radicalducati Time To Live Together
Time To Live Together
Athena
"Aaron." His name slipped from my lips as I watched him, standing a few feet away, leaning against the bonnet of his car with his hands tucked in his pockets, his impatient eyes scanning the surroundings until they landed on me, and then at the man standing beside me, my mate.
His presence had ignited a spark of tension between us that threatened to escalate into a full-blown confrontation. The way he leaned against his car with an air of confident impatience made it clear that he wasn't about to back down.
But amidst the chaos, I couldn't help but wonder if Aaron's return was a sign of unfinished business.
"This piece of—" As Sebastian's anger flared, I felt a surge of fear and desperation to defuse the situation.
"Sebastian, don't," I intervened, grasping his hand before he could react.
"Athena..."
"Please, Aaron's a friend and has helped me a lot. It does not have to end on a bad note," I said, "Let me just talk to him, okay?"
I could see Sebastian's reluctance, but I knew it stemmed from a place of insecurity that was understandable given the current situation. He was aware of his mistakes, and that was the scary part - where all his doubts and insecurities came from.
"Okay," He nodded, "I'll go and take care of the formalities with the manager."
Sebastian's retreating form couldn't mask the animosity in his eyes, which bore into Aaron with chilling intensity, sending a clear message: Stay away.
Summoning my courage, I approached Aaron. His expression revealed that he had already anticipated my decision.
"Hey," I said, the words feeling awkward in my mouth.
"So, you have made up your mind?" he asked with a bitter chuckle.
"Aaron, Sebastian is my mate," I said with a sigh, my voice softening as I implored him to understand.
"And I am just a stranger." His eyes filled with a sadness that pierced my heart.
"No, Aaron, you are not just a stranger," I hurriedly added, taking a step closer to him. "You mean so much to me, more than you could ever know. After Sebastian, you are the only person in this world who matters to me."
"No, Aaron. It's not like that," I hurriedly added, stepping close to him, "You are not just a stranger. You mean a lot to me, trust me. After Sebastian, you are the only person in this world who matters so much to me."
"And I'll always come after Sebastian, won't I?" he replied, a wistful smile playing at the corners of his lips, tugging at my heart, "I'll always be like this.
I did not want this.
"It doesn't have to be this way," I said, my voice trembling with emotion.
"Maybe he was right when he said that you would always choose him. I just raised my expectations for no reason," he laughed, though I could see the tears he was trying to hide. "It's okay. You can go and spend your life with your mate. Have a good life, Athena."
Just as he was about to walk away, I reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"Just because I chose the one I love doesn't mean I have to lose a friend."
At this point, I could only hope that he would understand that he still meant a great deal to me. But the feelings I had for him were not strong enough to stop me from being with Sebastian.
"We were never just friends, Athena. You know that," He did not pull away his hand from my hold, giving me a bit of hope that I might make it to the end.
"I know, Aaron, but we can't move beyond that. I've always seen you as a friend," I said gently, hoping that my words would not hurt him too much.
"But I've always been open about my feelings, haven't I?" he asked, pulling me close with a swift jerk, his gaze boring into mine. "I may not have told you directly, but you felt it, didn't you? So what makes you think that when you choose to be with Sebastian, I would be willing to stay and let you label it all as just friendship?"
"So, what we have, this friendship, it means nothing to you?" My voice shook as I spoke.
"It would have meant a lot if it was genuine, Athena. But it isn't," he replied, his grip on my wrist tightening. The pain was excruciating, but I didn't pull away.
"What makes you think that this friendship isn't genuine?"
I was hurt by his words. It pained me to think that he thought of me like that.
"I can see what you're trying to do. You're just trying to escape this situation, and the label of 'friendship' seems like the easiest way out. You don't need to pretend to care for me. Just don't pretend. I loved you, but you know what? The line between love and hate is very thin. So let my love stay the way it is. Don't say anything more. It would hurt me more to hate you than it would to keep loving you despite your rejection."
"I care for you, Aaron. You matter to me. I am not lying," Tears welled in my eyes, "Why can't you just understand that I can't love you the way you want? The feelings I have for you are genuine but they are not how you want me to feel. I can't picture myself with you that way but what we have, means a lot to me. You are my friend, the one I can rely on, the one I can trust—"
"But can I trust you? No. Because you've already proved it. Sebastian Valdez—that's where your loyalties lie," Aaron interrupted, his voice laced with anger.
"You held my hand when I had no one and I don't want to let go of it when everything's getting normal again. Why is it that I have to choose between you and him? I can't betray my mate to prove my friendship to you, Aaron. He's my priority but it doesn't mean that you have no place in my life. I value relationships, and Sebastian's your friend too. Everything can be fixed, and he'll forgive you in a blink."
"I can't believe you're even asking that," Aaron snapped, his rage spilling over. "Why should I ask for forgiveness when I've done nothing wrong? Or maybe you're calling my love a mistake? Are you trying to make me feel guilty for loving you, the mate of my friend whom he raped, abused, and hurt in every possible way?"
