His voice was so soft that she was pretty sure if they're not the only ones in this room, she'd probably wouldn't hear it. "I didn't mean to drag you into this dangerous life. I was so desperate that I didn't think much about your feelings." He sighed as her hands roamed his head, caressing his soft brown hair.
He stopped for a while and waited for her response but she kept quiet, didn't know what to answer to what he just said. "Ava. Can't you just stay with me?" his hand caught her hand that was in his hair. He shifted his body as he faced her while still laying on her lap. Instead of answering him, she looked away from him and heaved a small sigh. "Talk to me."
"What do you expect me to say, Alex? That I don't mind? That it's okay? Because it's not. You're impulsive and impatient. I got dragged into your world without even knowing it. You're selfish, Alex. You don't care about me. All you care about is your position as the King and that's it. You only care about yourself. I don't think I have any place here in this world."
"What're you talking about? I care about you. Why do you think I choose you over a thousand girls out there? There's a lot of them who would die to be in your place." He sat up and stared at her with a frown on his face.
"Then, why can't you just pick them? Why does it have to be me?"
"Because you're different, Ava. You're nothing like those girls." He took both of her hands in his and drew small circles on the back of her hands with his thumb. She looked into his eyes and stared into it. She saw something that was never there before, sincerity and hope. Guilt started to weigh on her shoulder. "I'm no different from them, Alex. You're mistaken." A heavy sigh left her lips as she stood up from the bed and walked towards the door, trying to leave the room. She was stopped from walking more further when a pair of arms snaked around her waist, holding onto it tightly.
"Don't leave. Please." He begged as he buried his face on her back. "Alex…" she tried to push his arm away but he pulled her and she landed on his lap. Ava tried to get off but once again his arms were wrapped around her tightly, face buried on her neck. "You can't keep me here. I had to go. I have my own family to take care of and you have yours. I don't belong to your world, Alex." She spoke softly and caressed his hair with her hand. "I drag you into my mess. The least I can do is protect you."
"I can take care of myself. I don't need you to protect me. Plus, I made the decision. You don't have any obligation to protect me."
"Please, Ava." Something in her softened when he said that.
She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as he snuggled closer to her. As much as she didn't want to leave him, she couldn't stay. "I'm sorry. I can't. I have a debt to pay, Alex. And I had to repay it no matter what happens."
"Let me guess. By doing that, you can't stay."
"I had to. This person saved my life when I was at the very bottom of my life." She got off his lap when his grip around her waist loosened. "Fine. Leave. I don't need you, anyway." His tone turned cold and the cold look in his eyes was back. She could see the emptiness in his eyes. "Alex." She called out to him but he ignored her and left the room. She heaved another long sigh before plopping down on the bed.
"You don't deserve happiness, Ava. Not after what you did back then. The only reason you're still alive to this day is to protect what Clarissa couldn't protect." She took out the photo she kept with her all the time. It was a photo of Clarissa with her 5-year-old son. "He must be around my age." She thought to herself before closing her eyes. A memory from the past flashed before her eyes.
"Ava. If I disappear from this world, I need you to do something for me. Can you promise me that?"
"Disappear? You're leaving me too?" a 14-year-old Ava stared at Clarissa with her cold eyes.
"Every single person eventually perish, Ava. And I'm no different." Clarissa caressed Ava's hair in comfort as she knew how much the girl hated to be alone.
"I'm going to protect you, no matter what. After all, my life belongs to you."
"Ava. Your life belongs to you and only you. Its time to live for yourself. Don't you think it's enough to live for others? I want you to promise me that you'll live for yourself."
"For myself? I don't even think I'm someone who deserves to live."
"Here. Take this. No matter what happens in the future, don't ever take this necklace off. It will be useful to you." Ava stared at the necklace around her neck, fiddling it with her fingertips.
"Remember, Ava. You need to be strong to protect things around you."
Without herself knowing, her hand went to the necklace and tears started to fall from her eyes. "I should've never leave you alone that night." Ava placed her arm over her eyes in an attempt to stop her tears but it didn't work as she expected. "You said this necklace will help me. Then, what is this? It reminds me of you every single night. You lied to me."
Ava sat up and wiped her tears away. "No. I need to be strong. Tears will make me look weak. I refuse to be looked down again. I had enough." She took a deep breath and went to the bathroom to clean herself up.