Chapter 29(Unedited)

Song of the chapter: If the World Was Ending by JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels.

Aaron's POV

I stared at my phone, a sense of disbelief washing over me as I read the text from Amelia. It had been years since we had last spoken, and her sudden message was like a bolt from the past. The words were simple yet filled with urgency: "Aaron, I need your help."

I couldn't deny that a part of me was skeptical, that this could be some elaborate trap. But another part, a part that had never truly let go of the past, believed that maybe, just maybe, Amelia was in genuine danger.

I brought up the matter with Simon. His response was swift and unwavering.

"Aaron, you can't trust her," he said firmly. "After everything that happened, there's no way this is anything but a trap."

I leaned back in my office chair, running a hand through my hair. Doubts swirled in my mind, warring with the memories of a time when Amelia and I had been inseparable.

Could I really trust her? I wondered.

Simon's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Aaron, you remember what she did, right? She's not to be underestimated."

I nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words. Amelia had been a part of my past, a past filled with pain and betrayal. But the message she had sent had ignited a spark of curiosity, a flicker of hope that maybe there was more to her plea than met the eye.

What if she's telling the truth? I mused.

Simon's gaze bore into mine, his concern palpable. "Aaron, I'm just looking out for you. Be careful."

I knew he was right, that caution was warranted, but something in me refused to let go of the possibility that Amelia might genuinely be in trouble.

In the end, my curiosity got the better of me, and I made a decision. I would meet with Amelia, but I would do so cautiously. I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not after everything that had transpired between us.

As I typed out my response to her message, agreeing to the meeting, I couldn't help but wonder what awaited me in this unexpected reunion. The past was a murky, tangled web, and I was about to step back into its depths, guided by a mixture of skepticism and a lingering sense of nostalgia.

Simon's words echoed in my mind as I stood outside Amelia's office. The door was slightly ajar, and a dim light spilled into the corridor. I couldn't see much inside, but my hand rested inside my blazer, fingers grazing the handle of the gun concealed beneath. It had been a long journey to get here, a journey that had taken me through memories I'd tried to bury, memories of a family torn apart.

With cautious steps, I pushed open the door and entered. The room was cast in shadow, and for a moment, I couldn't make out anything in the dim light. My heart pounded in my chest, an echo of the past.

Then, a voice, soft yet familiar, shattered the silence.

"Why did you come, Aaron? After everything I did, you came here to save me?"

I turned towards the source of the voice, and there she stood, Amelia, her expression a mix of surprise and sorrow. Her face, still hauntingly beautiful, held the traces of time's passage. Those once bright eyes now carried the weight of secrets.

"Why did you ask for my help?" I asked, my voice steady but laced with confusion.

Amelia sighed, her gaze averted, as she sank to the floor. "I needed to see you."

The words hung in the air, and I couldn't fathom what was happening. This wasn't the reunion I had expected. Amelia had been my past, a past filled with pain and betrayal, but now she stood before me, her vulnerability on display.

But beneath her fragile exterior, I sensed a different truth, one that had remained hidden for far too long. As the silence lingered between us, memories I had tried to suppress resurfaced, like ghosts from the past.

It had been eight years since I had seen Amelia, eight years since the night that had torn our lives apart. A night that had left my brother dead, their blood staining our once-happy home. The pain of that betrayal had etched itself into the very core of my being.

The question that had gnawed at me ever since I received Amelia's desperate message was, "Why now?" Why had she reached out after all these years, as though the past could be forgotten or forgiven? I couldn't understand how she could act as though nothing had happened.

Anger and frustration welled up inside me. My fingers tightened around the concealed gun, my knuckles turning white. I had carried the weight of my family's loss and the burning desire for justice for years. Now, it seemed that Amelia was back to taunt me with her presence.

"You think you can just waltz back into my life and expect everything to be okay?" I finally snapped, my voice laced with bitterness. "After what you did?"

Amelia's shoulders slumped, her head bowed as though she couldn't bear to meet my accusing gaze. "I don't expect you to forgive me, Aaron. I know I can never make amends for what happened."

I took a step closer, the room's dim light revealing the lines of weariness etched into her face. "Then why, Amelia? Why come back now?"

She hesitated, her fingers absently tracing patterns on the cold, hard floor. "I didn't expect you to understand. I didn't even expect you to come. But I had to try. I had to see you."

The anger inside me churned, threatening to boil over. She had no right to ask anything of me after what she had done. "You had to see me? After all these years, after what you did?"

Amelia's voice was barely above a whisper. "I wanted to explain, to tell you the truth."

My grip on the gun loosened slightly, curiosity mingling with anger. The truth? What truth could possibly justify the horrors of that night? "Explain? Tell me the truth, then."

Tears glistened in her eyes as she finally looked up, her gaze locking onto mine. "I loved you, Aaron. More than anything. But I was trapped, forced into something I couldn't control."

