Bittersweet

Arrival- Day 1

At the conference, Aaron couldn't concentrate. He was physically present but his mind was a million miles away.

'Why did she refuse his money? Should he have even offered in the first place?'

'Did she find him so appalling she would reject money from him, something he didn't even care much for?'

It had been a kind gesture from him but she had downright rejected it, rejected him.

That had been his way of apologizing for what he'd said to her on the plane, he hadn't known how else to have expressed he was sorry.

"Şɧɛ ɧąŧɛŞ ყơų." It spoke.

"ı ŧơٳɖ ყơų Şɧɛ'Ş ŧřơųცٳɛ." He ignored its voice.

It shrieked in anger.

"Şɧɛ ɧąŧɛŞ ყơų, Şɧɛ ɧąŧɛŞ ყơų." It continued.

"How can she hate me when she doesn't even know me?" He asked.

"Şɧɛ'Ş ŋơŧ ıŋŧɛřɛŞŧɛɖ ıŋ ą ცřơҠɛŋ Ćřɛąŧųřɛ ٳıҠɛ ყơų. Şɧɛ'Ş ıŋŧơ ŧɧɛ ɠơơɖ ơŋɛŞ, ŧɧɛ ĆɧųřĆɧ ɠơıŋɠ Ҡıŋɖ." It mocked but he didn't care.

"I can be good." He said without much thought. For a split second, the demon lost its grip on his mind.

"Şɧɛ'Ş ą ცɛٳıɛ۷ɛř ơř ɧą۷ɛ ყơų ʄơřɠơŧŧɛŋ?" It hissed darkly.

"ყơų ɧąŧɛ ŧɧɛm."

"I don't hate her." He confessed. The demon was silent.

"ɧą۷ɛ ყơų ʄơřɠơŧŧɛŋ Şơ Şơơŋ ɯɧąŧ ɧɛř ɠơɖ Şŧơٳɛ ʄřơm ყơų?"

Hatred, pure dark hatred filled his heart at those words.

"ɧɛ ŧơơҠ ყơųř ʄąŧɧɛř." He could feel it as the haze started enveloping his mind once again.

"ɧɛ ŧơơҠ ყơųř mơŧɧɛř." He clenched his fist and closed his eyes and tried to block it out but all he could see now was its hideous face.

"Şɧɛ'Ş קơıŞơŋơųŞ, ɖơŋ'ŧ ყơų Şɛɛ? ɖơŋ'ŧ ٳɛŧ ɧɛř ŧąıŋŧ ყơų."

"She's been nothing but kind to me." He managed to say through the haze he was feeling.

"She's different." He whispered.

"ŋơ, Şɧɛ'Ş ŋơŧ. Şɧɛ'Ş ʝųŞŧ קٳąყıŋɠ ɯıŧɧ ყơų."

"Şɧɛ ɖơɛŞŋ'ŧ Ćąřɛ ąცơųŧ ყơų ŋơř ɖơɛŞ ყơųř ŞıŞŧɛř." He was silent after that. The demon smiled in triumph. It had once again control over his mind.

|||••|||

It was 4:30 in the afternoon. As he had said, she got the mail at exactly four and she had done as she was instructed. She had sent the mail and now was patiently waiting for his arrival.

She couldn't bring herself to read the mail, it was probably business-related anyway, she told herself.

She was on her fourth can of mountain dew. She sighed for the billionth time that day. Five minutes later she saw Lucy, she came up to her and told her the conference was over and that Mr Snow requested her to come to meet him.

"Follow me." Sarah did. She was led to a reserved VIP section.

She saw him from afar-he was having a conversation with an older looking man. They finally got to where they were.