"Before, when I was leaving you in that hospital, you said something..." He trailed off and I froze instantly, knowing what he was talking about. That day in the hospital when he had left.

I watched in anxiousness as he regained his voice and spoke again.

"Well, I didn't have an answer then, but now I do." He said, looking down at me. I bit my lip and turned away. I was too mortified to look into his eyes. I considered running away from him, but immediately disregarded the thought when he pulled my face up to look at him, a sad look in his eyes.

"My answer is that I-" But, he was interrupted by someone calling his name.

We both turned abruptly to the voice and I stared hard. There stood a girl. Her hair as blonde as sunshine and her eyes an emerald green. She was looking at us and she had called Aaron's name.

But, who was she?

I turned to Aaron to see if he recognised her, but was only met with wide eyes. Aaron looked as though he had seen and ghost. His face had become significantly paler and he stood frozen to the spot. I was about to ask what was wrong, but Aaron opened his mouth and spoke.

"Avalon?" Aaron's voice rung out and he moved away from me.

_________________________

There was a comfortable silence in the car as they drived; one that didn't match the events of the previous days: him storming out of the hospital and Lexi getting treated from her life-threatening, those were two things that Aaron had thought would probably put a strain on their communication, but it didn't seek to be the case.

It always seemed that way between the two of them from the first moment that they had met. There had been a tense moment in the cafe on the day after they had made their agreement and, yet, it had all blown over just as quick with Lexi coming to meet his mother hours after. Even then, when he had said Avalon's name and she had kissed Elliot, they had reconciled over the sadness of his mother's passing. There seemed to be no force; no circumstance that could create a distance between the two and he felt a sense of relief at that. Had it not been that way then Lexi would have left him far earlier. His debaucherous ways would have seen to that indefinitely.

And, here they were again, as though nothing has ever happened between the two; as though they couldn't see fit to drift. The very thought lingered with him as the car stopped to a halt, Lexi's house in sight by his right.

Instinctively, he moved out the car, wading to Lexi's side and opening the door. His heart all but clenched when she smiled up at him, the now-familiar expression bringing comfort to him in ways that nothing else ever could. She was, in every way, his solace: a place to call home.

"Still a gentleman, I see," She grumbled teasingly and it made him laugh, glad for the fact that she was talking normally to him. A few weeks prior, she had made it clear that he had no say in her personal affairs about getting treatment, so he was glad she hadn't shut him out completely.

"Don't go praising me too much, Lexi. I only opened it because I knew you'd probably say something if I didn't." He joked, helping her up although his internal thoughts were something different entirely. His internal thoughts reminded him of his true nature; how he had never behaved like this this, like a gentleman before. He had been described as many things: funny, energetic; even intelligent, but chivalrous wasn't amongst any of these descriptors. In fact, he'd more likely assume that he was considered the opposite of a gentleman. And, yet, this was the exact word that Lexi had used to describe him. She wasn't lying to appease him, no. Rather, he seemed to become a gentleman whenever he was in her presence and- strangely enough- it felt more like him than any other show he put on. She made him want to be a better man.

Lexi smiled that smile again as she walked alongside him.

"They're right when they say 'chivalry is dead'," She joked in a blunt manner, making him laugh loudly. She always found a way to make him laugh, even in the tense times.

Perhaps, things would be fine between them after all.

It made a sense of hope fill him; to know that they could eventually move past this blunder and be able to progress. Before he had discovered her ailment, things had been going steadily well. Yes, it wasn't akin to his typical fast relationships, ones where he would immediately give himself into it. No, his and Lexi's relationship was slower; more cautious and he found he liked that. There was a certain excitement in the slow-burn that was their romance and he found himself unraveling with each slow step he took in further. She was someone with whom you needed to be thoughtful and conscientious; speed would not work.

Well, this is how he had thought right before he had discovered her ailment and- now- the events of the hospital had long since tainted those plans. He could still her teary voice; still recall the way every fibre inside him tensed.

Aaron, wait! I love you."

It was those words that had stopped him dead in his tracks in the hospital.

For a second then, he had closed his eyes, taking in the words from her mouth. From Lexi's mouth. It was her who had said it to him and he let himself imagine what it would have felt like in any other situation other than the one where she had.

He could still recall turning his head to her slightly, so he could look at her- take in her beautiful form and the words she had spoken to him. It was a moment he had wanted to freeze in time but he knew that couldn't be possible.

She had told him this right after telling him she was choosing to leave him. If she truly did love him, would she not have chosen to stay? Would she not have chosen to disclose everything to him?

She was lying when she said she loved him in a bid to get him to stay. Perhaps, she could tell how much of a hold she had on him and knew what words would work on him. The very thoughts had made the anger rise and that was the reason he had left her. He didn't know what he'd do or say if he stayed. So, he had walked away from her; before she could walk away from him.

But, now she was here in front of him; she hadn't left and her words of confession hung in the air. A part of him felt happy from hearing those words from her, but the rest felt desolate. He knew she had just said those words purely to get him to stay; she knew what would keep him at her bidding.

It was a memory that haunted him, so he called to her, needing to air out his feelings. If she didn't feel the same way then so be it. But, he was tired of keeping his feelings at bay; he needed to be honest with her now. Honest with himself.

"We seriously need to talk." He said when turned to him, his voice tense and- by the inquisitive look in her eyes- he knew she could tell it was serious.

He looked as though he was searching for words. He had never felt this nervous with anyone before.

"Before, when I was leaving you in that hospital, you said something..." He trailed off hesitantly and Lexi tensed visibly, her eyes wide. He could tell at that point that this was an uncomfortable topic for her; she truly did not wish to talk about feelings and- perhaps- it was because she had no feelings for him in the slightest. It hurt him, but he still had to tell her; had to share his soul before it would burst with the tenacity of affection it held.

"Well, I didn't have an answer then, but now I do." He said, looking down at her without breaking eye contact. He needed her to hear him with the full depths of his voice; to look in his eyes and know he wasn't lying. He meant every word.

She looked away from him, avoiding his gaze and it stung at him yet again. Still, he wouldn't relent, pulling up her face to look at him. He couldn't help the sad look in his eyes from her avoiding reaction.

"My answer is that I-" But, he was interrupted by someone calling his name.

He turned abruptly to the voice and his body stiffened at the girl before him.

It was her.

The same blonde hair; the same emerald green eyes. He couldn't mistake it.

It was Avalon.

He felt the memories flitting into him then: of his drunk mother and how Avalon had come and been a distraction. The treacherous memories of his childhood rose to the surface, draining the blood from his very being and leaving him frozen. It was with one gaze at Avalon that he gazed at his trauma; gazed at all that he had sought to hide.

Even now, when she looked at him with teary eyes, he felt a sense of dread fill him. Life was cruel and it brought a new bout of woe to him. It had thrust his past back in front of him, just when he had discovered means to move on.

"Avalon?" Aaron's voice rung out weakly when he found the courage to speak and then she nodded, making him stumble back.

This wasn't a nightmare. It was real.

______________________________________________

"My answer is that I-" But, he was interrupted by someone calling his name.

We both turned abruptly to the voice and I stared hard. There stood a girl. Her hair as blonde as sunshine and her eyes an emerald green. She was looking at us and she had called Aaron's name.

But, who was she?

I turned to Aaron to see if he recognised her, but was only met with wide eyes. Aaron looked as though he had seen and ghost. His face had become significantly paler and he stood frozen to the spot. I was about to ask what was wrong, but Aaron opened his mouth and spoke.

"Avalon?" Aaron's voice rung out and he moved away from me.