Marcus's POV

I groaned when I looked behind me and couldn't find the boy. I got scared but I know that he must be around the house somewhere.

"let me help you find him. "

"No it's okay. You have a flight tomorrow, so you go and rest, I'll take care of things here. " I said and walked away but got stopped by Storm.

"Marcus. Thank you man. " Storm said as his face showed a smile and thankful look. We both fall silent as I smiled at him, I nodded at him and nodded back.

"Anything for you man. "

I told him and started walking away with a smile on my face. With everything that he has done for me, this is nothing. He was my only friend, only person that held me when I was falling in darkness. I won't romanticize it cause there is only friendship between us not other feeling then pure friendship and care. He's been a real great friend when my parents and my elder brother was trying to get rid of me, he was the one that saved me and helped me.

He helped me survive till my grandfather know about all the mishaps. My grandfather has always favored me over everyone, I don't know why, I'm not like him. I'm not a cold blooded man. I have feelings too, me being rebellious and the bad boy doesn't mean I'm going to inherent his legacy but he never understood that. My parents and brother never liked this, they wanted everything from my grandpa while I wanted nothing and so what.

They become crazy, sent people to kill me but I made it alive every fucking time. Grandpa sent them away cause he didn't want to kill his own blood and he kept me with him, saying I'll lead the mafia after him but I don't want it. I want to be normal. That's when Storm helped me, he always act as my bodyguard, defending me from Grandpa, he even killed for me. He left Haze for me and it was more than what a friend would do. He may think that I helped him but it was always opposite.

I was brought out of my story when I heard splash sound coming from outside. I followed the sound and saw Louise sitting at the edge of the swimming pool, looking at the water and moving his legs in it with a very deep in thoughts look.

The moon shown over his pale face and on his platinum hair, making him look something straight out of a fantasy movie. I walked closer to him and stood beside him. Listening to the water moving as he moved his feet in it, the light breeze moving past us, leaving cold sensation on my cheeks.

"You know. I hate water. But it's kind of ironic cause I'm the captain of our school's swim team. " he said making me look at him. His words held some hidden emotion that made ask further. I was curious, I wanted to know why.

"Why choose swimming if you hate water?"

"will you listen to my story?" he asked, his blue eyes gleamed in hope and I couldn't help but look into them, they're like Haze's but his are more bluer than his, like oceans calling you take a dive into the deepest.

I removed my shoes and socks placing them aside I sat beside him, placing my feet in the cold water and he looked ahead with a smile. He looks so different from a while ago where he was just trying to fight me and being rude and over smart.

"I'm all ears if you want to tell. "

He nodded as he looked ahead in the water. His eyes showed sadness and I looked ahead as well.

"I hate water, because I lost someone dear to me. My grandfather and I, we used to go fishing in the spring season, it was when I was only ten year old. We went to the lake to catch fishes but the boat we got was in bad shape. We didn't know that. I was just too excited to catch some fish and show them to my mother," he chuckled at the memory, while the sadness was still covering his face. I moved closer to him and he placed his head on my shoulder.

"We went to the center of the lake, knowing there were many fishes there but the boat sank. I didn't know much about after that but what I remember is screaming before I fell unconscious and after that some people helping me and calling my mom, I saw them getting my Grandfather out of the water, he was lying on the ground. No matter how many times I called him, he never woke up and he was never going to. "

I heard sobs from him and I placed my arm around him, helping him calm down.

"after that, I was sent to psychiatrist because I had Hydrophobia from the trauma, they said I have PTSD. But after a few years, I decided to face it. I wanted to be able to overcome the fear, the regret, the guilt, the pain. I wanted to win from it. I learned to swim, the fear turn to hate, and it become obsession. It always remind me of my grandfather, so I couldn't let it go. I just don't want it to happen again. "

Silence fell between us, he started crying, tears fell from his eyes as I sat there holding him in my arms. Who would have thought this little guy was holding so much in.

The pain from loosing someone close to his heart, the fear, the regret of not being able to help, of not being able to do anything. He was scared all this time, but still was facing it with a strong heart.

This little guy is something.

"You know, you're strong. I would've taken my steps back. I would've run from it, like I'm doing now. I just want to get away from all the fear and regrets, I don't want to end up like before, I'm a coward. I can't tell you everything but just know, your grandfather is proud of you, I'm sure of it. You've grown so much capable now, much better from that ten year old kid. "

"but what's the use of it now. He's not here, and I'm still not free from the fear. "

"he's not here, but he must be proud to see you trying your very best in overcoming your fear and not letting it win and destroy you. That you've improved so much. "

"You speak like you've been through it! " I could sense anger in his voice and I decided to share it with him, the thing that not even Storm knows, the only thing that's hidden from him.

"I have. " I told him as he looked at me. " I lost my sister and I'm still scared of being in that situation again. "

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. "

"it's okay. I've to face it someday. Come on now. It's cold outside, you'll catch cold if you stay here for too long. " I said standing up and held my hand to him, he took it and stood up. Taking my shoes, I started walking back into the house.

"Marcus. "

"hmm"

"Thank you. For listening and telling me that my grandpa is proud of me. "

"your welcome. " I said with a smile as I took him back to my room and he slumped down in my bed. I went to change into comfortable clothes and came back to see him sleeping.

I sat beside him and thought about my last. My sister died because of the mafia record of our family, she was caught in the cross fire while I stood there and watched her die. It scared me and I decided to run away from everything, I left my house and started living in the apartment my sister used to live in, I started hating my family because they never understood or even cared about her dead, they said she sacrificed herself or that she was foolish. But I know that she was scared too, scared of everything that was happening around her and she couldn't handle it, she attempted a suicide and succeeded. I still have to recover from her death but the fear is too much.

Grandpa too don't understand, he thinks that I need time to adjust into it, but he doesn't know that I'm scared of even stepping into it. I'm scared of loosing someone I care for including my grandpa and Storm too now. He pulled me out of the darkness but he don't know how deep it's roots are. Maybe now I might be able to come out.

"You don't know what you've done kid. It's not you who should be thankful but me. You showed me what I was doing wrong, I shouldn't run away, I need to face it, I need to face everything, cause only I can win from it. Thank you for telling me your story. "

I said and stood up, I laid beside him while facing him as he slept without a care, his eyes and nose were still red from the crying that made him look cute.

Damn.

😭😭😭😭😭😭