Chapter 64 TEARS!
Erica’s POV
I stared up at the sky, letting the warmth sink into my skin. It was hot but it felt like a tan.
For the first time in days, I was finally free from that sickly hospital bed. Aaron had made sure I stayed put, obeying every single instruction the doctor gave. He had called me stubborn, said it like an insult, but his eyes had softened when he said it.
I licked my lips, my thoughts drifting back to him.
He had left suddenly yesterday. No warning. No explanation. And he still wasn’t back.
I closed my eyes, letting the sun’s rays wash over me. It felt good, clean. Like breathing after being underwater for too long. Kalton was finally off my checklist. Gone. Dead. Buried in whatever hell—or paradise—he believed in.
A twig snapped behind me.
Instinct kicked in. I turned sharply.
Tee stood there, arms crossed, a familiar grin on her face.
“Wanted to do a sneak attack,” she said casually.
I rolled my eyes, then smiled back. “Come on,” I said, reaching for her hand and pulling her closer into the sunlight.
She raised her arm to shield her eyes. “You’ll get a fever if you stay out here too long,” she muttered.
My smile widened. “Isn’t that the goal?” She stared at me, her brow arching. “You want to get sick?”
A soft chuckle slipped from my lips. “I love nature. I don’t get sick.”
She snorted and folded her arms under her chest. “You’re not superwoman. Stop bragging.”
I turned to look at her properly. Sunlight danced across her face, and for a second, her expression shifted, something unreadable flickered in her eyes.
She froze.
“Sorry,” she said quickly, looking away. “I was staring.”
I laughed softly. “I don’t blame you. I’m too pretty.”
She smiled. “Yes. You are.”
We stood there in silence for a moment, letting the warmth settle between us.
“How did you meet Aaron?” I asked suddenly.
She turned to me, her hair sliding over one eye. “Meet?” Her smile grew wider. “He’s my savior.”
I frowned. “Aaron?”
She nodded.
“My father used to beat me,” she said calmly, like she was talking about the weather. “He hated that I looked like my mother more than him. Said it made me weak and disgusting”
She paused, then met my gaze. “I got tired of it. So I planned to kill him.”
My breath caught.
“I faced him with a knife,” she continued. “He won easily. Took the blade from me. He was about to use it on me when Aaron walked in.”
Her voice dropped. “His words were simple: ‘The money… or your daughter.’”
My chest tightened at her words.
“My father chose money,” she said flatly. “Aaron shot him. Right there. His skull… blood everywhere. It splattered on my face.”
She swallowed.
“I couldn’t look Aaron in the eyes. I was shaking. He crouched down, lifted my chin with his gun. I thought I was going to die too.”
Her lips curved into something dark. “He said, ‘If you can lift a fvcking knife, then follow my lead from now on.’”
She exhaled slowly. “That’s how I got recruited. Trained. Broken. Rebuilt.”
She looked at me. “Now I’m a fvcking killer.”
Silence wrapped around us.
I knew it then, Aaron had a heart. Buried deep. Hidden under blood and violence. But it was there. He took in the broken. He protected them in the only way he knew how.
“He still pets dogs,” Tee added quietly, staring at the sky. “He’s not evil, Erica. I hope you see that.”
I smiled faintly. “I do. Aaron is… Aaron. He changed, yes. But that part of him is still there. Buried.”
I paused. “If I had to choose between his nerdy self and his mafia self…” I smiled wider. “I would choose both.”
Tee laughed softly.
“Do you and the boss… have a thing?” she asked suddenly.
I froze.
The kiss flashed through my mind, his lips, the way they tasted of chocolate and vanilla, with caramel milk lingering like a sin. My heart skipped a beat.
“No,” I said quickly, gripping my jacket tighter.
Her eyes dropped to my hands. A knowing smirk curved her lips.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Really,” I insisted
.
“I know,” she replied lightly.
“Stop,” I muttered.
She giggled. “I didn’t say anything.”
I laughed, but unease crept into my chest.
“I think the boss might finally get over Celina,” Tee said.
I stiffened. “How?”
She tilted her head. “Someone’s making her fade away.”
My pulse quickened, because I know she met that someone was me.
“Does he have… trauma?” I asked quietly.
She leaned closer, her voice low. “Insomnia. And little triggers. His father doesn’t help, they’re oil and water. He bottles everything inside.”
She sighed. “But lately… he sleeps better.”
My hands trembled.
“He won’t go to therapy,” she added. “He shuts everyone out.”
I swallowed. “How about I help?” She blinked. “How?”
“He’s falling for you,” she said simply.
My breath hitched. “No—no. Not that.”
She smiled knowingly. “That’s why he sleeps.”
My stomach churned.
“Stop teasing,” I muttered.
She squeezed my hand. “Thank you. Really.” I stared at her hands and turned to her.
“What do you think of Celina?” I asked quietly.
Her smile faded. "She was a broken soul. Used. Her young love hurt her, yet Aaron loved her deeply.”
My cheat tightened in pain.
“Can he ever forget her?” I whispered.
She nodded, but I knew it wasn’t that simple.
He wasn’t forgetting.
He was falling again, with the same soul, same heart. The only difference was our faces and identity.
Fear wrapped around my spine.
If he ever found out who I was… “Tee,” I said softly. “The sun and the moon can never meet.”
Her eyes saddened. “They ca—” but she stopped mid-sentence.
Footsteps rushed toward us. “It’s important!” the man yelled.
My phone buzzed.
“What is it?” I asked the man, yet his silence followed.
Then Jaxon’s voice cracked through the line. “Emily and Jolie… they were taken.”
The phone slipped from my fingers, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
My vision blurred.
Tears fell freely.