Wherever You Are

Wherever You Are Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Remember

(Aaron's Point Of View)

I couldn't sleep so I sat up, staring out the window at the darkness outside. I eventually got up and went down the hallway, were I noticed the light in the living room was on. I walked in quietly, spotting her curly blonde hair, sitting on the floor by the coffee table, her makeup laying out across it.

She sat legs crossed, and gazed into a mirror which she held in her right hand. She grimaced and set it face up. She started looking over the makeup on the table, trying to find which one she thought would work best. I knew what she was doing, she was trying to find a way to cover the bruises around her left eye.

I was worried about her, which is probably why I found it hard to shut my eyes. She had a black right eye, and her left eye had a black bruise under it. She had a bruise on her neck where Daren had punched her. And a bruise on her arm where he had grabbed her tightly. I cringed at the thought, it made me feel completely awful, all thanks to Anthony... It made me question why we did this job.

What would my grandfather think if he saw this sight, would he still want her in the job? I gulped and watched her.

She sighed when she could still see the purple through the first layer of makeup. She kept applying layers, and the purpleness started to go away. I balled my fist, I wanted to kill Daren and Anthony, and every other person involved in this. I wanted to quit my job, but knew I couldn't.

"Ugh!" she threw down the mirror and I heard her crying quietly. She sniffled and had her head down, buried in her arms. She sat there crying, and I wondered if my presence would make this worse. But even if it did, I wouldn't let her keep crying like this.

I walked closer and sat down next to her. She didn't look up, but I'm sure she heard me.

"Go away!" she said through tears.

"I can't." I replied quietly.

"Aaron... Is that you?" she said quietly.

"Yes." I said choking on my own tears.

She looked up and scooted closer to me, she looked frail and her face looked pitiful. She stopped crying for a second and looked at me. She suddenly started crying again and she buried her head in my shoulder.

"No matter how hard I try it won't go away." she said crying.

"It will go away. " I said crying.

"I know it will. It's just... I look awful, and every time I look in a mirror I think about what happened and how my wrist snapped... How it sounded when his fist hit my face. But you know what the worst part is?"

I was crying listening to her tell me about what she remembered "What?" I said.

"This could've been you, or JJ or anyone else, and it was all thanks to me. If I hadn't given you up, this would've never happened!" she raised her head up.

"I don't even deserve to have you care about me. I deserved all of this! Every hit!" she was sobbing now and I was choking on the tears until I found the words to say.

"Every second of every day, I knew you loved me. I knew you didn't want to give me up. I know what happened and I don't blame you. You were young, you had a job, and a father who didn't want you to have me. But, even when you gave me up you told me wherever I was you loved me. That's what kept me alive then, and those were the words keeping me alive even when I didn't know who you were, even now. If you hadn't told me the secret, you wouldn't be here now either? How does that make me feel? Like crap! When you were taken, I went crazy, I'll admit it. I had a panic attack, my hands shook, my breathe was caught in my throat, I kept sweating. I had to go to the hospital, it was awful and I was embarrassed."