She winced at the slight creak from the door and waited. Ariella strained her ears, but there were no creaking old floorboards or thundering footsteps. There was just the slight cold of the breeze as she stepped onto the porch.
Ariella was halfway down the steps when she stopped short. Bruce was walking up the path, his shoulders squared, coat unbuttoned, and jaw set.
"Bruce?" Her voice faltered just slightly. She moved down the steps. "What are you doing here?"
He stopped in front of her, shadows lining his face. "I'm leaving, little red."
Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, catching Alfred standing quietly beside a black car at the curb. And there, beside him, leaned Natalia, unreadable and still.
Ariella's heart dropped. "I see."
Bruce stepped closer. "I'm going with her."
Ariella crossed her arms, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Where?"
"I need to find myself," he said. "There's a storm inside me, Ari. Anger. Grief. The kind that doesn't sleep." His voice stayed low, but it trembled at the edges. "It's not fair to bring that into your life. You're my best friend. But not only that, you're like family to me. You don't deserve that kind of weight."
The air between them stilled. She swallowed, slow. "How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know yet."
That answer hit harder than she expected. But Ariella knew him and that he didn't decide things out of the blue. And when he had his mind made up, Bruce would follow it through, no matter what.
"I wish you didn't have to leave." Ariella admitted, voice thinner.
"I have to go," Bruce said. "All this rage I've carried since my par...it's suffocating me. Natalia's father can help."
She stared at him as he looked over his shoulder, staring at Natalia. Her lips twitched and she could feel herself grin. Because at least throughout this storm cloud that has hung over Bruce ever since his parents were murdered, there was a little bit of light peaking through the darkness.
