A Second Chance (book 2. of Transport)

29) Pay In Blood

Aris's P.O.V

Keeping her heart in my pocket, I pulled it out and traced my fingers over it. With a half smile, I just admired what she could do as she was working on another.

Carefully putting her heart back in my pocket, I walked towards her just sitting in the corner with her back turned. Sitting behind her, I rested my chin on her shoulder as I kept looking at all that she was capable of.

"It's not that good,"She instantly defended.

"It is. It's perfect,"I whispered in her ear.

"You haven't even seen it,"She pointed out.

"I don't need to. You're perfectly imperfect so that means everything you do is."

"Aris, do you take pleasure in trying to make me believe in myself?"

"I take pleasure in almost everything that has to do with you. The real you."

"That's ridiculous,"She scoffed, putting her tools down.

"Do you not take pleasure in being with me?"

"I plead the fifth,"She said quickly.

"Huh?"

"That just means no comment. It's a law thing,"She explained.

"Oh,"I mumbled, wondering what other things I didn't know that she did. I really hope that it wasn't a lot. I need to know everything about her. From her face, to the way she speaks, to her mind, to her secrets, to her insecurities, to her bad habits, to her preferences, to her body, I need to know every single part of her.

"What's your favorite color?"I asked.

"What?"

"Your favorite color. What is it?"I repeated.

"Y/F/C. Why?"

"What's your favorite book?"I kept going.

"The Scorch Trials. Why-"
"What's your favorite food?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"I need to know everything about you, and I don't. So tell me everything about her. Tell me your favorite subject, what you hate the most, what you love. Tell me everything,"I listed, wrapping my arms around her shoulders as she leaned against my chest.

"Okay. My favorite subject is y/f/s, I hate being vulnerable more than anything, and I love,"She trailed off, her face going red as she gazed at me.

"Me?"I guessed.

"Yeah. You,"She confirmed.

"Not saying it, but I take it the hesitation has to do with the hating vulnerability part?"

"Kind of. It's more of what made me hate that so much."

"And what was that?"I asked, pushing her hair behind her ears as I looked at her.

"People. Fake friends. My supposed family. Classmates that made fun of me. Teachers that ignored it. Basic things,"She listed.

"Oh, my pretty girl,"I whispered, pulling her in for a tighter hug. "I'm sorry,"I mumbled.

"It's okay. I have what I need now, right? I have you,"She shrugged.

"You always will,"I promised.

"If you had one wish what would it be?"She asked.

"I don't know,"I admitted, going off in my mind. Thinking about everything that I've gone through, all the hell, there were a lot of things to choose from. "I guess to erase some of my memories. Forget all the bad things that I did and those two weeks,"I quietly answered.

"Oh, my love,"She sighed, taking my hands in hers. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. It wasn't safe for you to stay. I know that,"I assured her.

"That doesn't mean I don't feel bad for all you've been put through. I may not know exactly what, but you didn't deserve it,"She said firmly.

"I don't know. What if it's karma?"

"For what? For everything that isn't your fault? For being taken advantage of? For being forced into things?"She asked.

"I was still with them,"I shrugged, pretending the words didn't put a pang of hurt in my chest. Maybe if I had been different, if I had been stronger, Newt would be alive. Rachel would be here. Hell, even Beth and that Chuck kid. Winston too. Just all the people that died in the Maze.

My fault.

Deep down, I knew so much of that was my fault.

"You were just a kid, Aris. They brainwashed you when you were young. When you should have been carefree and happy, and they took that away,"She whispered.

"But-"
They stole that. Not you. Never you.

"But-"
You deserved better. You deserved to be protected, but you weren't, and that wasn't your fault. They took the choice of what to do from you.

I still remember it. The people that died. The message that Newt sent before he jumped. That girl that died in her Maze for me to live. All of that, I can't forget it.

You never will, and you shouldn't be expected to. You can let go of some of that guilt though. You can forgive yourself.

Will you be there to help?

Looking at me, she turned around to face me. Kneeling in front of me, she took my face in her hands and wiped my tears. Putting herself between my knees, she wrapped her arms around me as I cried.

I'll be there until the end of time.

Your P.O.V

Oh, my sweet Aris. My sweet, sweet Aris. My kind, loving, smart, sarcastic, funny, optimistic, wonderful Aris.

Shattered. Now part of him is a little broken, a little cracked. To be honest, he probably had been for a long time.

Right now though, he's breaking in my arms. As if it's fair, he's quietly sobbing, still trying to be quiet despite the way the walls were far from thin and I was the only one here.

He's strong, but WICKED screwed him up. They messed with him, tortured him, made him feel like all of their bad deeds weighed on his shoulders. He did nothing wrong, nothing to deserve that. This isn't fair. He's good so why is he the one who has to suffer?

Since saying this right now wouldn't do much I just rubbed his back as he cried on my shoulder. I just silently promised that he was safe with me and always would be.

Now I know something though, that I didn't quite know before.

I won't be just focused on living during the fight.

I am going to murder every single worker for that they did to him, to everyone.

They're going to pay, and it's going to be with blood.