𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝟏𝟖+

chapter eighteen

ARIA

THE ENTIRE NIGHT, I pondered over what he had meant. I couldn't grasp it, and it refused to leave my mind, his words echoing repeatedly until I finally chose to close my eyes and drift into sleep. The next morning, I was awakened by Ronan's dog jumping onto me, showering me with profuse licks until I gave in and woke up.

I settled on the name "Seal." If neither Viktor nor Ronan were going to name him, I would. Seal was the perfect name, for reasons I won't get into, but it simply felt right. It held significance and meaning.

"Since I'll be staying here, could I perhaps take Seal for a walk or join you when you do?" I asked of Viktor as he cleared my plate. His lips curved into a frown. "Seal?" he questioned. I smiled and shrugged in response. "It's just something I came up with," I explained.

"Seal," he echoed, a smile forming. "I like it."

He had walked around the kitchen island, to place the dirty dishes into the sink. He had washed them, and after he dried them with a white cloth. "And the answer to your question, is yes, you may. But we're only allowed around the corner and back." I sent him a nod his way, and we began to make our way to seal and head out to bring him on a walk.

Seal was attached to his leash, walking through the streets, tongue out and tail wagging - it was the cutest thing. By my side was Viktor, who had informed me that we were only taking a walk around the street without making any other stops, and I complied.

"How long have you lived in Moscow?" I asked.

"Four years. I came here around the same time Ronan and Nicholas did. Just like them, I was born in a town called Kyzyl. It took me about a year to adapt to this lifestyle, considering the town I was born in was nothing like this," he replied, briefly glancing around before focusing his attention back on me.

I continued to listen as he spoke. "Before I met Ronan and Nicholas, my life was completely different. I went through a challenging period that one could only hope to never experience. Both my parents were drug addicts, and that affected me deeply. Things worsened as I reached your age. Growing up with parents who cared only about drugs and nothing else was tough. I guess they're right when they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Drugs became all I knew, all I cared about. But that changed when I met Ronan and Nicholas. They transformed my life, and I can't express how grateful I am for them." His words hit me like a wave, and I felt a storm of emotions wash over me.

He then lifted his coat sleeve, revealing a semicolon tattoo - a symbol of overcoming a difficult time in your life: addictions, or any other mental illnesses.

"I'm glad you were able to overcome such a difficult situation. But how did you manage to take care of Nicholas and Ronan on your own, especially during that difficult period?" I questioned.

As we turned a corner, the house came into view just a few minutes away. "Two weeks before I met Nicholas and Ronan, I nearly experienced an accidental overdose," he began. "That was the moment I truly realized I needed to change. Not only for my own well-being, but also because both my parents had died from overdoses. I had always told myself I wouldn't become like them, but I failed. When I woke up in a hospital bed, connected to machines, I saw it as a sign. My parents didn't get a second chance, but I did. I decided to embrace that chance and change, because second chances don't come again that often." he finished.

We were now standing in front of the house. I let the leash go, and seal ran inside the gate. Viktor let me get in first, and he followed behind me. I turned my body to face his, and decided to walk backwards, but that was a terrible idea because I hit something hard. I assumed it was a wall, but once I turned around it wasn't a wall. Instead, it was a chest, a hard chest that felt like a brick wall.