𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐈𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 ✔️

13

"I'm sorry, Sabrina, I know this isn't the news you were hoping for," Valerio's voice hits my ear as I listen to the voicemail he left me. "But there's nothing I can do to find who killed your mother. It's just been too long, I'm sorry."

The voicemail ends but I continue to hold the phone to my ear and shut my eyes out of disappointment.

It hurt. But I was prepared for it, so that made it hurt a bit less. I set my phone down and begin walking down the stairs.

Time has felt like it's been moving a bit slower since I found out the truth. I feel guilty, wishing I could do something for her, but I know that I can't.

I hear a car door close as I reach the bottom of the stairs. I move the curtain out of the way and see Aresius' back as he's getting out of his car in his dark blue work clothes and boots.

I shut the curtain and basically run out of my house and onto my lawn. I call out to him as he's walking up his stairs, "Hey, stranger. How have you been?"

He pauses, but he doesn't turn around. He replies, "Good."

My eyebrows tug together as that's all I get in response. No sarcasm, no smile, no the boy I'm used to. He starts walking up the steps again.

"Have I done something to upset you?" I ask gently. It makes him stop once again as he reaches the top of the stairs. "I'm sorry if I have."

I watch his strong back through his shirt and his black hair moves in the wind. I stand, waiting for him to turn around, but it takes so long that I think he won't.

But then he does. Slowly, with shame on his face.

My eyes widen and my hand goes over my mouth. I whisper, "Oh my God, Aresius."

I rush over to him. I put both of my hands on his jawline and look at the damage done to his face. I turn his face in my hands and he tries to stop me while saying, "Sabrina, it's really not that bad."

Really not that bad? His lip is busted, his cheek bruised, and one of his under eyes is purple.

"Who did this, what happened?" I ask him, but then quickly follow up as he opens his mouth. "And don't say basketball."

He shuts his mouth and sighs. I look at him with so much sadness as he looks ashamed of it. Aresius was the last person that deserved something like this.

"Can you come in, and I'll tell you inside?" he asks, the sunlight hitting him. I nod.

I follow him into his kitchen. His work boots are heavy against the ground. Mentally, I'm prepared to kill whoever did this.

"Um...remember that one day my dad showed up here yelling?" he asks me, awkwardly looking down at the ground. I nod. "Yea. Well, lets just say his parenting style is old. He believes in hitting your child whenever they do something you don't like."

Sadness washes over me as I realize that was why he had those bruises the other times.

"And what'd you do that he didn't like?" I ask.

He avoids my eyes, and I don't understand why while my hip presses against the counter. He rubs the back of his neck, and I think that he debates on telling me.

"I've been pursuing this one girl, rather than the family friend he wants me to be," he confesses as his eyes meet mine again. "She has dark hair, dark eyes, and isn't good at cutting grass."

Usually, his jokes would make me laugh, but not this time. I ask him quietly, "He has been hitting you because of me?"

"Not because of you," he quickly corrects. "Because I like you."