Chapter 49: The Weight of a Lie
**Aldrich’s POV**
When had the rift between my father and me b couldn’t pinpoint the moment or the reasons. had built a barrier neither of us dared to cross shatter it.
Perhaps love in all its forms worked the same y
1 found myself reflecting on this as I drove, I setting, casting a golden hue over the horizon,
*I’m sorry, Thelma. I felt your pain, sensed th confronting it, I used my own self–righteousne before, and when obstacles appeared, I ran. I w things.
*You should be angry with me. I deserve it. But forgive me?*
I wasn’t sure. The memory of that night, of the I had learned something from my father: avoid
*Don’t give up on me, Thelma. I’m trying to ma
I pressed my foot harder on the accelerator, the my heart. I was heading to the palace to see her.
try.
**Thelma’s POV**
Aldrich and I hadn’t spoken in days. Our silence rather a slow, unspoken withdrawal. A missed r added up until we found ourselves on opposite s
I couldn’t explain why I had pulled away. Maybe of secrets I’d been carrying. Tracy’s diagnosis, solace for the turmoil in my heart.
Our relationship had been built on a foundation and we had kept the truth from those closest to the spies in movies who revealed their identities
deceit.
The three days of rest passed agonizingly slowly
chapper # The West–Sa Lik
Chapter 49: The Weight of a Lie
**Aldrich’s POV**
When had the rift between my father and me begon? What caused it to grow so wide? I couldn’t pinpoint the moment or the reasons. Time, pride, and unspoken misunderstandings had built a barrier neither of us dared to cross. Yet, love–real and honest–had the power to
shatter it.
Perhaps love in all its forms worked the same way
I found myself reflecting on this as I drove, my mind racing faster than my car. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the horizon, but my thoughts were fixed on Thelma.
*I’m sorry, Thelma. I felt your pain, sensed the distance growing between us, but instead of confronting it, I used my own self–righteousness to bury the truth. I’ve never been in love before, and when obstacles appeared, I ran. I was a coward, afraid of losing you if I mishandled things.*
*You should be angry with me. I deserve it. But if I take the first step to mend this, will you forgive me?*
I wasn’t sure. The memory of that night, of the silence that hung between us, haunted me. But I had learned something from my father: avoidance only made things worse.
*Don’t give up on me, Thelma, I’m trying to make amends for my foolishness.
I pressed my foot harder on the accelerator, the hum of the engine matching the pounding of my heart. I was heading to the palace to see her. I didn’t know what I’d say, but I knew I had to
try.
**Thelma’s POV**
Aldrich and I hadn’t spoken in days. Our silence wasn’t a result of any dramatic argument but rather a slow, unspoken withdrawal. A missed message here, an ignored call there–it had all
until we found ourselves on opposite sides of an invisible chasm.
added up
I couldn’t explain why I had pulled away. Maybe it was my fear of confrontation or the weight of secrets I’d been carrying. Tracy’s diagnosis, while reassuring’in some ways, offered little. solace for the turmoil in my heart.
Our relationship had been built on a foundation of lies. I had hidden my identity from Aldrich, and we had kept the truth from those closest to us. The guilt gnawed at me. It reminded me of the spies in movies who revealed their identities to loved ones, unable to endure the weight of deceit.
The three days of rest passed agonizingly slowly. During this time, I was consumed by
thoughts of Aldrich and the prophecy Dorothy had shared with me. My mother, sensing my distraction, had called Tracy to examine me several times, but I couldn’t be honest about the root of my troubles. How could I confess something even I struggled to articulate?
On Monday evening, Kara informed me that Aldrich had returned to the army. My father had asked if I wanted to see my instructor, but I hesitated.
Did I want to see him? Desperately. I had missed him every moment of these past three days. But the weight of our unresolved conflict held me back.
“I’m tired,” I said finally, my voice heavy with resignation. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. I’m sure Sir Aldrich is resting as well. I don’t want to disturb him.”
Kara gave me a curious look, her sharp intuition no doubt picking up on the tension between Aldrich and me. “Sir Aldrich seemed quite energetic earlier. He even proposed continuing training tonight.”
Her words made my heart skip a beat. “And did my father agree?” I asked cautiously.
“His Majesty left the decision to you. He said you’ve been in low spirits and shouldn’t feel pressured.”
I felt torn. Part of me wished someone would make the decision for me, sparing me from my internal battle.
As the hours passed and the sky grew darker, I wrestled with my emotions. Finally, I resolved to see Aldrich.
I couldn’t let this silence stretch any longer. If there was one thing I had learned from my past mistakes, it was that unresolved conflicts only festered. If I had confronted Benard sooner, instead of allowing my imagination to run wild, perhaps things would have turned out differently.
I wouldn’t repeat that mistake.
I found Aldrich just as he was preparing to leave. Summoning every ounce of courage, I approached him at the palace gate.
“Aldrich,” I began, my voice trembling slightly. “I need to talk to you.”
Before I could say more, he grabbed my hand and led me toward the training grounds. His grip was firm, and his silence unnerved me.
“Wait, Aldrich!” I protested, trying to pull away. “I need to say something!”
But he didn’t stop. His strides were purposeful, and his expression unreadable. Eventually, I gave up struggling, resigned to following him.
In my mind, I prepared for the worst. What if he wanted to end things? What if this silence had
Chauser 40. The win
fractured something irreparable between us?
No. I wouldn’t let it happen. If Aldrich wanted to break up, I would fight. We hadn’t exhausted all our options yet, and I wouldn’t let pride or fear rob me of something so precious.
When we reached the center of the training ground, he finally stopped. The moment we faced each other, my carefully rehearsed words evaporated. I felt like an unprepared student standing before an intimidating examiner.
“I’m sorry, Thelma,” Aldrich said, breaking the silence.
His apology took me by surprise. Why was he apologizing? He hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Don’t say that,” I replied, shaking my head. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me.
“I don’t know what I was thinking. I ignored your messages, hung up on your calls, and even thought of breaking up for a moment. It was irrational and unfair.”
Aldrich looked at me intently, his eyes filled with emotion. “You don’t have to apologize, Thelma. I should have noticed you were struggling and done more to support you. Instead,
let my
insecurities take over. I was afraid of losing you, so I tried to avoid the problem altogether.”
I
His honesty struck a chord in me. “I’ve been scared too,” I admitted. “Our relationship has so many layers of secrecy and deception. I’ve felt trapped by the lies we’ve told, and it’s made me question everything.”
“I understand,” Aldrich said softly. “But running from it won’t solve anything. We need to face this together, no matter how difficult it might be.”
I nodded, a weight lifting from my shoulders. “You’re right. We’ve both made mistakes, but I don’t want to give up on us. Not now, not ever.”
He reached out and took my hand, his grip warm and reassuring. “Neither do I. We’ll figure this out, Thelma. Together.”
In that moment, the tension between us melted away. The lies and fears that had threatened to tear us apart no longer felt insurmountable. We had a long road ahead, but for the first time in days, I felt hopeful.
As the night enveloped the training ground, Aldrich and I stood together, united in our determination to rebuild what we had nearly lost
Chapters The Miserlijnt to So Beaula
