His oppression

Aria's Revenge

Chapter Twenty-Three: ARIA’S REVENGE

There was not a single word uttered between the two of us when we left the house after a few minutes of just staring at each other. When he thought that I was going to leave him there, he was surprised when I told him to get in the car so we could get back to the apartment. This just puts my perspective into play. I still had his doll but I wasn’t going to do anything to it.

Oh no, that’s going to be a really petty move knowing myself and I hate to be the sore loser at the end.

It doesn’t really bother me what he did in the past but rather, at his actions now. You would think he’d change for the better as he goes through more time than he really needed but that’s not really what happened. Especially if you see it in his eyes. He couldn’t lay a finger on me because I’m the only one left that could possibly take him out of his life right now. I appreciate that he didn’t lie to me about that, I do.

It just hurts. I felt like I was growing some sort of relationship with him and I don’t know if I kind of regret I went here and found out the truth this way, so that way too I would have still been oblivious. If it isn’t a big deal to anyone else, it is to me.

“You’re not angry.” Radcliff said like he was stating a fact. “Why?”

He talked and his voice had gone back to normal. And judging him from his appearance, he doesn’t look like he had ill intent anymore. He’s gone back to the Radcliff I know but it just bothered me instead of making me feel somewhat okay.

“Do you think I’m not angry?” I just asked, keeping my focus on the street whilst I was driving the car.

“You don’t look angry.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not.”

“Then you are… aren’t you?”

He’s making me more pissed off than I already am. It’s like the first time again but with the fact that I now know what his intentions were and what he would be up to regarding myself. If he manages to annoy me once more I will throw his doll out of the window and pray to the heavens that it gets dragged by a car or torn up to pieces by a rabid dog.

Am I being too harsh to someone who just wanted to be uncursed and had to lie about it? I really hope I’m not but it’s not like I would care or anything. Wanting revenge on someone who died centuries ago? How could he do that-- I have a hunch but I don’t want to get into that.

He could have been honest with me the first time and I’d actually wouldn’t be acting this way. Although, I wouldn’t have believed him if he told me my great grandmothers were witches and I had their blood. I do, I do pity what he had gone through but what I’ve read about him with the women before me and considering their experiences, he was really a handful.

He would cause trouble whenever people were visiting the property and that would make them leave early. The house was charmed, I don’t know how but they told me so, so he couldn’t escape and not that he really could, he was bound to the doll. If he makes do and leaves the house, he won’t be staying away for too long. Because he can’t.

There was a time he nearly did escape because Betty from the 18th century was almost fooled. But the good thing was the mother acted immediately and locked up Radcliff for good again in the basement.

I got to thinking though, does he really deserve any of this s**t thrown his way just because Genevieve was hurt badly?

I guess not. But I’m still angry. Even so, I’m not going to act on impulse in these circumstances.

“You are mad.”

“You think, captain obvious?” I snarled at him, trying to calm my s**t down once more.

I had something in mind to pay back to him for lying to me-- the first person I ever trusted and the number one reason why I’m not going to trust again.

“You would never understand what I was thinking this whole time.”

“No, I actually do.” I looked at him when the stop light went red. “I actually do understand, I’m actually considering your side. I’m not mad at what you did to my relatives. I’m mad at the fact that you had to lie to me.”

“You wouldn’t believe me,” he argued, his eyebrows knitted together. “You didn’t believe me at first.”

“Of course I wasn’t going to believe you.” I told him before sighing. “You need to show me proof that what happened to you is real and not just a reason to scheme after me.”

“You were always skeptical.”

“Was, and later on, I believed you. I fully believed you only to find out you were just lying, you were just using me. Do you know how hard it is for me to trust people?” I asked with a frown. “You could have been upfront with it. That you were just going to use me. I’ll be fine with that. But to think I was beginning to have a connection with you. I’m just often disappointed.”

“It is that way,” he spoke, looking back to his front. “It’s often disappointing.”

“You didn’t change though, even when Genevieve tried to compromise with you.” I said to him, driving the car again. “I don’t know now if you were the cursed or my family. You caused destruction.”

“I was just trying to get out! I was locked up. What would you if you were?” he asked, his voice raising a little bit.

“I would behave? Like a decent human being? I was told you weren’t even decent enough to be called human.”

“Of course, you’re trusting your ‘grandma’s’ words.”

“Of course I am! Now that everything's kind of clear, I can somewhat tell when you’re lying through your teeth.”

“Oh suddenly you can tell? You’ve been a naïve Aria all this time. It was supposed to stay that way.” he looked at me, smiling in a conceited way. “I told you we shouldn’t have gone in the basement.”

