Fate

16

Chapter 16

The house was cold. When I took a breath, I exhaled a cloud. It was dark, not a single light on. All the doors were shut but there were voices coming from the living room.

I walked down the hallway, letting my fingers trail along the wall. I walked down the steps as quietly as I could and stopped when I heard a familiar voice.

"I don't know what you want from me. I don't even know you."

"But you know Julia."

"What does Julia have to do with any of this? How do you know her? Who are you?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Just tell me who you are."

"You mean Julia didn't tell you? Was she keeping secrets from you?"

"Julia would never-"

"Think about it. You're a young boy in love who happens to have schizophrenia. You and Julia were closer when you both thought she also had schizophrenia, am I correct?"

"She wouldn't hold that against me. I know Julia."

Andreas got up and circled the chair Brayden was sitting in. He was wearing a brown jacket that made him look normal. Too normal. "I know my granddaughter. My child."

"What are you talking about?"

"All in good time, boy."

I opened my eyes and I was back in my room. A hand was on mine and I jumped, pushing myself to a sitting position. My body was covered in sweat and my hair was a tangled mess down my back.

I looked over at the hand on mine. I slowly made my way up to see Lucy was sitting beside me. She was curled up in the chair, sleeping. I was so glad to see her. To see her again.

She was still the same as she'd always been but only with minor changes. Her skin was dull and she had bags under her eyes. There were worry lines on her forehead but I knew they would smooth out. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt and black leggings. Her hair was pulled back. It wasn't like her.

I got out of the bed and slowly made my way to the door. Everything was still the same in the room. Like things had frozen while I was blind. It was hard to wrap my head around.

I opened the door and someone moved in the hallway. I paused before peaking my head out and seeing Aryan sitting on the floor. He glanced at me and I let our eyes meet so he knew I could see again.

He looked just as bad as Lucy did. Except his eyes were red and bloodshot.

"Aryan..." I whispered, my hand on the door.

"I... I want to talk."

I nodded and followed him from my room to his. He shut the door behind us and suddenly, I was worried.

"Aryan-"

"No, I need to get this out. Before I change my mind." He said, leaning against the door.

I wasn't afraid of Aryan. Not in the slightest. But I was nervous. What would he say to me after I had a full out meltdown and yelled at him?

"I love you, Julia. I know you know that. I won't ever stop loving you. I just don't know how to help you. I don't know what you want me to do and it just... It makes me feel like shit. I'm supposed to be able to help you when something like this happens and I can't. I understand why you're mad at me and Holden and everyone else and you have every right to be but I need to know why. What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything. No one did. I'm just struggling to figure out why I'm so messed up."

"You're not messed up."

"Aryan, I spent sixteen years thinking I was crazy. Then out of the blue I found out I'm an Angel. I was finally getting used to fitting in and being... normal. Now I'm not and I don't know how to deal with that."

"Let me help you. Let me understand." He said as he walked over to me. He pulled me down onto his bed beside him, which was still under a mountain of clothes.

I nodded and put my head on his shoulder. "I thought you hated me."

"Hate you? Julia, are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"After I... after I yelled at you I thought-"

He tilted my head up and kissed me. "I could never, ever hate you. Not even if I tried."

"So are we... okay?"

He smiled and my heart pounded in my chest. "We're perfect."

"Can I ask one thing?"

"Maybe. What is it?"

"Can you make me something to eat? Something only the famous Aryan could make."

"I think I could do that."

"And maybe could you clean your room? Your OCD rubbed off on me and this is really driving me nuts."

He laughed. "Only if you help. After all, you were the one that did it."

I pulled away from him with wide eyes. "I did it to save you!"

He kissed me before lugging me to my feet. "You couldn't have saved my room at least?"

I punched his arm. "I am so not helping you now."

He laughed and followed me from his mess of a room.