Page 46 of Vile Emotion
“Mia?” He calls her name as if she isn’t standing there and he’s shocked to see her.
She’s a beautiful girl with long dark hair and dark features that contrast but bring out her pale complexion.
“Aren’t you going to let me in, Ricky?”
“Ricky?” I whisper and Alaric doesn’t say anything. I turn back to look at him and he’s got a smile on his face.
A genuine smile that I’ve never seen before and it doesn't make me upset or anything but it does make me curious. It makes me wonder what Alaric was like before everythinghappened. Is this how he smiled at his wife? Was he genuinely happy to see people?
Alaric moves past me like I don’t even exist and he goes to the gate instead of letting the one in charge open it up.
“Mia, darling, I’m both upset and happy to see you.” he says and it annoys me that he’s being that nice.
Both Alaric and Mia continue to talk to each other as he opens up the smaller door at the gate. She comes in and he pulls her for a hug so tight, it makes me wonder just how much he’d punish me for giving a man a hug like that. Her car is left at the gate as he signals the head of security to drive it in after he lets Mia go.
Alaric and Mia walk hand-in-hand past me as if I’m invisible and for once, I feel normal. Like the old me again.
It takes me a while to notice that no one is coming back to get me and I take this opportunity to see if I can step outside the gate without anyone noticing. Checking my feet, I smile because I have sneakers on. If I needed to run, I could.
Without thinking about the consequences, I walk towards the opening of the gate. The head of security watches me in silence as he parks the car but he doesn’t stop me. I give him a reassuring smile so he doesn’t think to run after me. Shutting my eyes, my body visibly shakes as I take the first step across the threshold.
A deep sigh is released when I don’t hear anyone shouting my name. I take another step and I don’t make the mistake of looking back to see the disapproved expression that Alaric is going to have.
This is it. RUN…
That’s all I hear and I don’t even think I’m running from him or anything, I just want to feel freedom so I do it. I feel that freedom as my legs begin running then I pick up speed running in the opposite direction of the mansion. A chuckle leaves mythroat and I can’t think about anything else except the freedom that comes with what I’m doing right now. I don’t hear anything as I run and run. Maybe I shouldn’t be running but I don’t give a damn because nothing else matters right now except for me.
Was Mia the key to my freedom?
My mind doesn’t register where I’ve run until sprinklers come on and I realize that I’m on some golf course but I don’t care. No one matters to me right now as every part of me gets wet while I run through it and I feel like a child. I feel peace, at home and loved… by me.
My run stops short as I stretch my arms out and twirl instead letting everything overwhelm me. The years I spent behind bars, losing my son, getting him back but I can’t keep him, seeing a ghost and loving him as my closest friend, mourning his death, and now… realizing that the key to everything is here.
A plan forms in my head… Mia needs to stay and I need to get them back together so I can go. They can finally have another chance at love.
I was the reason that his love was taken away so I will give him another reason to love. Another person, Mia.
After calming down and soaking in the sun, I walked back to the mansion. This time I don’t run because I want to enjoy the time that I’m taking to formulate this plan.
By the time I get in, my heart is pounding. The head of security lets me in but he’s looking at my wet hair and clothes, I don’t explain anything as I walk into the house. My shoes make a squeaky sound after me but no one says a thing. Instead of looking for Alaric, I go straight to my room but before I get in, Alaric is walking down the hall. He stops as if realizing I’m here and he glares at me.
“Is it raining?” He asks and I nod. He doesn’t say anything else as I continue to walk away from him.
He didn’t notice and I’m glad. It means operation Ria like they used to call them in the tabloids is on.
“You ran.” Cassius says as I turn the corner. I blink but nothing else comes out of my mouth. He shakes his head at me. “He’s not that stupid, ya know?”
That’s what I’m afraid of … so I have to act fast.
33
Operation Ria hasn’t been a bust yet and it’s been three weeks. I’ve been able to do morning runs and even evening runs without Alaric noticing. Him spending more time with Mia gives me time to figure out what I’m going to do and how I can forever disappear without him showing up in some ghost town.
Even with the mention of that town, it’s sad that he’s seemed to have forgotten about Godric and the justice he deserves. I won’t mention it to him and I hope Godric forgives me. Maybe I’ll send him a postcard from the opposite country or city so he thinks I’m there when he’s finally realized I’m gone, to remind him to take care of things for Godric.
“Is this how you’d solve this problem?” That small voice pulls me out of my thoughts and I smile because I’ve been spending more time with little Alaric.
I call him that name so that I remember he can’t ever be mine.
