Jay pov
I've always trusted Aries. Growing up, we spent hours together—teasing, laughing, and acting like siblings. He was my rock. The one person who made me feel safe when everything around me felt like it was falling apart. But that was before everything changed.
I can still remember that day so clearly.
It started off like any other, but things quickly spiraled out of control.
Flashback *** 3 Years Ago***
Aries, a few of our friends, and I were playing at the neighbor's house. I was being my usual energetic self, running through the rooms, laughing. But then it all stopped in an instant.
One of the younger kids bumped into a candle on the table. The candle tipped, and the flames caught the curtains faster than anyone could react. Smoke filled the room. The panic in the air was suffocating.
"Fire! Fire!" the little boy screamed.
Without thinking, I rushed forward. I grabbed the kid in my arms and ran out of the room as the heat singed my hair and clothes. I didn't feel the pain. I only cared about getting him out.
By the time the adults arrived and put out the fire, I was standing outside, covered in soot, with the kid safe in my arms. My hands were black, my hair singed, but I didn't care. The kid was okay.
But when the adults looked at me, all they saw was a problem.
"She did this!" one of the neighbors cried. "She's always causing trouble!"
I had saved him, but no one cared. They only saw the damage—the knocked-over candle, the burnt curtains. The troublemaker.
What hurt the most, though, was Aries.
He was there. He saw everything. And he stayed silent. He didn't say anything. He didn't try to defend me. I looked at him, hoping—no, praying—he would step up and tell everyone I saved the kid. That it wasn't my fault.
But he didn't. He stood there, doing nothing.
It felt like my world shattered in that moment. The person I trusted most, the person I thought would always be on my side, had just stood by and let me take the blame.
The silence between us after that was deafening. It didn't take long for Angelo and my mom, Jeana, to decide I needed to be sent away. They said I needed to "learn responsibility."
They decided it was best for me to go to a community far away. I was separated from everything I knew—my friends, my family. It felt like punishment for doing the right thing.
"Aries, please," I said, my voice broken. "Please, don't let them send me away. I'll be good. I swear. Please, I don't want to go. I don't want to stay away from you . Please."
"Aries, please," I pleaded. "I don't want to go. I can stay with you or Auntie Gemma, or even Angelo. Please. I don't belong there. I'm begging you!"
But nothing Aries just stood there
The car ride there felt endless. I stared out the window, every mile pulling me further from home. But my mind was stuck on that moment—the moment Aries stayed silent. The moment he could've spoken up and didn't.
When I got there, the people treated me like another lost cause.
Even after they left, my cries echoed in my head as I made the long trip to the community. I begged, I pleaded, my voice hoarse from crying. But no one came back for me. Not Angelo . Not my mother. Not even Aries, who couldn't stop it. I was left to face my fears alone, left to deal with the trauma of everything I'd already been through.
I never felt more alone in my life than when I was surrounded by strangers who didn't understand, didn't want to understand. It felt like a prison, but one without walls—just silence and cold stares.
It wasn't long before I stopped believing that anyone truly cared. That included Aries.
"He knew… and he didn't even try to stop them. Not for me."
That thought replayed in my mind over and over. I didn't even want to say goodbye to him. I didn't want to look at him, talk to him, or think about him. Every time I saw his face, I remembered that silence.
It was my biggest betrayal. And it still haunted me.
Back to the Present
The room felt too quiet after Aries said we needed to talk. The TV murmured in the background, but my heart was louder than anything else.
I didn't look at him. I already knew if I did, the memories would crash back in full force.
"Jay," he said again, his voice low. "Please… listen to me."
I let out a slow breath. "You already said enough years ago."
Silence.
Then I heard movement.
When I finally looked up, my breath caught.
Aries was on his knees.
Right there. On the hospital floor.
My eyes widened. "What are you doing?" I whispered sharply. "Get up."
"I won't," he said immediately. His voice was shaking now. "Not until you hear everything."
People didn't beg Aries. Aries was always the strong one. The confident one. Seeing him like this made my chest ache in a way I hated.
"You think this fixes anything?" I asked, my hands clenching the blanket. "Kneeling won't change what happened."
"I know," he said quickly. "I know it won't. But I need you to know the truth."
He swallowed hard, his eyes red. "I didn't stay silent forever, Jay."
That made me pause.
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
"The day you left," he continued, voice breaking, "after the car drove off… I told them. I told everyone you saved that kid. I shouted it. I fought with them. I told Angelo, I told your mom, I told the neighbors. I told them you didn't start the fire."
My heart skipped painfully. "Then why…" My voice cracked. "Why did they still send me away?"
Aries clenched his fists on the floor. "Because Angelo said you needed to grow up without leaning on me. He said you depended on me too much. He said if I kept protecting you, you'd never become strong on your own."
The words felt like punches.
"So they punished me," I whispered. "To teach me independence?"
"I spoke to him to bring you early," Aries said desperately. "I begged him not to send you. I told him I'd take the blame, that I'd do anything. But he wouldn't listen."
My chest burned. The pain I thought I'd buried clawed its way back up. 🔥
"And you let me believe you abandoned me," I said quietly.
"I know," he sobbed. "And that's my biggest regret. I should've run after you. I should've found you. I should've told you the truth sooner."
Tears slid down his face now. He didn't wipe them away.
"I'm sorry, Jay," he said, bowing his head. "I'm so sorry. I was scared, and I was weak, and I failed you. If hating me makes it easier for you to breathe, then hate me. I deserve it."
My throat felt tight.
I remembered fifteen-year-old me, staring out that car window, thinking I had been completely alone. Thinking the one person I trusted had chosen silence over me. 🚗💔
"You don't get to erase years of pain with an apology," I said softly. "You don't get forgiveness just because you're sorry."
He nodded quickly. "I know. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for a chance. Even a small one."
I looked at him. Really looked.
He was still kneeling.
Still waiting.
Still breaking.
Slowly, I reached out and touched his shoulder. Just once.
"Get up," I said.
He looked up instantly, hope flashing in his eyes.
"That doesn't mean I've forgiven you," I added firmly. "It just means… I'm listening."
His breath hitched. "No problem ."
As he stood, my heart felt relaxed .
And right now, I wasn't sure whether I have forgiven him… or not .