“You were scared you weren’t going to get out of the house?” I asked him, laughing a little sarcastically. “That’s why you refuse to go inside.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Oh the mini research went incredibly well, might I add.” I replied with the most polished accent I could muster. I told you I learned a lot of things.”

“Genevieve could have been a little tamed by her punishment. I didn’t have to live the rest of my life, hopeless.”

“Maybe you’re still cursed because you have not changed.”

He looked at me as I could see him from the corner of my eye. He narrowed his eyes at me. “How would you know that I haven’t changed?”

“Because you’re still lying!”

“Perhaps if Genevieve had not put me in this situation, I would have not lied to you or to anyone else.”

I stopped the car and looked at him before grabbing my bag from the back. Taking a hold of his doll, I lifted it up a bit to put a hint out there. “She compromised with you. What did you do? Provoked her some more. You deserve this.”

“Just because Genevieve was a hopeless woman to love doesn’t mean it is I to blame. She was a fool to have believed that I, Radcliff Abrams, would want to settle with someone like her.” he put his hand over his chest and smiled at me.

“Despicable.” I commented, my eyebrows furrowing.

“Speak for your family.”

“You know I can stop this right here, right now.” I told him, looking at the doll once more. “You won’t care if you’re out of this world, right?”

He didn’t reply. That smug look he had before was long gone now when I said it.

“Yes, I wouldn’t give a care.”

“Okay…” I sighed, tossing the doll back to the seat behind and drove again.

I knew he would be baffled with what I just did and my response which was probably unexpected. He flinched a little but that was the most violent thing I’ll ever do to his doll. The revenge I want is for him to be gone but not in that way.

“Look, Aria…” he sighed loudly after a few more minutes. “It was the plan the first time. But if I were to be truthful about something right now, I did have a splendid time with you.”

I heard a little shatter inside my chest and apparently, that’s my heart that thinks his words were still sincere. There was a hope in me that he’d at least enjoy his time with me and not because he was pretending. He didn’t show signs of being uncomfortable even with how I reacted with everything, every little rant, he’d find the perfect words to calm me down. And that’s just an amazing time for me.

“I was mad at you too in the beginning but lately, I just find no reason to proceed with the feeling of hatred when you’re just as oblivious as anyone else except your family in this matter.” he continued, my eyes widening when he was reaching out for my hand but I quickly reacted. “And you were kind enough to help even if you were very dubious.”

Believe me when I was trying to calm myself down because his words were just really believable, I was almost believing them again. How could I stop myself from caring so much?

“You didn’t do anything and I was starting to feel guilty that I was using you.” he spoke, his voice cracking at the end. “I was also starting to have these feelings for you.”

That’s where I cross the line. Isn’t this the same script he’s using for everyone? To further more take them in and control them? He really is despicable and heartless. He’s now playing with my emotions. Does he know that I feel something for him too, is that why he’s using that as an advantage?

“Shut up. Just just up.”

“I’m only being truthful, Aria.”

“No, you are not!” my voice boomed inside the car and that was the angriest I felt and assumed in my entire life. “You’re just saying those words so I would do whatever you want.”

“No Aria, I might have lied to you about some things but I would never admit to you that I feel inclined with you. I would never lie about that, I’m not the type of person for this kind of feelings. Do you understand?”

“No. I don’t understand.”

“Then I’ll make you understand, Aria.” he spoke so softly that it made me shiver.

What happened next was something I didn’t expect he’d do. He put his hand under my chin and made me look at him. His face was close in proximity and if he leans a couple more inches, then our noses would be touching.

Why didn’t I have the energy to push him back? Did I want this too?

My eyes closed on their own when I finally felt his hot breath against my face and before I knew it, his lips were pressed against mine. I didn’t have any experiences with kissing and people before used to tell me that it will feel natural when you feel comfortable enough.

I wasn’t comfortable but I did feel… hot.

His lips were so soft but cold as his body always was. It got through me and I found myself kissing him back with the same amount of effort he was putting in. Maybe even more when I had my fingers entangled in his hair and his hand found my waist.

I wanted to be angry. But all I would want the bliss I receive from this kiss to never end.

“N-no…” there was my courage to pull away but I was breathless even though the kiss lasted only for mere seconds. “No… I’m angry at you.”

“I know.”

“You know what I’ll do to get back at you?” I asked, opening my eyes to see him.

“...what, Aria?” he asked, his eyes kept looking at my lips.

“I’m going to do my best to stop the curse and free you. And we would never see each other again.”