~Aurora.
I couldn't understand what I was thinking, getting close to Ethan like that, holding him in my arms and breathing his air. I should have known that ten years wouldn't change anything, it couldn't. I should have seen the blaring signs, I should have listened to my head when it told me to stay far away from him.
Ethan Balor.
Those eyes of his were my Achilles' heels and his lips, I was certain, would be my downfall. Perhaps, more than it did to me years ago.
It is all in the past now, Aurora. I said to myself as I ran.
I needed to get it into my head that I couldn't reconnect to the past, especially when the said past was a handsome demon that threatened the life of my innocent child.
I couldn't afford to cave in, if not for myself, for the sake of Arne who had nothing to do with our past relationships and terrible end.
You can't give in, Aurora.
I was out of breath when I got to the guest quarters and already wheezing as I pushed the door and stepped into the room.
“Did you run?” Arne asked with a raised brow as he sat up on the bed, with evidences of dirt stuck on his face.
“You haven't cleaned up?” I questioned in defense. I didn't want him to learn that I had run away from Ethan, if he did, it would have led to questions which would lead to more questions.
“I just wanted to get some rest, first.” He took his legs off the bed and pulled off his shoes.
“Yeah, well, you can always do that after getting clean.” I reached for the bedsheet and pulled it off the bed and threw them to the side, it was already stained by Arne's dirty shoes. “Go on.” I waved him off, and he stepped into the bathroom.
Truly, Arne freshening up was the least of my problems. My mind was occupied with the thought of letting him live with knowing the truth or breaking his innocent heart.
Once he stepped out of the bathroom, I handed him his pyjamas and watched him get dressed. His hair ruffled as he pulled his shirt through it. Arne was quite a tall boy for his age and I knew, obviously, he took that from Ethan.
“Anything on my face?” He asked as he swiped the back of his palm against his face.
I shook my head, my eyes still searching his face. “No, you can rest all you want now.” I drew closer to the bed and watched him as he climbed the bed, still wondering if I should tell him the truth.
Arne didn't deserve to be lied to, I knew, but, he was also still very young. And innocent. He had no need harboring hate and fear in him at such a little age, all he needed was love and peace, even if it meant lying to him to give it to him, although I never imagined doing that.
Sighing, I went to sit at the edge of the bed as Arne changed channels on the television.
'His father was all he wanted to talk about.' Ethan's words rang in my head, and I played with the hem of my dress in between my fingers. Perhaps, I thought, the time he spent with Ethan triggered that thought.
I could feel tears cloud my eyes as I continued staring down at Arne, my sweet, lovely child. I had made a promise, when he was born, to give him all he could ever want, and it broke my heart that I couldn't give him what he needed; a father figure. That was why he liked Ethan.
“What did you do today with Ethan?” Arne's eyes lit up as he turned to me as a knock came on the door, ruling out the question. While Arne turned back to the television, I rose to open the door.
I was surprised to see Sam at my door, with his hands on his knees as he tried to gather his breath, beads of sweat running down his face.
“Is… everything alright, Sam?” I asked, and he shook his head as he returned to his full height.
“No, doctor, you are urgently needed at the royal infirmary.”
“Did anything happen?”
“Come with me and see for yourself.” I nodded.
“Just allow me a second to get Arne.” I said and turned to walk into the room, but he held me by my hand, stopping me.
“Leave him for now, the nanny will come for him later, we need to come with me now, doctor, it is really urgent.”
I shut the door behind me and hurried out to the infirmary, with Sam leading the way.
Once we got there, Sam led me to the section when four rooms lines next to each other, and he opened the door to one of the four rooms in the section and my eyes fell on Nathan, Ethan's dad, with a breathing mask on his face and tubes attached to his body.
Ethan was crouched by Nathan's side, holding his hand with his head buried into Nathan's bed. Immediately after we walked in, Ethan dropped Nathan's hand and rushed to me.
“Thank God you are here, Aurora, my dad,” he pointed to Nathan "he is not okay, he is in a terrible condition, he is dying, Aurora, dying, please do something to help him,” He gripped my shoulders while searching my eyes, “Help him please, Aurora, please don't let him die."
He was scared, I saw it clearly in his eyes. It was my first time, since knowing Ethan, to see him scared about something. He was terrified none the least, obviously panicking.
Sweat was trickling down his face just the same way, lines of fear were running through his face. He was scared, and I was scared for him. I looked at his hands on my shoulders and found them shaking.
Ethan was scared to the extent of shaking. I shuddered. Somehow, Asher's fear was beginning to become my fear. I was started to shake on noticing his lips quiver. He was holding back his tears, Ethan was scared that he was slightly away from crying.
The fear in his eyes was very evident. I turned my eyes to Nathan and found him in the same state he was when I stepped in. He was weak, just a few steps away from death.
“Please, Aurora, do something.” Ethan pleaded again through a whisper, and without thinking, I pulled Ethan to myself and wrapped my arms around his neck.
I noticed him go stiff for a moment, probably shocked that I was hugging him, before I felt him giving into the hug and wrapping his arms around my back
His grip on me was tight as he buried his face in my neck. Tears clouded my eyes immediately as a stray tear dropped from my eyes.
I blinked back the tears and patted Ethan's back softly. A desperate gasp escaped his lips before he exhaled deeply as we both tried to calm our racing hearts and regulate our breaths. His hands my still gripping my back, and I was still patting his back, we stood there in there unmoving and I noticed our heartbeats slowly beginning to sync, beating against each other's body in the same rhythm.