Kiss Me

Omegaverse

Part Ten

Aya

I looked into my parents eyes, they were red and angry looking. Hot tears spilled onto my cheeks and I quickly swept them away. A cocktail of empathy and anger built in my body. I had no reason to be angry with them per say, but the way they looked at me flooded me with defensive adrenaline. They were angry because I messed up their plans for me, but that's just it. Their plans, not mine. I had no say in my life or the direction it was going in when they decided I'd get married. But now, now I have a say. I finally had the courage. "Mom….dad, I know what you want to hear but I'm not saying it. I made my choice. I chose this path…."

"Aya!" I jumped in response to my father's loud voice. It's a voice I've not heard in a very long time. Not since both me and Aida disappeared for a whole day and night when we were fifteen just to go to a concert to see some singer Aida was obsessed with back then. This was a far worse situation. "Do you realize what you're throwing away?" He asked.

Confusion settled in my gut. I was confused because I wasn't throwing anything away. How could I? When nothing had ever really started. It wasn't like I'd slept with Coal or been romantic in any sort of way. We were engaged, but nothing beyond that. "There is nothing to realize. Coal was never meant for me and if you both love me, you'd want me to be happy, right?"

"Coal would have made you happy." My mother said in her cold automatic tone.

"Well he hasn't so far," my mother gasped and held her hand to her chest as if she was shocked or badly wounded. "If it was meant to be, I would have known. But it's not, it never was and it never will be."

"So you chose some other Alpha?" She asked. Her voice again so monotone.

"Yes. I chose him and he chose me just the same. We'd bonded before we even knew it and now...now I'm officially paired with him. There's nothing you can do about it."

My father moved quickly towards me, when an arm came out in front of me. Henley stood there. Arm out, hand splayed so my father couldn't come with inches of me. "So, you're the one, huh?" My father stood like a statue in front of Henley. Then Aida popped out from the other side of me. "I suppose you had something to do with this?" My father's question was directed at Aida.

"I did. I took Aya to the bar where Henley was with Matt. I saw how they connected and I made damn sure that they both knew it. I wasn't going to lose my brother. I wasn't gonna let him marry a man who would never make him smile or laugh or even love him as much as I know Henley loves him," Fuck. That's one thing me and Henley haven't officially said to each other. But I felt it….rather, I can feel it. "What the fuck is the point of having freedom if you cannot freely choose. You took that away from him and I gave it back. I do not regret my decision and I do not care how you both feel on the matter." God. Having my brother stand and argue my corner felt fantastic but also awful at the same time. If my parents started to hate me because of my choices, then so be it. But I didn't want them to hate Aida. We are only four and half minutes apart, Aida being four and a half minutes older than me stands to inherit our family hospital. He's worked so hard to get to where he is and now it feels like he's throwing it away for me.

"Aida, that's enough," I whispered. Then looked back at my father. "I understand you wanted the best for me, I do. But having the best in life won't bring me the happiness I so deserve. It isn't having the best that will make my heart grow every day. And it isn't having the best that will keep a smile permanently fixed on my face. I love Henley. I did the moment I saw him, it's just taken me till now to finally actually say it and I'm angry because I've had to say it to you and not directly to him," I turned to look at Henley, his mouth was almost unhinged. "I love you. I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you when we were alone. But I do."

"....god, I...wow. I love you," tears pooled in his eyes and his arms wrapped around my waist. "I love you so much." Then his grip loosened and his eyes left mine. He stood straight and tall in front of my dad, whose face had gone so red he looked like he'd pop. "I...I kinda had stuff I wanted to say. Like a long list of things I thought you needed to hear. But I only have four words for you. I love your son," We all fell silent for long minutes. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. My father stared at Henley, unblinking and Henley stared right back. Then he took a breath. "And I'm taking him home."

Only then did my father look away and in my mother's direction. "He's taking him home," my father said to my mother, then looked back at us. "Taking you home?" He asked, nodding, a sarcastic grin forming on his tempered face. He was shocked and something in his eyes flared to life again. "Ha. This is rich. You come into our home and you tell me you're taking my son."

