Taint Me More ☑️

Aaron

Still in utter shock, confused and plagued by a lot of mixed feelings, I re-read the headline over and over. I looked up at her mother to read her expression, but I was getting nothing. That woman seemed to be a puzzle. A mystery that I couldn't quit grasp.

As I looked around Aria's room, it became clear to me that I knew very little about her. She had talked about her past a couple of times, but it was only always about her father. I hadn't even known she had a mother around before her father died.

I wouldn't judge her for not being open to me about her past, because I knew everyone had stories locked up somewhere in their minds that they wouldn't always be comfortable sharing. I had my share of dirty stories, so I couldn't be one to judge.

I would have appreciated an explanation from her. Something, anything to justify what was written in bold letters around us, but she seemed too agitated and full of guilt to form words. She didn't seem like a murderer to me, though. She seemed completely harmless.

So I felt a huge wave of relief when Gabby explained the story written on the papers. She killed the man in self defense, trying to protect herself and her sister. I knew of many abusive parents, so it wasn't much of a surprise. Her mother confirmed it and I felt a sting in my chest.

I wished she hadn't stormed off the way she did. I was never going to cast stones or persecute her for things that were in the past, things she had no control over.

I needed to go after her and tell her I didn't mind her baggage. As long as she wasn't a fugitive of the law. With the date on the papers, the incident happened five years earlier, it was a long time, long enough to be forgotten. So whoever dug it back obviously wanted to screw her over.

I tried calling her cell phone, but it was ringing somewhere in the apartment, so I said "screw it." I grabbed my jacket and went after her.

On my way out of the building, Bambi came bouncing on his paws, barking hysterically. The little thing seemed troubled. I looked around in search of Aria, but she wasn't in sight.

"Hey little guy, what's the matter? Where's Aria?" I asked, even though I knew I wouldn't get an actual reply.

Instead, the pup bounced around, panting and barking at the sidewalk. The situation seemed odd. I didn't think Aria was capable of leaving her dog out alone on the sidewalk.

I started to get worried, even more so because she left her phone back at home. I wondered where she could have gone, but couldn't think of a single place.

After walking a few blocks down the street in search for her, she was still nowhere in sight. I ran back into her house and raised the alarm.

"Gabby, do you know where she could've gone? Because it's so unlike her to leave Bambi out in the street."

Everyone started bringing up unlikely places that she could go, but nothing was adding up.

"Isn't it obvious that someone is out to get her?" Heather asked, speaking out everyone's thought. "Someone left a creepy note for her in here, we don't even know how they got in and now she turns up missing?"

"Adrian, do something." Gabby pulled at his shirt.

"There's nothing I can do and we can't conclude yet that she's missing. I mean, it's only been like half an hour. We just have to wait and see if she turns up."

***
*
Thirty eight hours. It had been thirty eight hours since we heard anything from her. We finally reported her as missing, but it seemed like time was moving at snails pace.

I was going crazy. The thought that she would run off because of what happened at her place made me feel jittery. I would have pleaded to her and let her know I would accept whatever she thought was too terrible that she might have done, if it meant she would return to me.