My heart sank at his words. I had never intended to hurt him or make him feel guilty, but I could see how my actions had caused him pain.
And, Damn! He was making the prior wounds turn all fresh again.
"Look, Aaron. I didn't mean it like that. I have always respected your feelings and never once blamed you for it. I just want everything to be normal. I don't want to be put in a place where I'd have to choose."
"Oh cut the crap, Athena. Don't try to cover it up right now," He harshly threw my hand away, staring at me with a look of hurt and betrayal, "And besides that, I know who your choice would be so, goodbye."
My tears slid down my cheeks and I hugged him, "Don't make me choose, please."
"You have already chosen who you want, Athena."
"I need you in my life. It's not a lie. Your presence matters!"
"But you can live without me, not him."
"It'll be hard..."
"But you'll be able to live. You'd be able to manage."
"Don't go. Please. Please. Please." I held him tighter, my tears wouldn't stop.
"You have left me with no options." He gently pushed me away, and wiped my tears before he flashed me a faint smile, "I hope he'll keep you happy."
Tears were glistening in his eyes as he turned around and headed to his car.
"Don't go, Aaron." I ran behind him in the hopes of trying to stop him.
But he didn't listen. When I held his hand, he jerked it away and took off with his car without another glance at me.
As I stood there, alone in the middle of the empty street, shocked and slapped with the reality that I just lost a friend just because I chose my happiness for once, my mind was racing with a million thoughts.
I couldn't help but wonder if I had made the right choice. Would I regret it later on? But then, I saw Sebastian approaching me, and for a moment, I forgot everything else.
"What happened?" He asked. Concern was etched on his face as he looked at me, "Why are you crying?"
"He left..." I sniffled, turning to face him, "Our friendship doesn't matter to him."
"That bastard," he cursed, pulling me into a tight hug with visible rage.
"Don't say that, please."
"You really care for him, don't you?" He asked, his voice dropping a few octaves.
"He is the only friend I have made in my whole life," I admitted, resting my face against his chest, "I thought he'd understand me."
I could sense his conflicting emotions, but he released them with a small sigh.
"It's okay," he said, rubbing my back to comfort me. "Sometimes things don't work out as we want. But if you give me a chance, can I be the second one?"
"The second what?" I asked, confused.
"We've had a rough start, Athena. Maybe we can start with friendship," he proposed.
"You want to be my friend?" I couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, if you don't mind," he said, clearing his throat.
It was actually very endearing to see him acting soft. To be honest, I'd never thought that I'd get to see this side of him when he'd always been the one to act tough. It made my heart flutter.
"Friendship isn't a bad idea," I smiled at him and this time a curve appeared on his lips too.
"Okay. So now we are friends?"
"Friends."
*****
"I am sorry I never told you anything about my past," I was on the verge of tears as I hugged Shelly. I knew this was not goodbye but at the same time, it was an undeniable and cruel way to step back from the world I'd created for myself and get back into the one I'd always dreamed of.
Leaving these people behind for a while was tough but at least, it was not a final goodbye. I wasn't going away for good nor was Sebastian the man who might prevent me from meeting the precious people of my life.
"It's okay. I understand sweetcake," She flashed me a small smile, "I am happy for you and now that you have a new precious member coming to both of your lives, I want you to be as careful as possible. I'll sue you if the baby feels any discomfort, understand?"
"How would you know if the baby's feeling uncomfortable?" A small chuckle left my mouth and I wiped my tears.
"I'd know," She said sternly, trying to make me believe her words by force, "So, don't mess with me."
"Okay," I nodded, unable to hold my laughter but then I broke into a sob again, hugging her, "I'll miss you, Shelly."
"Me too," I heard her sniffle, "Don't forget to visit me after your delivery."
"I won't, Promise."
"That's Sebastian, my mate. I guess you have met him already," I motioned at Sebastian, who was leaning against the frame of the door.
"Yes, he has told me everything."
"Everything?" I was taken aback.
"Yes, everything."
This was enough to tell me that he had told Shelly the things I couldn't and none of his flaws were covered in the narrative.
"To be honest, I wanted to kick his ass at first but then again, I did not want you to lose someone close and him to lose the chance of being a better man," She continued, "Life is short, it's easier to forgive than holding onto something that's hurting you."
"Thank you. Thanks for everything."
"Silly girl, don't thank me. I love you, okay?"
"I know and I love you too."
"Live a good life, spend as much time together as you can, you two have a lot of time to make up for," She stroked my hair, "And you young man, you better take care of her. If you don't, trust me, I'll make you regret it." She sent him a stern look.
"Trust me, you wouldn't need to do that. It's her home and everything there, including me, belongs to her and her only," He let out, the smile on his face only said how true he was with his words, "I won't let her tears fall ever again."