The Moon Is Beautiful

Chapter 37

I'm soaked.

The moment I stepped off from the porch, rain fell onto me at a fast rate, soaking me from head to toe in a mere few moments. I immediately felt coldness creep in, wrapping itself around my bones, but I didn't pay any attention to that.

Running down the main street of this town, I yell out Kaden's name, but no one answers.

I'm not sure how long I run around, screaming until my throat hurts. I don't stop though. I keep going, yelling out until my voice is barely audible, getting stuck in my throat.

And then I see it.

A figure sitting next to the beach, head buried in their knees. I immediately run to the figure, examining their form before calling out his name.

He lifts his head and I gasp at the state he is in. His eyes are red and puffy, tears staining his pink cheeks.

He's been crying.

I crouch down next to him. "Kaden, why did you leave Ms. Anderson?"

He sniffles, wiping tears away with his hand as they fall. "I'm sorry."

My heart breaks at the sight of him, so broken and helpless.

"I'm so sorry." he hiccups, fresh tears streaming down his face. Unable to stop myself, I lean forward and wrap my arms around him, shielding his face in my neck. His cries is the only thing I can hear, not even the loud sound of rain breaking through it.

My heart feels like pieces of it is chipping away, piece by piece as his cries become louder and more pained. I'm not sure why seeing him like this affects me this much, but I don't question it.

Anyone would be heartbroken in this moment.

"They're gone Rosie," he cries into my shoulder. "My parents are gone."

I close my eyes, a tear of my own escaping. I hug him tighter, rubbing his back. "I know Kaden. I know."

Even though I too have lost a parent, I still have no idea what to say to him. No one has ever said the right words to me, and I know that in this time, nothing anyone can say will wash away the pain.

And so all I do is hold him, embracing his pain and cries.

*****

I led him home.

It took Kaden a long while to finally stop crying and allow me to lead him to his home. And even now, as we sit on his couch with the fireplace providing us with so much warmth, everything around us still feels so cold.

He feels so cold.

It's as if he has withdrawn himself from everything and everyone. He's not letting me in, and even though I can empathize with him, it's a little frustrating. I want to be here for him, but I can't do that if he keeps shutting me out.

I called Eliza when we arrived at his home and told her to inform Ms. Anderson so that she wouldn't worry any longer, although I'm sure that she blamed herself for this.

Kaden stares off into space, not allowing me to touch him or even be close to him, which is why I sit on the opposite end of the couch, the furthest spot from him, and if he was to sense me scooting even a little closer to him, he would get up and leave.

I've never felt this need to touch someone before. But I want to touch him. I want to comfort him. I want to be there for him.

"Do you need anything? Do you want me to make you something?" I softly ask, desperate for some kind of response from him.

He hasn't spoken a word since he stopped crying earlier, and it's starting to scare me. The only movement that I see from him is his trembling lips, as if he's trying so hard to prevent himself from crying.

I'm not sure why though. He can cry. I don't mind.

My hand itches to reach out to him, to wipe those tears from his face, but I hold them rooted on my lap. As much as I want to help him, I shouldn't overstep my boundaries.

"Rosie," he breathes out. It has my head snapping up. "Why are you here?"

His question confuses me, but I answer in the way that I think is appropriate. "Because I care about you."

"Why do you care about me?" he asks this time, his tone insistent. Why do I care about him? I've never thought about it. I didn't even know that I care about him until now.

"Because you're a good person." I simply say, deciding that its the safest option.

"But I'm not a good person." he argues, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What makes you say that?" I question.

He doesn't answer, getting to his feet. I stand up after him, following him to the kitchen where he heads and grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"Why don't you think that you're a good person?" I ask again, moving to stand next to him. "Because I think that you're a very good person."

He pauses, placing the bottle onto the sink. His eyebrows furrow, his fingers gripping the plastic of the bottle tightly.

"You don't know me Rosie," he says, turning away from me. "You think that you do, but you really don't."

"What do you mean by that?" I exclaim, frustrated by his insistence, yet he gives me no reason I should believe him.

"There's so much you don't know about me Rosie." he says once more, shaking his head. He expects me to believe in his words, yet is not prepared to share anything with me.

"Then be honest with me. Give me one reason why I should believe you." I beg, walking around him to look him in the eye.

He hesitates, his eyes closing. This is clearly difficult for him, and I really feel bad for pressuring him, especially at this difficult time for him, but I need answers.

When his eyes open again, the first thing I notice is how they've turned dark, the light in them disappearing.

Kaden is gone.

"You want a reason?" he questions, his voice deeper now that Sin has taken over. I nod, folding my arms across my chest.

"Yes." I say in a determined voice, readying myself for whatever he may say. But what he actually says is something I could have never imagined.

"I killed my parents."