Aura was taken aback. Shaking her head, she said, "No, Arwen. That’s not what I meant. It was just that —"
"Enough!" Arwen raised her hand to stop her. "I no longer need to know why you did that, Aura. It won’t appease me."
The disappointment in her gaze made Aura feel worse inside. Arwen was not just a friend to her. She was her saviour —one person who supported her at a time when no one did. One person who showed her the light of life when she was on the brink of accepting death as a better choice.
She never meant to deceive her, nor did she want to make her feel betrayed.
Yet, somehow, she made her feel exactly that.
How did it turn out like this?
"Arwen, I am sorry." She knew the apology was not enough, but that was all that she could offer. "Nothing I say now would be enough for the explanation. So, I won’t try."
Arwen watched her. Her expression, a mix of pain and disappointment. "There was something else that I came to ask you today, Aura," she said finally. Although she felt hurt, she wouldn’t forget what she was here for. "I want you to help me get the answers that I am looking for."
Aura paused at that. She blinked and asked, "Answers?"
Arwen nodded. "Yes, the answers that could only be discovered from my past. The past that I have forgotten."
Her words didn’t explain at all. It only further confused Aura.
"I didn’t understand what you were saying, Arwen," she asked, looking puzzled. "What is it that you want to know about?"
Arwen didn’t answer her immediately. She stared at her as if comprehending whether she would get her answers or not.
"I want to know about my past," she spoke, her words soft but clear. A bit hesitant, yet resolute. "The past that I have forgotten, and the past where Aiden existed."
Aura stiffened for a moment. Aiden. That name wasn’t unfamiliar to her. She knew that name, and she also knew that he was the one with whom Arwen got married.
But ...
"I am sorry, Arwen," she said, glancing at her while shaking her head. "I don’t think I will be able to help you in finding that."
Arwen frowned at her refusal. She hadn’t come here to hear her refuse. She had thought it irrelevant to anything, but once confronted, Aura would help her out.
"What do you mean? Are you going to keep on hiding the truth from me?"
Aura quickly shook her head. "No," she denied, her tone urgent. "I am not hiding anything from you. It’s just that I have no idea."
No idea.
Arwen’s brow furrowed, and Aura smiled before explaining. "You have forgotten, Arwen. The time when we became friends was when I had barely moved to Cralens High and you were about to leave school. We met only a few times. I didn’t know you much."
What she meant was that she barely knew what was in Arwen’s past.
Arwen sat there for some time without saying anything. "So, you know nothing about Aiden from my past?" She asked, even though she knew the answer she would receive.
"I don’t", Aura said, shaking her head. "But, Arwen, there is something that I am not sure whether I should say or not."
Arwen turned to look at her, her brows furrowing a little.
Aura stared at her, looking unsure. "I might not know what your past was with him, but ..."
"But?" Arwen repeated, turning to look at her better.
"But he was there, that’s something I could tell you for sure."
"What are you trying to say, Aura?" Arwen asked again. "Do you know Aiden?"
She shook her head. "I don’t know him," she said honestly. She never saw Aiden at the school. The only time she saw him was when ...
Her gaze turned deep, and looking at Arwen, she continued, "But I have seen him when he carried you to the hospital."
"Carried me to the hospital?" Arwen asked, not understanding.
But Aura nodded, explaining, "Yes. He was the one who carried you to the hospital after your accident."
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