Forgotten Memories

Chapter 12

It had been almost a month since Cole and Arael had moved back into the cabin and he felt drained emotionally, physically and mentally of all life and love. He was broken and had finally given up on her ever remembering or loving him. He was slowly getting things ready to send her and her family back to their Kingdom, Haven, while mending his broken heart on the sidelines. Their trip was sorted out and her parents had begun packing already. All he still had to do was tell her. He wasn't sure how she would react so he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Arael?",he called out as he knocked on the door. There was a brief silence before he heard her reply.

"Come in",she told him. He turned the handle and stepped into her room to find her sprawled out on the bed on her stomach with a book in front of her.

"I need to speak to you",he told her. She looked up at him and sensed that it wasn't the time to argue and cause a scene so she just nodded and sat up properly on the bed. He walked over slowly as if he was hoping she would remember him in the few seconds it would take him to get to her bed. He sat down next to her, making sure to leave a bit of space in between them. She noticed though and frowned, knowing she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her.

"I've given this almost two years now and nothing has happened. I've tried over and over again but nothing is changing and in about a year, I'm going to be king and I need a queen so that I can provide my Kingdom with an heir. So it's come to the point where I need to start working on finding a suitable queen and I can't do that with another princess around-",he began but was interrupted by Arael. Her head was shaking frantically from side to side.

"No... no please don't do this",she begged softly, knowing where the conversation was headed. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and closed his eyes. He couldn't look at her or he wouldn't be able to finish what he still had to say.

"So I've started to get things ready for you and your family to go back home. They've packed already and I've gotten the trip all sorted out... I came to tell you that it's time for you to pack. You're leaving in the morning",he told her, sounding much stronger than he felt. In all honesty, he felt defeated. He had never given up on something before and he had always gotten what he wanted... But not anymore. He couldn't get Arael. No matter what he did or what he said, he couldn't get her. He had given up.

"Please don't do this, Cole... Please? I know I'm a horrible- a terrible person for blocking you out and you have every right to hate me but please don't get rid of me. You're all I have. No angel will want me because they all know I was yours once. They're too afraid of what you will do to them. I'll be alone my whole life because everyone is too afraid to love me. Please, Cole? Don't do this",she begged as tears rolled down her cheeks. He looked up at her and his heart gave in. Not to her, but to itself. All the cracks she had created with blow after blow of pain and rejection finally became to much and he felt his heart finally shatter into hundreds of tiny shards that spread throughout his body, making everything hurt. He leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead before walking out with his head down and tears in his eyes. He couldn't look back. He couldn't bare seeing the pain on her face.

After closing his bedroom door behind him he leaned back against it, sliding down to the floor. He couldn't get rid of the image of Arael crying. It was burned into his memories and he would never be able to forget how he made her cry. A sob escaped his lips and finally the tears fell. All the pain he had been hiding for the last two years was finally freed and he didn't care that he was crying. He didn't care how loud his cries were, he didn't care who heard him, he didn't care what anyone thought of him. All he felt was the pain and the only way he could think to ease it was by letting himself finally let go and release it into the world.

"I'm so sorry",he whispered to the empty room.