The Man She Betrayed

59. Let It Out

Clara

"Hi." he said slowly, his Adam's apple moved up and down.

He looked still the same but the face that I once found attractive now appeared hideous to me. There were so many emotions blubbering inside me right now that I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"What are you doing here?" I gritted through clenched teeth, balling my hands into tight fists.

"I wanted to talk to you." he said, stepping closer and I took a step backwards, recreating the distance.

"There is nothing to talk." I said, controlling my anger and keeping my voice as low as possible. Few people that were passing through the stairs looked at us.

"Clara!"

"Just leave." I said harshly.

"Can I come in? Just for five minutes. I won't take any longer." he requested and I found a woman specifically stopping to listen to us.

Letting out a deep breath, I led him inside the door, just into the doorway and closed the door behind us.

"I didn't know..." he started and grief dripped from his face. "I didn't know about the baby until now."

"And that's supposed to somehow change everything?" I crossed my arms in front of chest in a defensive posture. I didn't believe his words, his actions, his eyes, nothing about him was worth giving another thought.

"I am not evil, Clara." he groaned.

"I beg to differ." I whispered, watching him with a bare face.

"Abandoning you was not a plan. I didn't run away with you, just so I could leave you behind. I just.... I couldn't survive in that lifestyle." he said.

"But I did. Thanks to you." I said with a blank voice.

He once again tried to step closer to me but I recreated the distance again. It ticked him off and he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"You of all people should know that everyone deserves forgiveness." he said and that angered me more.

"No. I know that forgiveness has to be earned." I seethed in fury.

"I'll earn it." he replied.

That made me let out a small chuckle. I threw a condescending glance at him and said, "Your father disowned you once and you are here to ask for my forgiveness. Go and spend six years in an unfamiliar place with no money and then I'll see what I can do."

"You and I, we are not any different Clara." he muttered under his breath. His grey eyes were filled with slight moisture and it aggravated me even more, knowing that it was just another one of his tactics.

"Yes we are. I never lied Ryan. I never told Aaron that I love him or that I'll stay with him forever. But you, you are a liar." my voice was getting higher. My hands itched to wrap around his neck to strangle him but I controlled the urge.

"You lied to Aaron. You lied to your Dad. You lied to me. And yet you have the nerve to come here. I didn't make Aaron leave his family for me. I didn't leave Aaron with an unborn child. I didn't leave Aaron to get raped. I didn't leave him homeless." I growled. By the end of the little speech, I was breathing hard.