Forgiveness

Raven's pov

I didn't know I would end up in the garden that was attached to the VIP lobby. But I was sitting on the raised platform, leaning against the pillar that held a roof over me. 

I was still trembling, and my breathing was abnormal; it was as if the energy was sucked out of me. I rested my head on my arm and hugged myself. The wind was so strong that my hair covered me like a blanket, keeping me safe from the things that scared me. 

And at that moment, everything was horribly terrifying. My hand didn't stop shaking. I closed my eyes, and tried to calm myself down, but then Aidan's face would appear in front of me again and again. He was a monster. A true monster. 

I don't know if he remembered that I hate when people cross boundaries, especially physical ones. However, he should know, as a man, that no woman likes being tortured that way. 

I blame him for being a psychopath. 

I blame my father for being clueless. He should know how inappropriate it was for Aidan to drag me out in front of so many people. Now, those gossipers would surely spread weird rumors about me. 

I should say goodbye to my clean image. 

In the end, I blame myself; I should not have let him touch me in the first place. I should have refused right there. It's not like he would lift me up if I didn't move in front of those old people. 

I sobbed. The gentle breeze of the night after the scorching day should have calmed me, but my heart wasn't at peace. Nothing affected me. 

My heart was beating faster and at an irregular pace, just like a deer who had just escaped from the mouth of a tiger. I was hiding from the world's eyes. 

Aidan used to be a gentleman; this odd behavior caught me off guard. I didn't imagine that he would take me to the stairs and attempt to molest me. His deep, breathy voice is still sending chills to my bones. It was as if he was a completely different person. 

Indeed, he is a different person. People change and everything changes. Nothing remains the same. Am I not like that? I changed, too. I threw him out of my mind. Yes, he had not been successful in making a place in my heart. 

But all those reasons were not enough to comfort me. Somehow, I expected him to be the same Aidan I used to like. Someone who used to respect me. Respect that I never thought I deserved. 

I hated the fact that someone who taught me how to care for myself could actually do something that outrageous. Perhaps if he had shown his real face before, I would not be this hurt. 

After shedding some bitter tears that burned my cheeks and made me feverish, I raised my head and found a figure kneeling before me in the dark, shady garden. 

"Ahhhh!!!!!" My soul bid farewell. I hurriedly hid behind the pillar. 

"Raven!" That thing called my name in a familiar voice. That familiar voice made me even more scared. "Aidan! Do you want to kill me?" I asked, not moving an inch. Thankfully, he wasn't a ghost. But he was worse than it; he was Aidan. 

He threw something in my direction, and as my eyes fell on it, I yelled again, "What's this?!!" 

"A voodoo doll!" He raised his voice, frustrated. What was he frustrated about? Monster!

"I can see that." I replied. The memories of the staircase flooded again and I trembled, I was afraid that he would do something like that again. 

"You were right. I was possessed. Not exactly…but you can say it wasn't me who wanted to harm you." He again lowered his tone and spoke. 

"Don't give me this nonsense!" I barked at him, and again hid behind the pillar, as if it would protect me if Aidan stood up and decided to attack me. 

"This is not nonsense, I knew you wouldn't believe me so I brought the evidence. Blame me all you want. After all, it was my father who commissioned this doll and Uncle Jay helped him." He tried to explain like a kid defending himself after breaking an expensive cup. 

"The world knows your father hates me. Why would he do this?" I scoffed at him and said, "At least make a sensible excuse." 

"This is not an excuse. It's the truth. Thanks to my uncle Zayed, I found out about this right away. Apparently, Uncle Jay added another spell that would make me destroy my love interest, which is you!" 

"Oh? Stop right there! I have nothing to do with you." I loosened my grip on the pillar and corrected him. 

"No wonder father had to restore to this kind of means." He mumbled to himself but I heard it clearly. 

"What? Say it louder!" I demanded, and seeing how he was on a back foot and I had an advantage, I became bolder than I thought I was. My feet still wobbled from fear. 

"Try to understand. I was not in the right mind. You also said it. How can I? A man who didn't even remember the name of his childhood sweetheart became so obsessed in such a short time that I acted like a maniac." 

"Aye… Are you still under the influence of Voodoo? What childhood sweetheart?" I stuttered. I didn't know when he would jump on me, pin me against the wall and ask weird questions. 

"Ahem… Raven, I might have done something unforgivable. But this is a fact, you can't deny this. We used to be childhood friends." 

