Burnt Lies

The Photo Of Us

Alara

I stayed completely silent throughout the drive home, my thoughts mulling over all that had occurred today. I felt acrid bile rise to the back of my throat as sickness stirred in me. I attempted to distract myself by staring out of the window. My fingers digging into my jeans as I tired to still my shaking hands. 

I couldn't even look at Cameron now, I hated how weak I felt. How weak I must have appeared to him, in those moments of vulnerability as I clutched him close and begged the world to have it so he would never let me go. I had never been so exposed in front of him, that shaken frightened girl had never been presented to him. I had always, always had my guard up making sure I never appeared like a damsel in distress, and now, now I was sure that was all he saw me as. 

"Darling?" the car had come to a stop and Cameron's voice floated over to me soft and sincere, but I still couldn't bear to look at him, not when there were tears spilling from my eyes.

He tired again a voice so coaxing that I almost turned around, "Alara, sweetheart, do you want to tell me what happened?"

Silently I shook my head, my eyes still locked on the window that had trails of rain droplets skidded down the tinted glass. 

He was quiet for a moment before I heard the click of the door opening, a rush of cool air pricked my skin but  I still made no attempt to move, as soon as he came to my door, I turned away from the window, wrapping my arms tightly around me to fight the cold and doing everything possible not to look into his eyes for I knew all I would find would be disappointment. 

The door opened and another rush of cool air overcame me, I shivered slightly and after the action I felt his warm hands pull me up from my seat. 

"It's ok if you don't want to talk to me right now," his voice was so calm and soothing that I couldn't help but lean into his words. He wrapped me in a tight hug allowing me to rest against his chest once more. 

"But just let me hold you like this," I am not sure if he could feel it but I nodded against his chest wanting nothing more than to stay like this. All thoughts of weakness dissipating from me even if it was only for a moment. 

We stood there not even feeling the cold as I melted into his arms, strong hands holding me up against the storm of my emotions. 

Soon after he led me to the door, making sure that I was now drawn into the warmth but still never letting me go. 

I tried my best to stop the tears but there was no barrier anymore they were flowing freely with no intention to stop, my nose even started to run, I was well and truly a mess. I pulled my sleeves over my hand and felt a bubble of air stuck in my throat causing me to hiccup through tears. 

Never did Cameron's eyes leave mine, nor his hands, he was still holding onto me tightly and I could do nothing to make myself feel the same strength I usually did.  I had crumbled and fallen from grace. 

"It's ok not to be strong," he whispered carefully, the storm in his green eyes pulling me in as clarity rang through his voice, "You don't always have to be strong darling, especially not with me,"

I raised my eyes to his, "And you? How are you always so strong?" the question was genuine a thought that had plagued me for a while. 

He chuckled softly at the statement, holding my hands in his and with all the sincerity in the world he said, "I'm not always strong you know,"

"That's not true," I started to say but his shook his head. 

"You know I would never lie to you, and besides you make me weak," the statement itself made me want to never leave his side. 

"You don't mean that," my insecurities still fought against my heart that wanted to accept his confession with all it had. 

"No?" he slowly rubbed circles on the back of my hand with the pad of his thumb, "Are you sure, you don't know how weak I can be. Do you know when you first disappeared, I felt so much rage in my heart but more than that I felt this undying sense of sadness, I felt lost without you and that was when I was still trying to convince myself that I didn't care about you, the truth is our weaknesses is what brings out the strength in us,"

I took in all his words, "And you help me be strong," I admitted, "but right now I am so very weak, I don't even know what to do,"

"If I help you be strong then let me do that, Alara, let me in let me be here for you sweetheart, whatever has happened whatever you need, we can get through this together, I promise."

There was something about him that always made me feel safe, how could it be that Cameron Grayson would be the one that would protect me. Someone who was made out to be so cold hearted, who was constantly surrounded by death, there was something singularly pure about his heart. 

"Now do you want to tell me what happened?"

I nodded mutely taking in a deep breath before explaining all that had happened. 

With each word spoken I could see his fist tighten his jaw clenched and eyes burning with the need for violence. 

"I'm not afraid of blood or needles, it was just the act itself of something being taken away from me without my consent, something breaking and puncturing my skin when I didn't want it to. And-" my voice wavered slightly as I wiped a tear that was trailing down my face before resuming, "And being held down, I-"

I couldn't finish my sentence but I didn't have to, Cameron just pulled me close to him, hushing me quietly as I devolved back into a mass of tears, "It was horrible, I have never felt so helpless in my life."

A muscle feathered in his cheek as he rested his chin on top of my head, "I would kill him if he wasn't my father,"

I pulled back briefly, "Don't say that, as much as I hate him I don't want you to have to lose a father, not over me not ever."

"You know I would do anything for you," he was dead serious something had ignited in him after I had told him what had happened, if it was even possible he was even more protective of me than he had been before. 

"You're heart is too pure for this world," I blushed slightly at the compliment. 

"No it's not," there was a lot he didn't know about me, somethings had still been left unsaid and I didn't believe my heart was any purer than anyone else's, we all had secrets, demons lurking in the back of our minds, nothing was ever truly pure. 

"There's something else your not telling me, what did my father want you to show me," this was what I had been dreading, I reached into my purse and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper. 

It was something I didn't know how to show Cameron so I just let him take the lead. By the way he was gripping the paper I knew he wouldn't take the image well. 

It was listing for me, with a reward for anyone that would bring me to the lister. The name under the listing was under the name of Il Venditore it was a picture of Cameron and I dancing at the ball with a large red circle forming a ring around my smiling face, the sum was astounding a promise of 100 million for whoever delivered me to them. 

"Your father, he told me that he was the only one that could protect me for the Venditore,"

Cameron was quiet, too quiet, his brows were creased, "Alara, I don't think you understand who this is,"

"Il Venditore?"

"Alara, that's the name of the Black-market seller to the Italian Mafia."