Summer Romance

Chapter 18

The next few days felt like hell for me, my own personal hell. Aaron kept approaching me, trying to talk to me, trying to explain everything – again. But I kept ignoring him or walking away.

I was still hurt and furious and most of all depressed. And I didn't know what I would do if I would have dared myself to talk to him. I might have yelled, I might have cried or hit him again. I didn't know and I had no desire to find out.

The worst thing about this whole thing was, as great as it was putting my feelings first, my feelings for Aaron were always at a close second. And even with all he did, everything he had dared, I still didn't stop loving him.

I loved him and I wished I could forgive him but every time that thought crossed my mind, I started feeling sick, remembering what he did to me. And that feeling – that sickness was simply too strong to ignore, the love I had for him wasn't strong enough to overshadow the sickness.

The last few days of the trip seemed to last forever; they just didn't end. It really was true that time was subjective. Minutes felt like hours for me, hours like days.

Aaron was always near me, always had to be there, when I turned around. And every time I looked at him, I saw tears filling his eyes.

Finally, our penultimate day in Rome had come and I couldn't wait for it to be over and get back home.

There was no sightseeing or anything else planned, so we had the day to spend as we wish.

Which could only mean one thing for Nat – shopping.

So, naturally, we took a little trip to the city center after breakfast and spent money we clearly didn't have on things we clearly didn't need.

We passed by a store that sold the most unnecessary things I had ever seen and when Nat asked me if I wanted to join her inside, I politely declined.

I checked the weird things the store had displayed in their shop window, when suddenly someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away into a side street. He pressed me against the wall and his hand on my mouth, making it impossible for me to scream.

"Don't scream or run away, okay? I just want to talk to you.", the man said quietly. I nodded slightly then he removed his hand from my mouth. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just have the feeling you wouldn't listen to me otherwise.", George said and smiled weakly.

"And you're absolutely right about that. What do you want?"

"I want you to forgive Aaron."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I kind of had expected it but hearing it still felt strange.

"He is depressed because of what happened. I've never seen him like this. He's barely talking to me, he isn't eating, not sleeping. Scarlett, I know you hate him, but-"

"I don't.", I interrupted him.

"You don't?"

I shook my head slightly. "I still love him. I just can't trust him anymore."

"You can! I'm telling you, you can! Aaron loves you. He loves you more than anything else, I assure you. He forgot about the whole plan the second you two met."

I knew I would probably regret it, but I just had to ask, I had to know. "What exactly was the plan?", I asked him.

George sighed and looked at me. "Finding a girl for a quick summer romance."

I bit my lower lip. "How? I mean, did you for one moment think about the feelings of the girl you'd choose?"

"If it wasn't you, if he wouldn't have fallen in love with you, he probably would've told her the truth from the get-go. As I said, for him it was love at first sight."

"Why did you do it?"

"Aaron needed it. He needed someone. Not someone for a real relationship, but... for fun. A distraction."

I huffed angrily. "A distraction. So that's what we are for you?"

"Only if she would have wanted it that way as well. We were never just gonna use someone.", he tried to explain. George looked at me again and let out a deep sigh. "Aaron never lied to you. He meant every word he said."

I felt my jaw muscles tense up as I fought against the tears, I didn't want to cry, not again, not now, not in front of George.

"Scar, I beg you. Not as his friend, but as a man who's been in love. Don't do this to him, don't torture him like this. If you love him, forgive him."

I turned my head away for a moment, then hesitantly looked at him again. "He meant what he said?"

"Every word."

"He loves me?"

"More than anything else."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I still wasn't sure if I could trust Aaron and if I could go through this whole thing again, but I also wanted to take my chances. "Fine. I will talk to him."

George smiled widely. "Thank you, Scarlett. Thank you so much!", he said and hugged me tightly.

"I'm not saying I forgive him. I'm just gonna talk to him.", I said and passed by him to get out of the creepy the side street.

And of course, I had to run into Aaron.