Arranged Marriage to The Devil

Chapter 30: Eric's Story

***
If you are not comfortable with reading about LGBT then I suggest you to skip this chapter. But if you do not mind then continue on, enjoy! :) ***

Alex

I felt sick. Sick of being guilty. Rolling on the next side of my bed, I realize I was being pathetic.

Eric was out there, God knows where. He has been mistreated all these years and couldn't even tell a soul what has been going on.

I got out of my bed and then stretched my arms over my head. I needed to talk to Eric. Going over to my ensuite bathroom, I turned on the faucet and waited for the water to rise. A bath sounded pleasant at the moment. Soaking in lavender, feeling at peace. I did deserve this after everything has been going on.

I dropped a few drops of essence in the bubble bath, and turned on a music playlist to a low volume. The bath was almost filled with bubbles. the smell of lavender filling my nostrils to calm nerves. Turning off the water, I stripped out of my clothes and step inside the bath.
I closed my eyes and hummed into relaxation.

Eric has been on my mind for a while. How could I be relaxing when Eric must think I hate him?
I have sent him text last night to meet me at our spot. I glanced over at the clock and notice it was 2 in the afternoon. Panicking, I rinse off the bubbles then quickly stepped out of the bath without slipping. I wrapped my body with a towel and quickly went over to my closet, looking for a simple outfit.

I put on a simple t-shirt, grey leggings and my converse. I grabbed my keys and ran out the door. I turned on my engine and drove down the street to the public park. After a few minutes, I reached the parking lot of the park.

The park was big. Citizens can host parties, events or even summer camps will come here and enjoy a day at the park. I turned off my engine and gotten out of the car. I locked the door behind me and started waking. Walking past the park I see two children; a boy and a girl. Playing in the sand with their buckets and shovel.

Reminds me when Andrew and I use to go to the park and build sand castle. It was a time when we did not worry about other friends coming in between us. It was just Andrew and I. The only thing we worried about was the minutes we had left before our moms told us it was time to go home and wash up.

Why couldn't life be as simple as our childhood?

I look away and sighed. I notice I have reached the secret pathway and started to go through the trees. I climbed the bridge and continued to walk down the path until the pathway stopped and was replaced with a clean, dried patch of green grass. I slowly walked over and saw a boy with his eyes closed, his brown hair was moving with the wind. It was Eric.

"Eric?"

He opened his eyes and it flashed a sign of hurt. My heart ached. I sat down beside him, crossed my legs and looked out to the scenery. It was the town. We can see everyone and everything moving. We use to come here in the seventh grade and just talk, talk about everything we could imagine. We stopped when he moved, I haven't came here since then.

The view changed a bit, more houses, the construction site that was there a few years ago was replaced with the new mall. Everything change.

"I'm sorry,"

I brought my attention to Eric, his focus was still towards the sky. "I'm sorry for keeping this secret away from you,"

"Eric it's fine--"

"No," his eyes are staring directly into mine, "I was afraid. I became so afraid of what people will think of me that I started hurting people around me."