MY MOON

CHAPTER 32: ALYA

A few hours passed, and I woke up slightly. It was still night outside; the moonlight filtering through the window cast a soft glow across the room. I reached out beside me, but Alex wasn't there. A sense of worry began to creep in. I got out of bed and quietly walked towards the hall, where I saw a dim light coming from the kitchen.

As I entered, I found Alex sitting on a stool, his head in his hands, a glass of wine next to him. The room was cloaked in shadows, the only light coming from the dim glow of a small lamp.

"Alex?" I called softly.

He lifted his head, and my breath caught in my throat. His eyes were red, filled with pain and unshed tears. My heart ached at the sight of him, so broken and alone. I walked over and sat on the stool beside him, worried about what he is thinking.

"What happened?" I asked, softly.

"I am so sorry, Alya," he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek. "Now a days all I have is offering sorry to you, always, " he said with pain.

"This...This is... all of this... it's my fault," he choked out, his voice raw with emotion. "Steve was my burden to bear, and I failed. I couldn't protect you, and now you've been hurt because of me. I should have kept you safe. Maybe... maybe we should have never crossed paths again. Then you wouldn't be suffering like this. I am so sorry, Alya."

My heart shattered as I listened to him. Seeing Alex so broken was almost more than I could bear. To see him crumbling under the weight of his guilt was excruciating. I caught his face in my hands, tilting it up so he had to look at me.

"Shhh... It's not your fault, Alex," I whispered, my voice trembling as I tried to steady it. I wiped away his tears, even as my own started to fall. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You protected me two years ago, and you protected me today. You came running the moment I called you. Please, don't blame yourself. You've done everything you could."

Tears streamed down his face, and I couldn't stand to see him in so much pain. I pulled him closer, and he ducked his head onto my shoulder, his body shaking with silent sobs. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, wishing I could take away his hurt, wishing I could absorb his pain into myself.

"Two years ago, the night I came back with blood on my hands... it was Steve's," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "He came to me that night and demanded his position and share in my company. When I refused, he threatened to ruin Elizabeth. I couldn't hold back. I just... I just punched him. I lost control."

He paused, taking a shuddering breath, and he pulled back to look me in eye. "But I never imagined he would come after you to get back at me. He started collecting our pictures, Alya. On the night of the wedding, as I was getting ready, he sent me those pictures. He demanded I meet him, or he would release them to the press."

"I went to him thinking I can stop him and make it back to wedding on time," Alex continued, his voice breaking. "I did everything he asked. I signed over shares, but it wasn't enough for him. He couldn't stand the thought of me being happy. And I was happy, Alya. Because of you. For the first time in a very long time, I felt very much alive. Your thoughts consumed me day and night. Your presence joyed me. But Steve hated that. He wanted to destroy that happiness. He blackmailed me for not releasing our pictures. He told me he wanted you to hate me, to drive a wedge between us so deep that I would be sent into my own personal hell."

His eyes searched mine, desperate for understanding. "I never wanted to hurt you. But in that moment, I had no choice, I thought... I thought the only way to protect you was to make you hate me. To say things that would make you push me away. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I created my personal hell, every word I spoke to you that night was a knife to my own heart. To Know that you are out there, hating me, was my punishment. The realisation of you will never come back to me, my penance."