Paint You Wings

Twenty-seven

We both just stare at his phone. It's way too late for my dad to be calling. Aaron steps towards the phone, and picks it up. It stops ringing as he throws it back on the bed.

"Who was it?"

"Who do you think?" He says bitterly.

I hold up my hands defensively. "I'm sorry,"

"You said this was over, Belle. You said he didn't want anything to do with us anymore. Now he's burned down Maya's house and is still calling us. Your dad and Cleo want to know who killed Alice, and he won't confess. How are we going to do this?" I chew on the inside of my cheek. I don't know how we're going to do this. I thought he was done... the money. Richard wants his money. "Well? Why hasn't he stopped?"

"Because I owe him money..." I whisper.

"What? Speak up, dammit."

"Because I owe him money!" I say much louder.

Aaron's face goes stone cold. "Why didn't you tell me? You know I could've gotten it for you!"

"Not with your parents in debt, Aaron. Not with your dad's medical bill."

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Let's go to bed, we'll think about this in the morning."

I shake my head. "I can't Aaron. I was supposed to get it to him over a week ago. He's probably pissed."

"Well there's nothing I can do about that, Belle."

"Aaron, if I wake up in another fire, I'm not going to get out of it this time."

He sighs and closes his eyes. "How much do you owe him?"

"Well... it's not what I owe him, it's what your dad does."

"Why are you paying off what my dad owes him?"

"So he'll leave us alone! So he'll finally go away!"

"How do you know that's all it's going to take?"

I bite hard onto my cheek. "I don't," I can't be for sure that Richard will stop after he gets his money. What movie does that happen in? No movie I've ever seen. You have to kill the guy.

"How much does my dad owe him?"

"Half a million dollars."

Aaron's eyes go big before he takes a seat on the bed and puts his head in his hands. "Half a fucking million." I can tell it wasn't a question. "I can't get that much."

His phone rings again. I jump at it and answer before Aaron even moves.

"I don't have your money,"

The person laughs, but it isn't Richard. "Okay... did we bet on something that I don't remember?" Charlie.

"Sorry, Charlie, here's Aaron."

"No, I need to talk to you actually. Maya isn't mad at you. Shes just shaken up. You should give her a call."

"I don't have a phone... why are you calling so late?"

"Oh-uh... well Aaron was over here the other night and left some things. I never got the chance to call him and I just got back from work. I figured he was still awake."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he can't sleep without you there."

I glance at Aaron. He's staring past me, not at me. His blue eyes are full of all sorts of emotions. I don't know what I'd do without this man.