Arya: His Softest Sin

Chapter 1

Arya.

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The road twisted through the dense woods like a living thing, and I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles hurt.

October shouldn't feel this warm. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, painting everything in gold, but the calm beauty only made the tension in my chest worse.

Hunting season.

Family getaway.

Cabin in the woods.

A tradition I neither loved nor hated, except today, I hated it. I hated the way it forced me to leave the city, to leave control behind. To leave behind the world where I could save lives on my terms.

They could have chosen any other weekend. But no, they chose this one. And me being off meant I had to be dragged along.

I swallowed the frustration, trying to focus on the drive. Just a few more miles and the cabin would appear, smoke curling from the chimney, warm fire, laughter echoing through the trees.

But even that vision couldn't calm my nerves. Facing my family meant facing their questions, their judgment, their concern for my safety.

Then... movement.

A flash of motion on the side of the road. My heart jumped. I slammed the brakes.

A figure collapsed against a car.

I froze. Adrenaline surged. My hand went to the pepper spray, a reflex I didn't even have time to question.

He staggered, hand pressed to his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

I forced myself out of the car.

"Hey! Are you okay?" My voice shook, betraying the panic under my calm exterior.

He groaned. Pain etched every line of his face.

"Woman, do I look f*****g okay to you?!" His rasp cut through the air. Sharp, raw, terrifying.

I froze again, gripping the pepper spray like it could protect me from everything.

But my training kicked in. My hands moved of their own accord, inspecting his injuries. "I'm a doctor. I can help you."

I pulled my phone from my pocket. No signal. Of course. Typical of these remote areas.

"What are you doing?" His eyes, dangerous and stormy, flickered toward me.

"I...I need to get help. If I can get signal, I can call-"

He snatched the phone, shoved it into his pocket. "I don't need a hospital. You can help me."

My chest tightened.

Can? Buddy, I'm not even sure I want to.

"I'll take you to our cabin," I said, voice steadier than I felt. "It's not far from here."

My father will kill me. But I couldn't leave him here.

My self righteous, savior ass would never allow me to.

I slipped my arms under his weight. He was heavy. Too heavy. Every step to the car was a battle.

Into the back seat he went, wincing at every movement.

"Sorry," I muttered, helpless.

I finally take nose of his appearance.

Tall.

Muscular.

Tattoos crawling up his neck and across his hands. A busted lip. Fresh cut under his cheekbone. Dangerous, beautiful, broken.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I'm going to slam your face into this f*****g door."

I jumped. He was harsh, real, and terrifying. Annoyance flickered behind my fear.

People deal with pain differently, he was just masking the pain by being angry or so I tried to convince myself.

"Keep talking like that, and I will leave you out here." I said, climbing into the driver's seat.

That's a lie. But, he doesn't need to know that.

Steel-grey eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. Cold, unyielding, and somehow... captivating.

Was I really about to bring a stranger into my family's safety confines...possibly dangerous, possibly criminal?

My father's voice rang in my head: Arya, you have a knack for getting yourself in trouble.

The cabin came into view. Fear and anticipation churned in my stomach.

The car rolled to a stop. I breathed deep, bracing for the confrontation ahead. My father, controlling, narcissistic, always overstimulated, would never approve.

The man was still passed out, blood-streaked and unconscious, in my back seat.

I didn't get out, immediately. I couldn't.

Bang.

I jumped at the sound of palm meeting the window. I turned.

Allison, my sister, was glaring at me, putting her hands up in an emphasis of what's going on

I rolled it down, forcing a smile. "Where's Dad?" I got out of the car, peeping at the quiet surroundings.

"They went for a walk. I'm alone here. Mind you, I didn't even want to come on this dumb trip. I could've been out, partying, living the life of a 19 year old, but here I am, stuck with our boring ass--"

"Allison!" I shrieked, cutting her off. "I need your help."

She frowned. "With what?"

I flung open the backseat door. The guy lay slumped, shirt soaked in blood, breath strained.

"Oh my God! Arya!" Allison yelled, jumping back.

"Will you chill, please?" I said, agitatedly scanning for any possible movements.

"You want me to chill? Arya, you have a dead man in your f*****g car, how can you ask me to chill?" She shrieks, her blue eyes big and bewildered.

"He's not--"

"I love you, okay? I do but there's no way in hell, I'm gonna help you bury the body."

I roll my eyes. "He's not dead, Allison. He's just unconscious. Can you help me get him inside?"

She stared at me, wide-eyed, frozen between horror and disbelief.

"Allison!" I yell.

"Okay...okay!"

∞ — ∞ — ∞

Well... that escalated quickly.

What would you have done in Arya's position?

Brought him to the cabin... or driven away?

👀