𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | hotchniss

It must have been her fault his heart gave out

It took her exactly two minutes to make the tattoo artist agree to tattoo her, his refusal didn't come because she was fifteen it was just that he didn't like the place she wanted him to tattoo her, the process and recovery of a tattoo there will be painful and uncomfortable not really the best first experience for a first tattoo.

He told her having a tattoo on her ribs was not the ideal place, he said it's a sensitive spot which will be extremely painful, he suggested changing it to her upper arm or thigh which he believed was the perfect place to have a first tattoo, but she was stubborn and insisted on it, Matthew just gave the artist an amused smile and shrugged, as if he was non-verbally saying 'just give it up' And that was it he had no other choice but to obey.

Emily didn't care for his warnings, This act was subconsciously done solely for punishing herself and feeling something other than the emotional pain, she knew she can handle the physical one.

_
She wasn't surprised John was bearing bad news she just didn't expect it to be about Matthew even though she now realised what else can make him content her? They had not been talking really and Matthew was the only thing connecting them so if she rethought about it it wasn't surprising on the contrary it was expected.

She left the place, all of the memories and moments with Matthew racing through her mind, sadness, anger, guilt, regret all of the emotions in her were fighting for a spot in the inevitable moment of torture, fighting aiming to take over her completely.

_
"What's wrong?" Aaron felt his heart shattered seeing her like this, she looked so distressed so vulnerable he hated seeing her like this and he knew she did too.

The tenderness in his voice almost made her cry "Um... I just found out that... an old friend of mine died." She said "Matthew..." She found it hard saying his name after so long it felt strange, she never thought that she would ever say his name again announcing his death.

Aaron remembered Matthew from what she told him, he was her only friend the one who helped her when she found out she was pregnant and supported her through her abortion, Aaron now understood why she looked like this, she must be grief stricken.

"I'm sorry Emily..." He rested his files and stepped away from his desk with the irresistible urge to comfort her but his heart sunk even more witnessing her withdrawal.

He guessed she didn't want that, she was there in front of him but she wasn't really ready for anything, it was like standing in front of a tortured soul, but she needed something that he was sure of. "Do you need to take some time?"

She shook her head dismissively "Um... There's a chance that he could have been murdered" she shared "And there might be a second case." She added muttering quietly

‎"What do you need?"

"Just some leeway to check it out." She asked

"Of course. Anything" he said softly, he wanted to ask her for details for information but he could see how drained she looked and how hard it would've been for her, so he didn't.
"Thank you." She said

"Emily, if you wanna take a few days and let us Look into it..." he began, stopping her from leaving his office

"Matthew was... incredibly messed up, and I hadn't seen him in a long time, But he was Important to me." She said, it just proved Aaron there was no way she is going to step away from this and let them handle it alone.