Chapter 17 Mysterious Eyes.
Aria.
We were eating, the smile on my face wavering, when grandma caught my eye and held it. We stared at each other for a long moment before I realized it. It was a short, quick flashing before my eyes.
I was still healing, my wounds were still all over me.
The scars were still there, the blade cuts, everything.
I looked at her, and the confusion spread over her face very quickly. I didn't know what to say, my brain was already searching for answers, finding none every single time.
“What happened to you, my child?” she asked me. I didn't know what to tell her. I looked from Grayson to myself and back to her. I didn't know what to do.
Thoughts of lying about some accident spread in my mind, but the problem was, grandma could always tell when I lied.
She could always tell.
I don't know how she did it, but she could always tell when I lied. I also could not tell her about everything that happened yesterday. It wasn't even going to be possible. It wasn't going to happen.
“Aria had a run yesterday. Um, with some men, they cut her. And I stepped in just in time to save her.” His face was unquestionably stern. He was trying to cover up for me.
“Really?” She looked at me, questioning me. I just kept silent, looking at her, the smile on my face fading quickly. She looked at him now.
“Yes, I met her on the road, bleeding profusely. And I helped her and took her home. We were good friends from way back. So I had to help her. He looked at me and smiled. We talked things through though, and she is feeling much better.” He smiled at grandma now.
I could marry this man.
“Yes, grandma.” My voice was shaky, but I expected her to just chalk it up to the fact that I was remembering the experience.
“Oh baby, I'm sorry. Come here.” She called for me, and I went, taking solace in her arms as the tears welled up in my eyes. I never expected her hands to be this comforting, even without knowing what was wrong.
“It's okay, my child. I have a couple of herbs and creams to help you with the scarring, okay? I'm so sorry that happened to you.” Her concern pierced my heart.
“It's okay, Nana. I'll be fine. I'll just use whatever you ask of me.” She raised my face up and kissed my forehead.
“You'll always be my sweet little girl. Just be safe next time, okay?”
“Yes, I will.” She finally let me go back to where I was sitting before.
So what do we do, Grayson? Tell me. Explain everything to me. Can they be found? Is there a way to file a report?”
“Well, no, really, because she doesn't want to file a report.” He said simply looking my way for support.
“Sweetie, why don't you want to file a report?” She turned to me, looking into my eyes.
“Well, she just doesn't want to have any relation to the events again. She'd much rather prefer to forget it, honestly. I asked her multiple times, and she made it clear that she was okay with not filing a report.” He kept butting in, stopping me from saying anything so I didn't lie.
“She actually didn't want anything filed, even.” He didn't need help. He was swift, abating fears easily. I smiled a small smile at him, encouraging him to go on with it. I didn't want to say a word.
The moment any word came out of my mouth, she would know that we both were lying. So I just stayed there, silent, hands folded before myself.
“Well, Grayson, isn't it time for you to get going?”
“Yes, yes it is. I'll be leaving now, Nana. Can I call you that?”
“Of course you can, Grayson. I didn't even know your name. But of course you can, my darling. I will see you another day, yes? Thank you so much for helping my baby. I am eternally grateful.” She spread her arms wide, and Grayson took them, hugging her back solidly.
They smiled at each other as he left, and I followed behind him, not wanting to have to sit with Nana for a couple minutes.
We walked back down the hallway, taking the stairs again, and I thought about what had just happened, and how to avoid the conversation with Nana entirely.
We stopped before his bike, the sun fully out now, and we exchanged a few words.
“You saved my life back there.”
“It’s nothing.”
We were silent a little while just staring at each other in the sunlight.
“So, what are you going to do about her now?”
“Well, I'll just have to continue to avoid the conversation until things get better.”
“So now, how do we find this person? Because I'm going to. Do you have any idea who this person might be?” His words took me by surprise with their urgency.
“Honestly? No.” I started , looking down at my feet. “I don't know who I'd hurt so badly to have to have gone through all of that.” He nodded, picking his helmet up.
“Take care of yourself, Aria. Promise me you will take care of yourself.” I nodded, staring at him.
I didn't know why he cared, but his care meant the entire world, and then some.
“I'll take care of myself. I promise.” He nodded at me. Sitting, getting on his bike, and throwing the helmet on. I looked into the street unwilling for him to leave, but not wanting to stop him either.
I wouldn't be the reason he'd skip the entire day's worth of progress.
Then I noticed it.
A car. A small black Beetle. With a man in a suit, inside. The window was wound down, and he was staring intently at me. Our eyes met.
His eyes were shielded by his glasses, so I didn't know what he was looking at. I looked around me, figuring he was staring at somebody else, or trying to get another person's attention, or waiting for somebody.
Grayson started the motorcycle, revving it a couple times.
I felt those eyes.
He was watching me.
I left him there, walking down the street and following my eyes to the car, where the man in the suit sat. Before I could get there, his engine revved, and he drove off, leaving only smoke in his wake.
A small child looked out of the back windshield, and waved at me.
Oh, he was probably waiting for someone. That was why he came here with his child. I breathed, my fears abated a little.
I was still suspicious, but there was little else I could do, considering he had driven away.
I walked back to the motorcycle, finding that Grayson hadn't driven away. I thought he would have gone by now.
“Where did you go?” He asked, helmet off and hand in his hair.
“I thought someone was watching me. It's probably nothing.”
“It's probably nothing? Oh, it probably is something, considering that you just came out of an assault. Where did you see the person? Where did they go?” He walked forward, ready to follow my directives.
“They’ve driven off. There was a child in the back. There was no way it was me they were waiting for.” He looked at me, still considering his options.
“Okay, I will be going now. Take care of yourself, Aria.” He threw on his helmet again, revved the motorcycle one more time, and drove off.
I turned around and walked back into the apartment building, my body still shivering from those eyes.