These Lights

Eleven: Old Love.

"Really?! Who?!" I jump up and try to tear the folder out of his hand but he just lifts his arm so I can't reach it.

"Patience. I'm going to tell you." He sits and lays the folder on the table, takes a sip from his drink, and glances over at me to see if I was still paying attention.

"Alright." He Opens the folder to a file that was so full of words that my head spun.

"This is a recent article about a gang going around tagging random buildings."

"How does that help us?" He chuckled and handed me the article that I didn't read because he would just tell me anyway.

"Because their also breaking into apartments, petty theft mostly, but I have an inkling that they have something to do with it." I thought for a moment, leaning against the back of the couch.

"So? We have no evidence, and we can't just send the police on a wild goose chase, Speaking of, aren't they investigating it?" He looked at me with a knowing smirk and placed down another file.

"Oh it's not a wild goose chase. One of the gangs members got caught, he's just a kid, so their letting him off with a slap on the wrist." He put another file down, my head was starting to hurt with all the information I was getting.

"My father owns this entire side of the city, he's also the one who gives the police their paychecks." I was lost and he was talking so fast I needed a moment to process.

"So, I had access to a very classified file on his information." He picked up several sheets of paper stapled together.

"When questioned the kid admitted to stealing a few semi-precious items, tagging, normal gang things." He began again, flipping through the file quickly.

"But, he also mentioned that the gang sometimes got paid to do jobs, you know, the dirty work that people don't want to get caught doing." My brain went into overdrive, and suddenly we were on the same page.

"So... you think someone paid them to break into my apartment?" He nodded, picking up and straightening the files before sliding them back into the folder.

"Exactly, But now I need your help. Do you have anyone you know that would do this. Any enemy's? Ex boyfriend's maybe?" The last question he asked with the most jealous tone imaginable.

"No. Well, I know it's not Gene, he's too much of a sweetheart." Aaron grumbled and I thought back further, and my heart fell.

"There is one person it could be..." I hated thinking about him, I hated his name, I hated his face.

"Ein. He's an Ex from.... a long time ago. He.... wasn't the best." That's all I wanted to say, I didn't want to talk about him, he was awful and I never want him involved in my life again.

"Rough Breakup?" He asked, though he had a gentle tone, he probably guessed by the tone of my voice that I didn't want to talk about it much.

"He cheated on me." I said simply and he winced and closed his eyes, I was still hurt about it, it was actually not long after that I met Gene.

"Ouch. Okay, I won't pry further." I just nodded, I didn't feel like crying, but talking about him just drained me of any emotion I could possibly feel.

"But Yeah, that's definitely a motive. Do you still have any of his information?" I didn't even notice Aaron had started holding me, but I shook my head.

"No. The only thing I have is an old shirt of his. He didn't come to pick it up so I just stuck it in the back of my closet." I never wore it either, I tried once, but it reminded me so strongly of him that I nearly cried.

"Damn. He really hurt you, didn't he." I hadn't even realize that I had started to tear up. I had wanted to forget about him so badly.

"No, don't worry about it, I just don't like talking about him, it was years ago." I wiped my eyes and continued to stare at the ground.

"Aph, have you talked to anyone about this?"

I sighed deeply I did not want to have this conversation, He was not worth a thought in my mind.

"No. And I'm not talking to you about it either. Drop it." I barked and he backed up a little, looking like a puppy that had just been kicked.

"Sorry, just... please... let's move on." I softened my voice, feeling a little bad for snapping at him.

"No. Don't be, I get it, you just wanna forget about it." He fell silent, looking over at the window, running his fingers through his hair.

"Trust me I know..." He murmured under his breath, and I looked over at him with a curious expression.

He glanced up at me and sighed, a small, torn smile on his face.

"Guess you're curious huh? Her name was Lily... she... understood me, but, I screwed it up so badly." He gulped and I leaned in to listen carefully.

"I took her for granted, ignored her, always made an excuse. I was busy, I didn't have time." He clenched his fists, I was afraid he was going to hurt himself.

"And eventually, she found someone else. She didn't cheat. She told me face to face, told me why. Told me she still cared for me." He sighed heavily, and finally looked up at me.

"I didn't take it well, I accepted it to her face, but when I got home, I was so angry, at her of all people." He shook his head and glanced up at me.

"In reality, it was myself I should've been mad at."

I chuckled a little at his story, and felt a little bad about not telling him anymore of mine.

But Ein didn't deserve his own story. Not after what he did to me.

"I'm surprised your dad even let you have a girlfriend." He laughed a little, some of the light re-filling his eyes.

"Oh he fought tooth and nail, but I still won in the end, he couldn't really do anything about it." I smiled a little and looked out the window.

It was starting to get light.

"We've been talking all night." I pointed out and he looked too, it was now Monday, and we had gotten no sleep.

"Whoops! Lost track of time." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Hey Aaron?" I asked as he got up, yawning and heading to his bedroom.

"Yeah?" He turned, his steel eyes gleaming right back at me.

"Thanks, for opening up. I'll talk about him, eventually... I'm just, not ready." He smiled and nodded slowly.

"Your welcome. Now, get some sleep Aph, we're gonna need it for work tonight." I nodded and slid slowly under the covers left there from the night.

"Goodnight Aph." I heard him say under his breath.

" 'Night Aaron."