without looking, I nodded and bit my lip. "Uh... It's been a while, but I didn't think you would ignore me like that"
"I'm just trying to concentrate. I want today to be happy" I said, finally giving in and connecting our gazes.
"It won't be happy for you if we talk? Wow" He said.
"That's not what I mean. There's a lot in my head today. I rather keep it as professional as I can" I gave him a weak smile and he nodded, sighing loudly.
"As you please"
The rest of the graduation, went by as expected. When we all got our diplomas, we took our hats off and threw them in the air, cheering. With no warning, Harry picked me up and hugged me tight, whispering in my ear. "I'm so proud of you"
He let me down, but his arms were still looped around my waist. I looked up at his crystal clear green eyes and felt magnetised. "Harry..."
He frowned and nodded. "Professionalism. I know" He said. "This is some sort of deja vu, isn't it? Just like the day of the interview, we have to be as distant as possible. But this time, I don't know why the hell we need to be like that"
"Harry I-"
"Aria, please. I need you. Don't you understand?" He asked, his eyes full of despair. He didn't seem to me as if he was in the right state of mind. I don't know why he's so emotional. I have a weird feeling that he knows I am about to do something that is going to break his heart, he always knows me too well. I'm aching to see him like this.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Daniel, thankfully interrupted our moment. "We need to get to court, Ari, come on. You too Harry, we're going to be late"
I nodded and pulled away from Harry's arms. "I'm sorry" I said as I began to follow Daniel outside. This was real. The moment we stepped into his car again and he started driving to our designated destination, I knew it was really happening and I needed to be prepared. I am doing this only for Harry. If only he knew how much I want this to end, so that he can finally be his own independent person, just like he always wanted, but never couldn't.
At the back of my mind, I felt bad for him. This was probably going to be the last day for a while that he will see Emily. The love of his life, or at least the former love of his life. I'm not sure about his feelings now. Will he visit her when she's in prison? Will he want to take care of her, make phone calls to talk to her? It's not easy for him to have her back after knowing she was dead for two whole years and have to be separated from her again. I don't expect him to sane so soon, to understand who she really is right away. I know he's still in shock that she is alive, and even if he did save me from her, his thoughts are probably clouded and confused. If she's still what he needs, I'll let it be. I would do anything to see him smile again.
I stood in front of the large building, my jaw clenched and my nerves skyrocketing. "Ready?" Daniel asked me.
"As ready as can be"
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-Eva. xx