𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Chapter Thirty~Deny it

The tunnel was a pretty short, and we emerged to a small room with old worn down furniture, cracks in the floor, and a leak in the ceiling, water dripping into a small tin bucket.

"What is this place?" Tam asked. 

"My home!" She said proudly, "Found this place a couple years ago, I think? Makes a nice hideout from the rain. Unfortunately, there's no heater, so I just wrap myself in these blankets," She smiled, grabbing a thin, ripped brown blanket and wrapping in around herself. I was close to tears, and Tam was too.

"So this is what's it's like to live here..?" He muttered to himself, but somehow the girl heard it.

"To live where? On the streets, or in London?" She asked.

"No. The forbidden cities," He explained, then quickly covered up his mouth with his hand, "ignore that!"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I've trusted you enough to let you into my home, and you won't even tell me who you are and where you're from. Feels a little one-sided to me, don't you think?"

Tam sighed, "It's not that I don't want to tell you... But it's for your own good that you don't know."

Is it? I wondered. This young girl seemed like she would have a better life in the lost cities.

"Fine. But you better at least tell me why you're here."

He nodded, "Well... the thing is..." He paused for a second, "I was sent to a umm school away from home by my parents-"

"You mean a boarding school?" She asked. 

"Uh, yeah. That. Anyways, I was sent to a boarding school. Away from my twin sister and... And my best friend. Biana."

The girl arched an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Tam continued without noticing.

"So I escaped the um-boarding school, and then I sort of ended up here."

"Did you ever see your twin sister again? Or your friend?" She asked.

"No I haven't seen Linh-that's my sister. But... I saw Biana."

"You did?! What did she say?"

I suddenly wanted to storm right out of there. But I didn't. I had to know what Tam thought of me. Did he hate me, want to forget me? Still want to be friends with me? Did he ever like me. Maybe even... love me? 

Like how I love him.

Tam took a deep breath sat up against a wall. The girl scooted closer to him with wide eyes.

"The thing is, Ayla. I made a big mistake. But I didn't get a chance to explain why I did it. You know that saying, did the wrong thing for the right reason? Well that's what I did. But she didn't know that. And I never got to tell her that-" He paused, and Ayla was completely silent, "That I did it all for her."

A single tear fell from my cheek as Tam pressed his the back of his head into the wall. I couldn't bare to see him like this. I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve him.

I quickly started to crawl out of the tunnel, but stopped when I heard the sound of Ayla's voice, taking a new soft tone to it.

"I'm so sorry," Then her voice completely changed tone, "But you need to get a grip. Go. Find her. She's probably still somewhere around here."

"But what about you? I can't just leave you here."

"Yes, you can. I've been living on my own for years now. I can do it for a while longer."

I quickly crawled out of the tunnel, but not before I heard, "I'll be back for you Ayla."

"Good. And make sure you bring your girlfriend along with you."

He didn't deny it.