"Do you want the truth, Ava?" Like the snap of a whip, Rogan's voice shattered the silence in the room. His eyes were clouded with a turbulence that made my stomach turn, and his jaw was clinched. "The whole truth?"
I crossed my arms and wished for a steady voice. "Yes. I deserve that much."
His eyes locked with mine, but it seemed as though he was seeing past me, through me, to some unseen ghost of the past. His voice was low, as if saying it out loud would break the delicate bond between us. "You think you know everything, but you don’t," he whispered.
I tried to hide the growing wave of fear by leaning against the doorframe. "Then let me know. I'm sick of figuring things out by myself.
With a sharp sigh, Rogan seemed to prepare for a blow. "Ava, Aria was more than simply a person I loved. She was everything to me and my fulcrum. Because of what I had been through, I didn't think I could love anyone before she came along. In every nook and cranny of my darkness, she was a beacon.
His remarks pierced me like glass fragments. In an attempt to steady myself against the escalating storm in my chest, I felt my nails driving into my palms. "And what about me, Rogan?" My voice trembled as I asked. "Was I just a placeholder for your ‘light’?"
No response was more damaging than Rogan's quiet.
I muttered, "I knew it," more to myself than to him. Despite my determination, my voice broke. "I knew you still loved her, but I didn’t realize you never stopped."
His hand twitched as if he wanted to grab for me but decided against it, and he took a step closer. "Ava, it's not that easy. This was not how I wanted to feel. I made an effort—"
"Tried to what?" I interrupted him with a snap. "Tried to show me love? Have you tried to forget her? or made an effort to conceal your remorse so I wouldn't realize how much of your heart still belongs to her?"
His face crumpled into something unprotected and raw as he winced. "Ava, you have no idea what it's like to carry this. to lose someone you loved so much and have to live with the void they left behind. I felt like I could go on, and for a while, I thought I could with you. However, after Aria vanished..." The words remained stuck in his throat as his voice wavered. "I broke. And even though I didn't deserve it, I saw a way to start over when you entered my life."
His revelation weighed heavily on my chest as I gazed at him. His remarks were more than just an admission; they were a validation of all the fears I had struggled to suppress. "So, what am I to you, Rogan?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper. "Am I just a bandage to cover the wound she left?"
He responded hastily, "No," in a gruff, desperate voice. There is so much more to you than that. You inspire me to be a better person because you are tough and resilient. However, Aria..." His eyes were glossy with unshed tears when they opened after a brief period of closure. "She’s a part of me I can’t erase."
My throat constricted. "Rogan, that's the problem. She wasn't erased by you. You allowed her to remain. She was still present even after she left—in every glance you exchanged with me and every pause in your speech."
He didn't dispute it. Rather, he averted his gaze, his jaw tightening as he tried to control the feelings that threatened to overflow.
For a little period, the room was filled with unspoken realities that were irreversible. The air felt thick with the weight of his confession, and the walls seemed to close in.
"Why now?" I broke the stillness by asking. "Why now tell me all this? "What changed?"
His shoulders drooped as if he had lost the will to battle. "Because, Ava, I can't keep acting like this. Not when I watch the pain in your eyes whenever Aria's name is mentioned. I know you deserve more than half of my heart, so I won't do that.
Even to my own ears, the sound of my bitter laugh seemed empty and unfamiliar. "And, Rogan, what do you think I should do with that? Leave? Pretend I'm not second-best and stay? I'm in an awful situation because of you."
He extended his hand to touch me, but I resisted because the pain was too great. "I'm concerned about you, Ava. Yes, I do. However, I am unable to change how I feel or erase the past. Even if it means destroying us, I can only be honest with you.
Anger and sadness were at odds inside me as I shook my head. "Rogan, honesty is insufficient. Not when the reality is that I will never truly own you."
He started to reply, but was cut off by a loud knock on the door. The tension snapped taut like a wire on the verge of breaking, and we both froze.
"Who could that be?" My voice was still full of emotion when I asked.
Rogan scowled, his stance abruptly rigid. "Stay here," he replied, suddenly sounding protective rather than vulnerable.
I observed his cautious and methodical movements as he moved across the room. I noticed a tall man standing in the hallway's shadows when he opened the door.
The stranger said, "Rogan Wolfe," in a low, threatening voice. "I think it’s time we had a conversation."
I noticed Rogan's fists clenching at his sides as his body turned rigid. "Victor Langston," he uttered in a chilly, composed tone. "What do you want?"
Victor. My spine tingled at the name. The Alpha who was responsible for Aria's disappearance was a deadly rogue. As the parts started to fit together, my heart was pounding.
"Just a friendly chat," Victor stated as he entered the room without permission. A sly, predatory smirk grew across his face as his eyes shifted to me. "You must be Ava, then. The beautiful friend about whom I've heard so much."
Rogan snarled, "Get out," his voice full of caution.
Victor continued to stare at me, ignoring him. He uttered the words, "You look like a woman who appreciates the truth," in a tone that was cloyingly mocking. "Would you like to hear mine?"
Rogan attempted to block his way, but Victor stopped him with a gesture that was almost indolent. "Calm down, Wolfe. I'm merely here to converse. For the time being."
My heart began to race as the silent menace lingered in the air. I knew this was not going to be a straightforward chat, regardless of Victor's intentions.
Rogan responded, "Say what you came to say and leave," in a steely voice.
With a wicked gleam in his eyes, Victor grinned. Yes, I will. But what I have to say may not be to your liking. Rogan, you see, your beloved Aria wasn't the victim you believe her to be. And let's just say, Ava, you might want to reevaluate your allegiances."
Victor's remarks caused a wave of anxiety and uncertainty to wash over me, and I gasped. I was aware that any sinister secrets he held may destroy all I believed to be true.
And I knew this was just the beginning when he moved closer and met my eyes.