The Year 2000 (Flashback of Lord Ardan Eryndor and Aldric Draekhaven' past in high school)
The night he stayed
Ardan
I don't know why I'm here. I shouldn't be here. But my feet move on their own, dragging me down streets I know by heart. Past houses I don't recognize. To the doorstep I swore I wouldn't knock on again. And before I can talk myself out of it, I'm ringing the doorbell. The door swings open almost immediately, like he was waiting for me.
Aldric.
His expression shifts the second he sees me—his usual smirk falters, and something softer creeps into his face. Like he already knows. I don't even try to hold it in. The moment I see him, it all just... breaks. My chest caves, my throat locks up, and suddenly I'm sobbing—ugly, uncontrollable sobs that shake my whole body. I barely get his name out.
"Aldric—"
Then I feel him. Strong arms around me. Hands gripping my back, pressing me so close against him I can barely breathe. His scent—fresh, sharp, unmistakably him—floods my senses. "Shh," he murmurs, voice low and calm. "I got you. I got you." I squeeze my eyes shut, clutching onto him like a lifeline. Why? Why do I always end up here? I don't know how long we stand there, just me sobbing into his shirt while he strokes my back, whispering things I barely register.
Then he pulls back just enough to cup my face. His thumb wipes my tears away, slow, deliberate. His gaze drops to my lips for half a second before returning to my eyes, and something deep in my stomach flips. "You don't need them," he murmurs. "You never did." I swallow hard. My head is screaming at me to run. To get away while I still can. But my heart? My heart is begging me to stay.
Aldric
He's mine again. I knew he'd come back. I knew he'd fall apart without me. But this—this desperation in his voice, in the way he clings to me like I'm the only thing keeping him afloat? It makes something inside me curl with satisfaction. I lead him upstairs, barely giving him time to think before sitting him down on my bed. His eyes are red-rimmed, swollen. His lips tremble slightly, and for a moment, I feel a flicker of guilt. Just a flicker. Because the truth is? If I hadn't done this—if I hadn't gotten rid of Owen—then Ardan would've never come to me like this. And I need him like this.
"You should stay," I say, brushing damp strands of hair from his forehead. "You don't have to go home tonight." He looks up at me, hesitating. His breath is still uneven, but he nods. I lean closer, my voice barely a whisper.
"You know I'd never leave you, right?" His eyes flicker. And then, almost too quietly to hear— "I know." That's all I need. I pull him against me, arms locking around his frame as he relaxes into my hold. Mine. He's mine. And after tonight? He'll never doubt that again. I don't fight it when he pulls me inside.
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