Dark Secrets

XXXVI.

a/n

This chapter is dedicated to my darling @ThresiaSuzy, for all the support and love she has shown me and this story since I started! xo

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The world had broken me several times. First was when I was taken by Him. Second, when I watched my sister die. And now, as I stood looking at the red graffiti sprawled across the back wall, when I dreaded the day that He would not only come for me, but for those I selfishly sucked into my life. If you haven't learned it already, you will: the world eventually splinters everyone into a million little pieces, no matter who you are and what you do to prevent it. I tried to be kind, to be understanding, patient, and just. But it didn't matter, the world wanted to destroy me anyway. Those it didn't break, weaken, or destroy, it killed. Like Emelia, my sweet, innocent Emelia.

Looking at the destruction to the bar, I knew that the world had made its final strike against me, hoping to paralyze my resolve and push me into the oblivion. The bar was destroyed, to say the least. Every bottle, liquor or beer, looked like it had been smashed against the bar. The chairs were overturned, the windows smashed, and the bright red letters that read "He's Coming" on the back wall.

My lungs collapsed at the sight of the words. It was no doubt meant for me. I dreaded this day, the day my bubble would collapse and those around me would see what a danger to them I really was. Something Nathan worked so hard to build, destroyed in minutes. The fear that I had tried to hard to eradicate over the last several months slowly began eating away at me like maggots on rotting meat. My chest tightened, my breathing accelerated, and my mind couldn't process the destruction fast enough.

I turned to look at Nathan. His face was blank, soaking in the ruin before us. The pain of the last several months had come flooding back, paralyzing me with fear, despair, and lividity. But nothing compared to the look on his face. The knot in my stomach made my legs weak, I couldn't contain the sick feeling I felt from putting Nathan's life and livelihood at risk.

I began to hyperventilate, clutching my stomach as I struggled for air. Nathan grasped my head between his hands, hunching over to get us eye-to-eye, trying to calm me down.

"Tigre, it's alright. We're all okay, it's all going to be okay. I'm here."

"No..." I choked on my sobs and tried to inhale, "Nathan, he can't be here!"

"Baby, I need you to breathe for me, okay?" Nathan turned to Shay and told her to get me a glass of water. He rubbed up and down the length of my arms as I tried to breathe easier.

"Nathan, I need to leave. I can't be here. He'll come." I was panicked.

I tried to tell myself to calm down, but my body wasn't on the same page as my conscious mind. I did everything I could to keep my breathing steady, but my cheeks were already flushed, my heart was racing so fast I could feel my pulse in every limb of my body, and I couldn't stop the shakiness in my hands. You're not afraid, you've trained for this, you won't let him hurt anyone.  I knew I was tough enough to handle this, but my body and my heart had been through this with Scott before, and they were more easily shaken. And knowing that he was this close and was simply taunting me with that fact made everything intensified.

Nathan pressed his forehead to mine, breathing deeply and holding my head in place. When he pulled back, he looked straight into my eyes. His green orbs somehow made everything slow down, bringing my body to a more peaceful state.

"Sigrid, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. And I know you're not going to let anything happen to me. We're going to fight together, remember?"

I nodded, still feeling unsure.

"Wh-what about the bar?"

"That's what we have insurance for, tigre. No one is hurt and that's what matters. We'll get Aiden and Shay to clean this place up and we'll head back home, okay?"

I nodded again. My thoughts were processing at an impossibly sluggish speed.

Why did the graffiti read "He's" Coming? Why was he talking in the third person?

Why did he destroy the whole bar? It wasn't his style to make a public show unless necessary.

How could I have missed seeing him here? This town is small and someone would've noticed a stranger, especially a deranged one.

I was cut out of my thoughts by Nathan's frantic voice.

"Has anyone seen Aiden?!"

I looked around at everyone shaking their heads. Aiden was scheduled to be in before we were, it was strange that he was late.

"I'm going to check the office."

I walked quickly with Nathan to the back, my nerves still wound tightly. I tried to relax and stay positive like Nathan was trying to do, but that was until I saw the pool of blood coming from under the office door.

Nathan shouted, "Shay! Call 911."

Nate busted down the door-- something, I might add, in any other circumstance I'd watch happily with a bowl of popcorn-- to find Aiden lying face down on the floor.

"Nate, you can't move him. He might've hit his head!"

Nathan nodded in agreement. We crouched low, trying to see any superficial wounds. The blood seemed to be coming from his head, with a minor cut on the ridge of his brow and a small gash on his arm.

Shay came running in, shrieking when she saw Aiden's seemingly lifeless body and frantically describing the scene to the 911 responder. Noah followed, visibly stressed out and pulling at his hair, followed by Thea, who just stood silently with her hands covering her mouth, the panic evident in her eyes.

We all stood still, silently praying that Aiden would be okay and mentally willing the ambulance to come faster. When they finally arrived, they hurried us away from Aiden to assess his damage. After several taxing minutes, they finally loaded him onto the gurney and rushed to make their way to the hospital. Nathan followed alongside the emergency responders as they rolled Aiden to the ambulance. When Aiden's eyes fluttered slightly, Nathan shouted to the paramedics. 

Aiden's eyes opened only for a moment to look at Nathan. When their eyes locked, Aiden hoarsely whispered, "Germ-y."

Thea and Noah looked at each other in confusion.

"What is he talking about?"

Shay chimed in, "He's talking gibberish... oh my god it's probably a traumatic brain injury!"

"No," I interjected forcefully. Nathan stopped in his tracks as if he had just figured out the same thing I had. We locked eyes, mine beginning to well up with tears as I comprehended the gravity of what Aiden was trying to say. As if the world hadn't broken me into enough pieces already, I fell apart when my heart cracked once more for the people I had put in jeopardy, not only with Scott, but now with a new enemy.

"It was Jeremy."