The audacity with which he had to utter those words after hurting me made me laugh as if it were the biggest joke on earth that day. 

"Fact? Aidan Azure! The fact is that you and I are mere acquaintances. Happens to be in the same circle. Nothing more and nothing less." 

I had to draw a line. 

The inner child in me, nearly melted. Just because of his breathy, deep voice, he tried to play tricks on me. I wonder if, if I still had a crush on him, I would still be able to stand? 

"You..are right…." He looked at me, utterly quiet for a short while and then spoke in a broken voice. 

"Can you forgive me?" he asked. 

"Do I have to? I don't trust you at all, who knows you snatched a poor girl's doll just to make up a story. Voodoo? Seriously? You had no other excuse!" I yelled at him but I still feared he would do something to me. 

However, I had to check. If he was right, then he will not react and patiently ask for my forgiveness, if he is lying, he will not be able to take my wrath. 

"I know you don't believe all this. But my father did this, and I apologize for everything. If you want, I can compensate you. You can do anything you want. I will do as you say." He earnestly requested. I could not clearly see his eyes, but his voice revealed sincerity. At this point, I had to convince myself. 

In the modern world, not many people like to display that they believe in all the black magic stuff. But I do not hide my belief. Even in my faith, they ask the devotees to stay away from this kind of evil practice and chant verses to get rid of such things. 

But, Aidan doesn't have to know this. Otherwise, he will explain me in more details how it happened, and I didn't want to know. 

If he is right, his father was behind this, then the question comes, 'Why?' 

He is a man who hates me from his bones. He used to advertise how lazy and fat I was. Making everyone in our circle despise me even without knowing what kind of person I actually am. 

Before I could utter my doubts, I heard a loud thud, and upon seeing it, it was Aidan who had fainted. My eyes widened from shock, and my lips froze. 

I didn't know what to say or how to react. Perhaps it was his trick to bring me closer to him, so that he can grab me. I looked around and found no one. 

"Aidan…" My voice barely came out of my mouth. I turned pale. What if he wasn't faking it? Did he actually faint? But why? 

"Aidan!" I called a little louder. 

He didn't respond, which scared me even more. 

'What if he is dead?' The voice in my head was urging me to respond to the situation. 

"Aidan, let me tell you! If you are pretending, and you dare misbehave again, I will never forgive you!" I warned him, as I took a step forward. 

"You will regret playing this trick on me!" I spoke again and took another step. 

Slowly, I reached him. Poking him with my feet, I said, "Wake up! I forgive you, don't pressurize me." He didn't move. 

My skin turned white. Chanting God's name, I bent down, and placed my fingers beneath his nose. "Oh! My God! You are breathing." I was relieved. 

"Wake up!" I shook him again. But he didn't respond. Now, it scared me so much that I slapped him. "Aidan Azure, if you don't stop this, I will smack you to death." 

At that moment, I realized, he had fainted for real. I bit my lip, debating what I should do? If I go back and tell my father, he will blame me before helping me. His father would kill me. 

None of them are helpful. That Jay! If I consider what Aidan said to be the truth, then he is the bad card. Should I call Richard? No, he was acting weird. He wants an opportunity to mock this scoundrel. He won't help me either. Chances are that he will not let me help him as well. 

"Water can help me!" I didn't know why I wasted my time thinking that the 'men' would help me. I shook my head and stood up. 

I hurried to go inside the lobby, found a jar full of water, and brought it. "Aidan, I am warning you! If you don't drop the act, I will drench your expensive suit." 

With that last warning, I splashed water on him. He opened his eyes frantically but he looked weak, too weak to stand up after bathing with a jug full of water. 

I went back to keep the jug, I didn't want to be in the same air as him. I might forgive him, but I have to check the facts he stated. 

I planned to leave after keeping the jug, but then, unconsciously, I looked back to check on him; he was still on the ground. 

"Did he faint again? No way…" I muttered and walked up to him. 

"Hey, Aidan, now that you are awake, go back to your room and sleep." I said, crossing my arms and leaning against the pillar. 

"I…don't have a room here…but I will go back home…don't worry." He spoke in a wheezy tone. 

I began to worry. If he is sick, then it would be inhumane to leave him like that. 

"Are you okay?" I asked, and my arms unfolded. 

He raised his shaky hand and gave me a thumbs up. "Then, why don't you get up?" I asked in a flat tone. 

"I will. You go back. I will get up and leave." He said in an inaudible tone.