|Missing Love|

Chapter 13

*Aaron's P.O.V*

"What about Lance?" I asked my sister once again.

Lance. It's been awhile since I've heard that name. The name that once belonged to mine and Shelby's brother. He was the middle child between the three of us and he always worked hard.

I remember knowing that he died when this whole thing started. Shelby told me what happened.

So what is it that she has to tell me that's about Lance? I'm confused.

"Why don't we sit." She said and we went to sit on the sand.

"Shelby, what's going on?" I asked.

She sighed. "I'm the reason why Lance is dead."

Umm... what? Did I hear that right? Am I actually hearing something right now? Did I hear what I think I heard?

"No." I shook my head. "That's not possible. I remember what you told me. You told me that you found him dead when he went to the bathroom. What you're saying makes no sense."

"It's true though."

I was still super confused. "How is that true?"

"I lied, Aaron." She said, "I didn't mean to lie but I did. I shouldn't have lied. What really happened was when you and Eric were on a run, the walkers caught up to us. He told me to run but I didn't. I didn't even try anything because it caught me off guard. Before I was starting to think clearly, he was bit and it kept happening. I didn't save him when I should've. It's my fault."

I'm still trying to process what my sister just said. She didn't save our brother. She stood there, frozen, and he was left there to die. What?

"And you never told me this because..?" I questioned.

"Because I was scared of what you'll think."

I looked at her. "But don't you think it would've been nice if you told me? So that I wasn't living in guilt and the world that's full of lies? Now I feel like my whole journey here to get help was a damn lie."

"Don't say that, Aaron. You helped a lot of people. I remember being with you that day when we ran into Maggie and Sasha. When we met Rick for the first time. You've come a long way. Lance would be proud of you." She told me.

I stayed quiet. I still felt like I was living in guilt. Since if she wasn't able to save him then there would've been a chance that I would've saved him. Even if it had meant that I would die along with him if that was the case.

What am I supposed to think after what Shelby told me?

I'm still trying to process everything that was said to me.

"I want you to know that I'm sorry that I didn't save him. You can blame me and be mad at me but please still be here for me. I don't want to lose you too." She then spoke up after I hadn't said anything.

"I'm not mad at the fact that you're the reason why our brother is dead. I'm mad at the fact that you lied to me for the longest time ever. It seems like you can't trust me."

"But I do." She said, "I trust you a whole lot. You're the only blood related family I have."

She's not wrong. We're the only ones that are still alive in our family. Our parents are dead and like I said, our brother, Lance is dead. It's only the two of us.

"From here on out, please have no secrets. Let's be honest from now on."

She nodded. "Deal."

I sighed and then brought her in for a hug. She hugged me back and we embraced this sibling moment. We hardly have these kinds of moments but when those moments do happen, it's memorable for the both of us.