Penance of Honor | BOOK 2 ✔️

*Kiss Me: 3*

"He said he would not tell you?" Sanuel muttered with a small, sad smile. "He will not only because he does not want to blame me, when all the blame should be towards me. I caused him to suffer immensely... I broke my promise, first, but he may not ever admit it aloud." 

I watch as he digs his nails into the palm of his hand before sighing out loud. 

"No matter what I did or what I was becoming...he always, always stayed by my side. No matter the disagreement or the cruelty I displayed. Still, he loved a monster like me, and I may not ever be able to forgive myself." 

His eyes are beginning to water, I notice. However, he is quick to hide it and let go of another smile.

"It began with my father... everything always tended to begin with him. How I loathed and loved that man..."

"What is it about your father that has caused you so much pain?" I inquire.

"I never had grown fond or attached to much things after my mother passed... My father and I had grieved alone in our own different ways. As a result, we were both very, very lonely... And Aaron had taken me from that very dark hole and shed some light into my life. He, unknowingly, became my everything. My heart, my light, my sun...my stars." He paused with tears flooding his eyes now.

"And my father knew that."

My heart seems to stutter at the expression lingering on his face.

"Many times, he had taken him away from me... but there were two times, in particular, that, truly, broke me into pieces." 

Two Years Later...

For years, my father had been trying to shirk off some of the territories responsibilities onto me and I would always ignore it or pay him no mind. I had been able to do this for a while because he had no control over me. He had nothing that I wanted. I had barely respected him then...

I pressed my face into the dip of Aaron's neck. Soon, my arms wrapped around him until he was pushed down against the grass and I laid on top of him. His heart beat had sped up and I knew his breath caught into his throat causing my smile to grow worse.

It was always the scent of pine that came wafting from him. No matter the amount of showers or baths I made him take, he still smelled of it. There were not much pines here, so it always struck me as odd. Still, because it was him, I warmed to him and took solace in the scent because it was the one, singular scent that belonged to him.

"You smell of pine, again, pet," I mumbled, my hold only growing tighter. 

I felt his breath blow into my ear causing me to laugh. 

"You always complain of it, yet, still, you continue to keep your nose there." 

"I complain, but it does not mean I do not like it."

"What a paradox you are," he muttered causing me to kiss his jawline and plant small ones across his cheek.

His skin was always warm to the touch, no matter the season. Though it was early spring, I was still cold and I always pressed against him for his warmth. What it would be like without him, I would have never liked to know.

I picked my head  up to get a good look at him. Since, the day I had chosen him, I had been mesmerized by his beautiful eyes and even till now I am. They were always so inviting, and held all of his emotions inside of them. When he looked at me, or just smiled at me, I felt loved, and wanted, and needed. 

Aaron dropped his eyes and continued to shy away from mine until I cup his face into my hands. Ah, he was so gorgeous. I felt the wave of heat rushing up into my cheeks at the thought.