Chapter 206 The Lie I Told Her

Chapter 206 The Lie I Told Her
Darius's POV

I was heading back toward my room when I caught her scent drifting from beneath my office door, faint but unmistakable even through the wood. I stopped mid step and frowned, unsure why she would be in there of all places at this hour, then changed direction without giving myself time to think it through.
I pushed the door open and found Aria sitting in the chair across from my desk, an almost empty bottle of liquor resting loosely in her hand. Her eyes lifted to meet mine the moment the door creaked open, and something in her expression made my chest tighten immediately.
"Did you find out anything new?" she asked, her words coming out slightly slower than usual.
I crossed the room and gently pried the bottle free from her fingers, setting it on the desk out of easy reach. "I questioned Tyson," I said. "He admitted to helping her, but he claims he doesn't know where she went."
Her shoulders slumped further, and tears slipped free before she could stop them, tracking silently down her face. "We're not going to find her until she decides to show herself, right?," she asked, her voice breaking on the last word.
I lowered myself into the chair beside her, wanting to be at eye level rather than looming over her the way I currently was. Every part of me wanted to give her something solid to hold onto, some reassurance that would actually ease the fear sitting so plainly across her face. I thought of the words Tyson had spoken back in that cell, the certainty in his voice when he said Camille wouldn't risk coming back now that she had her freedom.
"She will not come back," I said, echoing his words as though they were entirely my own. "Trust me. She has her freedom now so she will not risk it by returning here.”
"Are you sure?" Aria asked, searching my eyes for something that would let her actually believe it.
I wasn't sure. Not remotely. Tyson could have lied to protect her. Camille could already be preparing her next step from wherever she had gone. The evidence we had did not guarantee she would stay away. But the look on Aria’s face left no room for that uncertainty tonight and I found that I would rather carry the weight of a lie than watch her carry the unsettling truth at this point.
"Yes," I said, and the word left me easier than it should have. "But even if she is foolish enough to try, I won't let her get anywhere near you. I promise you that much.”
Aria studied my face for a long moment, and something in her expression eased slightly, some of the tension finally draining out of her shoulders. "I'll take your word for it, then," she said quietly.
I could smell the liquor clearly on her breath now that I was closer, but I did not comment on it. Instead I reached out and cupped her cheeks gently, using my thumb to wipe away the last of the tears still tracking down her face.
She closed her eyes at the contact and leaned into my palm instead of pulling back the way she usually did. She let me hold her face like that for a long moment, her eyes fluttering close, and something in my chest ached at how rare this kind of stillness between us had become.
"Thank you," she murmured, so quietly that I almost missed it.
I didn't trust myself to say anything else, worried that if I spoke again, I would say too much or remind her of everything we were still trying to deal with. She had not forgiven me and I was acutely aware of that. However at this moment she was allowing me to comfort her and I wasn't going to ruin that. So I stayed quiet instead, holding her, watching her breathing slow gradually as the exhaustion and the liquor finally caught up with her all at once.
I don't know how long we stayed like that before her head tilted slightly to one side, her breathing evening out into something deep and steady. I watched her for a long moment, making sure she'd actually fallen asleep and wasn't simply resting her eyes, before I finally moved.
I stood slowly and gathered her carefully into my arms, one hand supporting her back, the other beneath her knees, lifting her without much effort at all. She stirred slightly against my chest, murmuring something incoherent before settling again, her head finding a spot against my shoulder like it belonged there.
I carried her out of the office and through the quiet hallways, careful to keep my steps even so I wouldn't jostle her awake, and made my way toward her room. A few people we passed along the way averted their eyes quickly.
I laid her down gently on her bed once we reached her room, pulling the blanket up over her carefully, and I stood there for a moment longer than I probably needed to, watching her sleep.
And as I did my resolve hardened. I was going to try my best to make sure she looked this peaceful from this moment on. I would make sure my lie wasn't so much of a lie and keep Camille far away from her.
Finally, I stepped out and closed the door behind me softly.