Hope- Aiden's POV

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Aiden's POV-

As I looked at her I could feel a hole forming in my chest. The way she winced as she moved and the way she unconsciously cradled her bandaged hand made me feel absolutely awful. I was responsible for everything! I got another girl hurt! It was my fault.

The way she looked at me though... It wasn't a look of blame or anger, it was soft and understanding. She wasn't looking at me with any judgment as I spoke. It was endearing, and that just annoyed me because I wanted to be angry... Not at her per se but at the situation. I needed her to leave me alone. I didn't want to hurt her.

I told her of my past. I laid it all out for her to see. I let her in on one of my deepest darkest secrets.

She needed to know... she needed to understand. It was difficult, but it was necessary. She had to see reason. She had to see me for what I truly was... a messed up man.

I couldn't take any more chances with her... with anyone. Everyone needed to stay away from me. I only brought pain upon the people in my life. I only hurt.

I knew she didn't see me that way though. I could see it in her eyes, she never saw me as that guy. She might have seen me as a jerk, as a narcissist, even as a fuck-boy... but she never saw me as a bad guy. It comforted me because I knew, from the harsh injuries that she showed up with, that she knew bad guys. To know that I wasn't roped in with them in her book was amazing.

Still, it didn't change anything... she needed to stay away for her own safety. She needed to forget our deal and move on to something else. It wasn't safe.

She wouldn't. I knew she wouldn't. She was a stubborn girl when it came to certain things, and that was one of those things. She wasn't going to leave me alone unless I forcibly removed her from my life. I was about ready to do that until she caught me off guard by her words.

"Do you know why I didn't die tonight? Because I fought back! Because... for the first time in my life, there is hope, real tangible hope!"

I felt myself softening at her frantic words. I was confused as to how I brought her hope, but it was the sentiment, nonetheless.

"Hope that I can go somewhere and be something. Hope that I will live through the things that have happened to me... If you hadn't agreed to our deal... I would be dead by now."

I took in a sharp breath at her ominous words. I was confused, but I knew that fire in her beautiful eyes... she wasn't lying.

She continued talking, saying things about people worse than Ronnie and the money she owed. I desperately wanted to know who it was, but I knew that she would have never told me anyways... I wanted to help her. I wanted to kill the people that had hurt her so greatly. I wanted to hurt the people who messed up her childhood.

"Look, I can't stop fighting... It's not an option for me," she told me with a determined set of her jaw.

She was so incredibly beautiful in that moment. The fire that was burning in her eyes was so incredible and bright, it was radiating out of her. I knew that there was no use in arguing with her, she had me wrapped around her finger and she no idea of it.

When I said nothing, she began to talk again. It was kind of cute seeing her be so passionate and stubborn. She wasn't going to drop any of it until she convinced me that I was a good guy. The things she was saying made sense. But... I had been thinking one way for so long that it was hard to tell myself differently.

"Aiden, Bri needs you right now. She hates herself." It was those words that instantly caught my attention. Bri had done nothing wrong...

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