Blind Beauty

Blind Beauty | 8

Chapter Ocho

Aaron was most likely the most kind, charming, and courteous man Arlette had ever met. He was so funny, Arlette constantly grabbed onto her sides and wiped her tears from laughter. He made the lamest of jokes, but that’s what made them funny, and Arlette was just about to die with him.

    After several moments of crazy laughter (and calming herself), she felt good. Arlette hadn’t had a good laugh since she could remember. All she can remember were worries. There were happy times, but they were masked with the constant worries. She always tried to see the bright side to everything though, which often almost worked.

    “I must say, Arlette, you’re so bewildering,” said Aaron amused, but quickly added, “Not in a bad way, though. But in the beautiful and delightful way. In the way that makes you want to know more, and at the same time, be more confused.”

    She couldn’t really understand what he meant. Arlette didn’t found herself that interesting. But the way he said it, proved her wrong. He seemed to find her very interesting.

    The Prince too, stupid. Remarked a voice at the back of her mind, making her reluctantly remember.

    But the thought was pushed back when she heard Aaron talk.

“I heard what happened to your village.” Said Aaron, more calmly now. He had stopped laughing and making jokes, his voice turned pleasant and serious, showing the deep importance he felt for Arlette’s village.

They had also stopped walking.

Arlette nodded slowly, her expression changing as she bowed her head a little. So much memories had been burned and shattered away, the thought itself made her feel a pang deep in her heart, making her eyes sting a little with tears. She pushed them away, but they were there—she could feel them. Her lips quirked up into a small, sad smile, “Some say things happen for a reason...” Aaron took her cold hand gently as she continued to talk, more shaky now, “So perhaps we have to accept them.”

“Not always,” said Aaron softly. “Some accept them because they have to, because Fate doesn’t give them another option. Instead of getting passed the pain, they live with it, not even noticing, and not ever accepting the fact that something that was so precious to them is suddenly gone.” His fingers touched her cheek as the wind blew her hair away. He was trying to make her understand that it was okay to feel this way. And that, just that, made her feel a little bit better.

“I miss it,” whispered Arlette, so much, it hurts.

Aaron engulfed her in a warm, soothing embrace then. He hugged her tightly, not saying anything. Arlette didn’t contribute either, so she just buried her face in his chest as small tears started to fall.

It was so comforting to be in his arms, she didn’t want to let go. It was like he wanted to take away all her pain in that embrace. Like he was letting her hand him all her worries, and he accepted them easily.

His emotions were so potent, she could identify every single one of them easily. But they were all in a mist, floating in a foggy cloud up at the top of her head.