Page 23 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

No. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t have done anything to stop Aiden. No. His eyes looked exactly like my dad’s with those little crinkles in the corners.

“You’re not real! Not real. Please, Aiden. I need Aiden.”

“Aiden killed me. How can you want the man who killed me?”

I put my hands over my eyes. I was hallucinating my own father. This could not be happening.

“Stop. Please stop. Aiden, make it stop.”

“Aiden isn’t here, angel. Aiden can’t save you. Look at me, baby, look at me.”

“No. He can. He can. I need him,” I sobbed. “I need him.”

I was fucking crazy. All of this was a sick twisted dream and I couldn’t get out of it. Was I asleep or was this just guilt? Either way, I needed the stupid vision of my father to go away. He was messing me up even more. I couldn’t take this.

“Look at me, Avery.”

I slowly removed my hands from my eyes. Right between his eyes, a hole started to form, blood pouring out of the wound. I screamed, scrambling backwards until I hit the wall. Lifeless eyes stared back at me.

“Why didn’t you save me?” my father said one last time before he collapsed on the floor.

I huddled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them, sobbing. It wasn’t real. Nothing was real anymore

All I could think about was Aiden coming back and finding me like this. A mess. No longer able to distinguish between a hallucination and reality.

Is this what he wanted?

Did he want to break me this much?

Seeing my father had well and truly fucked me up.

Why did I even care what Aiden might think?

He caused this. He killed my family. I should be angry with him, except I wasn’t. It didn’t matter if that made me insane. All I wanted right now was him. He was real. I’d find my way back to reality for him.

Whether hours had passed or not, I didn’t know. I peered out from my knees, but I was alone again. My dad wasn’t on the floor. I almost cried in relief.

Hauling myself up to sitting position, I dragged the bag with the snacks Aiden had left to me. The big Cadbury’s caramel bar stared at me. I’d told him it was my favourite chocolate.

I ripped open the packet and ate three squares in quick succession. The sugar hit my system immediately, spreading through my veins. I sighed at the simple pleasure.

Before I knew it, I’d consumed half the bar and instead, I felt sick. I shoved it away from me, putting a hand over my mouth.

Idiot. Why did you eat it so fast?

Stupid. Fucked up. Crazy. Losing it.

I looked around the room. The single bulb illuminated all the corners. Nothing was lurking. No more hallucinations.

That’s when I heard the locks turning again. I put my hands on my ears.

No. No. Not that again.

The door swung back. I stared up at the figure there.

Aiden.

I scrambled to my feet as he took a few steps towards me. Was it really him? I wasn’t seeing things again, was I? Who cared. All I knew was I needed him.

---