Free Web NovelChapter 122: He has you
Alaric
Harold nodded slowly, his expression growing unusually grounded. "You formally found me after that accident. When the car flipped and the trauma threatened to completely shatter your consciousness, your mind fragmented. I stepped forward to carry the memories, the fear, and the absolute vulnerability that you couldn’t handle.’’
I gave him a hollow, questioning look, another ragged sigh escaping my chest as the truth settled heavily into my bones. "All this time... I had thought you were a real person. I thought you were my friend."
Harold let out a soft, almost melancholic laugh. "Of course I am real, Alaric. Right here," he said, pointing a finger directly at my forehead, and then moving it down to tap over my heart. "And right there. I have always been with you since that accident happened... and honestly, even before that."
My gaze sharpened. "What do you mean by before? We met before the accident?"
Harold nodded in response, his form shifting slightly as he prepared to speak. "When you were much younger, during—"
His words were cut violently short by the sound of approaching footsteps echoing from the hallway inside.
"Oh, your dear ex- fiancée is heading this way," Harold jokingly whispered, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes as his body began to blur at the edges. "Personally, I still prefer that fierce girl, but love is love, so I guess I will accept that annoying Nico.’’
"You accept Nico?" I whispered keeping my voice as low as possible.
"Yes, of course I do," Harold replied smoothly. "Because aside from me, he is the only person in this world who probably cares more about your survival than anyone else."
I stared at him desperately as the footsteps drew even closer to the balcony doors. The lingering question I had been pondering all night long flashed vividly in my mind, and I knew this might be my only chance to get an answer. "So if you like Nico then you probably knew before that night at the gala... then you must know that he and I had met before. Do you know when? Tell me!"
"I..."
I tried to press him for the specific memory, but Harold just offered me a wide grin. He waved his hand dismissively, suddenly flapping his arms like a pair of wings, and floated straight up into the dark night sky, dissolving into the shadows above the villa’s roof.
What the hell? I thought, my mind spinning into complete chaos.
"Where the hell are you going!" I yelled out into the empty air, completely losing my grip on reality for a split second.
Just as the words left my mouth, the heavy glass door to the balcony slid open with a soft click. Sophia walked out into the cool night air, pulling a silk shawl tightly around her shoulders.
I froze, instantly forcing my posture to stiffen as I looked toward her. The moment our eyes met, Sophia stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowing as she took a slow, calculated look around the empty balcony, as if she were actively searching for a hidden presence or a third person.
"Is anyone out here with you, Alaric?" she asked, her voice filled with a quiet confusion. "I distinctly heard you sounded like you were talking to someone else while I was walking down the hall. I wondered if you were the only one out here, or if maybe there was someone else talking to you?"
A tight, forced laugh escaped my throat. I shook my head slowly, quickly wiping the faint trace of blood from my lip with my sleeve before she could notice it.
"No, there’s nobody else out here, Sophia," I lied smoothly, forcing a tired smile onto my face as I leaned casually against the stone railing to look completely relaxed. "I was just caught up on the phone with my racing manager regarding the simulator telemetry for the next grid match. The connection was incredibly faint, so I had to yell over the wind just to get my point across. Sorry if I woke you up."
Sophia let out a soft sigh of relief, the tension draining from her shoulders as she walked over to stand a few feet away from me, looking out at the sprawling, dark gardens of the estate. "Oh, I see. No, you didn’t wake me. I was just overthinking."
She went quiet for a moment, her fingers twisting the fabric of her shawl before she looked up at me, her eyes clouded with deep concern. "Do you think Nico is going to be fine after everything that happened at the dinner table tonight?" freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Hearing his name brought the image of Nico’s tear-stained face and vulnerability back into my mind. It hit me hard and I felt a sharp ache forming in my chest as I realized how deeply those horrific family secrets must have hurt him over the years.
I kept completely quiet for a long moment, staring out into the dark horizon, unable to give her a simple answer.
Sophia noticed my silence and offered a soft, reassuring smile. "He has you now, Alaric," she said softly, her voice filled with an absolute certainty that made my chest tighten. "That means everything is going to be completely fine for him, no matter how heavy the past is."
She paused, studying my exhausted features before asking gently, "Are you alright, though?"
I looked back at her and slowly nodded my head. "Yeah. I’m alright, Sophia."
"Good," she murmured, stepping back toward the glass doors. "I truly wish the best for both of you. I’m going to go back inside to get some rest now. Don’t stay out in the cold for too long."
"Goodnight, Sophia," I said quietly.
As the balcony door slid shut behind her, I turned back toward the empty sky, my mind completely consumed by so many things I found out tonight.
Not only did Harold know Nico before the night at the gala but had also met me as a child.
’’What the hell is going on?’’ I let out a groan and ran a hand through my hair.
