A Father's Bond

It was 3:30 a half hour after school ended and Athos finally worked up the nerve to ask out his childhood friend Aayla. 

They have known each other for years and when they went to high school people started dating more, Aayla being the beautiful young woman she is started gaining popularity among the boys, and Athos feeling jealous, decided to bite the bullet and ask her out. After two years of growing a pair and with the dance just around the corner, it was the perfect chance to ask. He just had to wait for her to finish her student council meeting. 

3:35 

Aayla was walking out the front doors with a couple of friends and Athos called out to her "Hey I've been waiting for you, how was the meeting?"

"See you girls later I'll be heading home with Athos. The meeting was good just going over the final plans for the dance next Friday." 

"Ah about the dance would you… would you uhmm like to go with me as my date," Athos barely blushed.

Aayla hearing his words her face exploded with embarrassment and responded "You finally asked haha of course I would love to."

"Finally asked what do you mean?"

"I've been waiting for an invitation since the sixth grade."

"Ho-how'd you know I liked you even then?"

"Well, I saw you staring a lot and giving me the side eye even back then and was waiting for you to ask me."

"Man I feel like an idiot for waiting so long," grumbled Athos.

"We all make mistakes hehe," Aayla responded with a touch of wisdom. 

5 Years Later

Athos and Aayla were going on a trip to New York to celebrate five years of dating. In truth, Athos was going to a special ring maker located in New York to get a ring made and ask for Aayla's hand in marriage. 

The day they arrived, Athos said he would buy her a present and meet him later in their hotel room. Only he didn't know this day would turn into a nightmare. 

Athos after giving the information to the ring maker said it would be done in a few hours.

Athos flabbergasted asked "Hours? I thought it would take a few weeks to be made."

"Bah don't compare me to those fakes I know what I'm doing. And payment is only made when the product is complete and you are satisfied so come back in a few hours." 

Athos agreed and left only to return a few hours later. When he entered the ring maker showed him the beautiful silver ring with a double twist on the top half and beautiful glittering blood-red diamonds encrusted on the top of the twists. 

"Perfect," Athos breathed wondering how it was made so well so fast. 

"That will be 20,000 sir"

Athos already knew the price beforehand, and had enough saved, wrote a check out to the ring maker and promptly left after paying.

Feeling giddy about proposing later he decided to get a drink before returning to his room.

The bar was dimly lit with a sizeable amount of people there. Athos went to the bartender and asked for a bourbon on the rocks. 

He just sat down and then heard "Is this seat taken?" Looking to the right he saw a beautiful woman indicating the seat next to him " No," he responded. "Well don't mind if I do," and she plopped down into the barstool next to him. She looked at the bartender and said "I'll have what he's having."

Athos enjoying his peace when the woman next to him placed her hand languidly on his thigh. "What are you doing?" He gruffly asked. 

"Whoa calm down I don't see no ring so you're fair game right?" The woman purred.

Athos not having it pulled the ring box out of his pocket and showed her as the woman's eyes lit up. "See, I'm going to pop the question tonight so get away from me." Athos got up and turned to go when the woman said "I'm sorry how about I buy you a drink to congratulate you and to apologize." She looked at the bartender and asked for another round. 

Athos deciding it was fine sat back down and grabbed his previous drink to finish it off before the next round came. 

"I'm sorry I thought you were handsome and wanted to see if I could get lucky, obviously not" she apologized to him. 

As Athos finished his second drink he felt drowsy and blacked out but didn't fall unconscious.

As he came to he noticed red everywhere on his clothes and was confused before looking around and noticing Aayla laying on the bed with her neck slit. Athos still disoriented and confused left the hotel and found a bench to sit in when minutes later two cops walked up to him. "Sir are you alright we got a call about you covered in blood do you need help?"

Athos still groggy looks at the police officers and confusedly "Who me?"

"Sir you are covered in blood who else other than you." The cops indicate toward his clothes. 

Athos jolts and screams "That wasn't a dream shit no no no no Aayla no please please." Athos sprints back to the hotel with the cops hot on his tail telling him to come back. 

As Athos huffs he slowly opens his hotel door and is assailed by the sights and smells. Blood dried around her neck, the iron tang in the air, and her swimsuit was covered in blood with her eyes opened wide in horror at what happened. 

Athos slowly crumbles to the floor while his hearing goes out and he only hears a ringing in his head, his vision blurs as he feels hot tears streaming from his eyes his mouth wants to scream yet no sound is coming out while a part of his heart shatters. Athos lost to the world slowly rolls himself into the fetal position to weep.

The cops reaching the room instantly call for backup and cordon off the crime scene. They cautiously walk towards the broken man and ask the who, what, when, why, and where questions only to be met with silence they decide to wait for the detectives to question him.

Athos slowly returns to himself and the detective on the scene walks up to him to interview him. "Hey, I'm Detective Radtke I have a few questions for you." 

Athos feeling dead inside nods his head to the detective. "All right first off what is your name? What are you doing here? Who is the victim? Why were you covered in blood? Where were you from 7-8 pm?" The detective rattles off.

Athos bombarded with questions answers, "Athos Harper, I was here with my girlfriend the dead woman behind you to celebrate our fifth anniversary and I was going to propose. I can't remember anything after going to the bar and getting a drink." 

Detective Radtke suspiciously asks "You're telling me you don't know why you are covered in blood or where you were so you have no alibi for the murder of your girlfriend. If it were me I would remember how I got covered in blood because that is a pretty memorable thing to experience."

Athos maintaining his amnesia gruffly responds "I have no recollection of anything after getting a drink and this woman sitting beside me. Do you truly think I would kill my girlfriend to whom I was going to propose?"

Detective Radtke looks Athos up and down "I don't know what to think but you are covered in blood and there is a dead woman behind me you put two and two together. Anyways I'm going to ask you down to the station to hold you until further notice."

Radtke walks up to Athos and cuffs him to bring him down to the station. 

22 Hours Later

Athos hears keys jingling and footfalls he jolts up and Radtke looks at him and says "You're free to go."

Athos feeling a glimmer of hope asks "Did you find her killer?"

Radtke looking crestfallen responds "Yes, we did find Aaylas's murderer it was the woman who sat beside you at the bar. She and the bartender drug men who are alone with devil's breath which makes people more compliant and amnesiac after it wears off. The woman who sat beside you saw the ring and was hoping you had more expensive things or money in your room unluckily for you, Aayla was on her way back up from the spa after the woman was in your room with you looking for more stuff to steal. Aayla happened upon it and tried to stop the woman however the woman overpowered her and she pulled out a pocket knife she carries and slit Aaylas throat. And you having the presence of mind even while under the influence still tried to save Aayla after her throat was slit but you couldn't."

Athos disgusted with himself slowly walks away to return home.