I shook my head, unable to comprehend her words. "Love? You killed my father and my brother, Amelia."

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Yes, I did. But it wasn't by choice. They threatened to kill you too if I didn't do as they said."

My mind reeled, struggling to process the revelation. She claimed she had been coerced, but it was too much to take in all at once. The emotions within me churned, a turbulent mix of anger, confusion, and a glimmer of doubt.

Amelia's voice wavered as she continued, "I thought I could protect you by following their orders. I thought I could keep you safe, even if it meant sacrificing everything else."

I couldn't deny the genuine despair in her eyes, but it didn't absolve her of the terrible crimes she had committed. "That doesn't change what happened, Amelia. My family is gone because of you."

She nodded again, tears falling freely now. "I know. I'll carry that guilt with me for the rest of my life. But I had to reach out to you, to try to explain, to ask for your help."

I took a step back, my mind still grappling with the revelations. I hadn't expected this when I entered her office, the resurgence of emotions and the unveiling of a hidden truth. But now, faced with Amelia's tearful confession, I was left with a choice.

To help her or to turn my back on the woman who had shattered my world.

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and regret. "I love you, Aaron. I always have."

The words hit me like a wave, crashing against the walls I had built to protect myself from the memories of our shared past. Amelia's confession was a revelation I had never expected, and it left me momentarily stunned. How could she love me after everything that had transpired between us?

But then, my thoughts raced to Greg, her boyfriend. Confusion and disbelief swirled within me as I struggled to make sense of her emotions.

"Greg," I said, the name escaping my lips involuntarily. "You're with him."

Amelia's smile faded at the mention of his name, and she looked away, her gaze fixated on some distant point. "I've never been as happy as I was when we were together."

The turmoil within me grew stronger. Amelia's admission was like a tempest, stirring up emotions I had long suppressed. My mind raced, trying to comprehend the complexity of her feelings and the implications of her words.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice tinged with frustration. "What do you want from me?"

Amelia's expression turned solemn, and she met my gaze with a deep sadness in her eyes. "I'm going to die, Aaron."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer, and I staggered back, unable to grasp the gravity of what she had just revealed. "What? Why would you say that?"

She sighed, her shoulders slumping, as if a heavy weight had settled upon her. "There are things you don't know, Aaron. Things I can't explain right now. But I needed you to know how I felt, one last time."

A sense of dread washed over me, and I knelt down in front of her, my voice pleading. "Amelia, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and expect me to understand. What's going on?"

She met my gaze, tears glistening in her eyes. "I can't tell you everything, not now. There are secrets that must remain hidden. But I needed you to know the truth about how I feel. I wanted you to hear it from me."

As I looked into Amelia's tearful eyes, I couldn't help but feel a whirlwind of emotions. Her love for me had survived the years, despite the pain and betrayal of our shared past. But her cryptic mention of impending doom left me with more questions than answers.

"Why are you saying you're going to die?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern. "Amelia, you can't just leave me in the dark about something so serious."

Amelia reached out and touched my cheek, her fingers warm against my skin. "I wish I could explain everything, Aaron. But there are powerful forces at play, and my life is in danger because of the choices I made in the past."

My frustration and confusion deepened. "What kind of choices, Amelia? What have you gotten yourself into?"

She withdrew her hand and glanced around the dimly lit room as though expecting unseen eyes and ears to be lurking in the shadows. "I can't say more right now. But I needed you to know how I felt about you before it's too late."

I couldn't deny the turmoil that Amelia's presence had stirred within me. Her words had reopened wounds I had thought long healed, and the revelation of her love for me added a layer of complexity I hadn't anticipated. But her cryptic hints about danger left me with a sinking feeling that our reunion was not just about unresolved emotions.

"Amelia," I said, my voice a mix of frustration and concern, "you can't expect me to walk away from this. If you're in danger, if there's something I can do to help, you have to tell me."

She shook her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. "I appreciate your concern, Aaron. But there are people who would stop at nothing to keep me silent. It's a tangled web, and I can't risk involving you any further."

The weight of her words hung in the air, leaving me torn between my desire to protect her and my respect for her need to keep certain truths hidden. It was a maddening conundrum, one that threatened to consume me.

"Amelia," I said, my voice determined, "at least promise me this: whatever you're facing, you won't face it alone. If you ever decide to share the whole truth with me, I'll be here."

She managed a faint smile, though it was tinged with sadness. "Thank you, Aaron. You've always been the one person I could trust."

As we sat in that dimly lit room, the weight of our shared history and uncertain future pressed upon us. Amelia's love for me had resurfaced, and the shadow of her impending doom loomed large. But for now, we remained bound by a complex web of emotions and secrets, unsure of where this unexpected reunion would ultimately lead us.

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✨ Today's Question: ✨
What do you think Amelia's true intentions are in reaching out to Aaron after all these years?