"Dad, stop," I urged, but the crazed look on his face told me he wasn’t going to.

"Hey, Henley right?" he said brightly like he was welcoming him into a party. Then Matt came inside too. "Oh, and Matt is here. Did you all come to help Henley snatch my son away?" I stood in the doorway watching. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to hurt me. And, frankly, that did piss me off.

"I'm not stealing your son," Henley didn’t feed into my father’s hostility. I never wanted a fight and the three of us knew that wasn’t dad’s normal behavior. He was mad, but he had no right to be. "I didn't come here to steal him. I came here because I wanted to be fair and tell you that I'd make Aya happy. I'd never leave any room for doubt. Don't you want your son to be happy?" My dad looked like he was about to break some bones.

So It turns out, the right thing to do for now was, "I’m sorry I hurt you both and I love you. But I'm leaving with Henley. To build my life."

To those words my dad looked at me, but his vision lacked focus. "You didn't even want to try with Coal, a good man."

"I’ve been trying for a really long time, dad. I truly have," Speaking those words, out loud to him, opened a floodgate inside me. He wanted the truth, there it was. Saying it to his face was pivotal. It felt like my two halves were being stitched back together into one, like I was taking my life back. "I tried everyday to be the son you wanted. But now I'm trying for myself and I really hope and pray that you both see eventually how happy I am," With that I took Henley's hand and I pulled him away from my father. "I'm leaving. I hope you both find it in your hearts to forgive me, but is there really anything to forgive?" And I walked away, taking Henley with me. I didn't stop. Hearing my mother call out for me didn't stop me. Hearing my brother's voice didn't stop me either. I had to get out of this house. "Henley take my keys, I can't drive like this."

"What?" Then I started to cry. I cried and I cried and I cried. It was a culmination of happiness and hurt, all jumbled up inside, bursting forth. "Aya!" Henley's arms came around me like a warm blanket and I cried more. "Come on, lets get home," He helped me get in the car. He made sure I was settled before he rushed to the other side and jumped in. "Baby you're so damn brave."

"Brave? It was terrifying Henley," I gave myself a moment to collect my thoughts. "I didn't get to say half of what I wanted to say."

"You said enough Aya. You made it clear. Now you all need time."

"Time. I guess you're right. We need time," I took a heavy breath and smiled through tears that flowed like overfilled ditches during a spring rain. I let them go. In a weird way, I needed these tears. Deep down I wasn’t a monster, I gained no pleasure out of this despair. I was happy and sad and angry and all the other feelings you'd feel. I was free. Free to be me, but I couldn't stop the tears. I needed to cry until I couldn't cry anymore, then I'd be able to move past this night. "Please….just drive."

Henley nodded and started the car and we pulled out of the driveway. "Will your brother be okay?"

"Yes. He was always getting into trouble, he can handle my parents," The tremendous burden I’d been carrying for a long time lessened. I had finally stood up to my parents. Like Aida is always doing. If only I was like him. Then none of this would have happened. I could have met Henley and never have had to worry about anything. We could have been blissful and content without the arguments. I may have lost my parents' trust, maybe even their love, but I've gained something so much more. I looked at Henley as he watched the road. "I do love you."

"And I love you too," My whole body filled with immeasurable joy. Even after the events that unfolded tonight. Nothing could take that from me. "Aya, I think you should check if your brother is okay?"

He was right. Although most of the time I'd know. But because I was so overwhelmed I couldn't sense anything at all. "Alright," I grabbed my phone from my pocket and dialed Aida.

He answered straight away. "Aya, you okay?" His voice was rushed.

"I...I'm fine…" God I was tearing again.

"Don't cry. You did the right thing. Everything will be okay in the end." He sounded downhearted, I heard it in his voice. Our parents must have really gone off on him.

"Even if it's not, I have you."

"You always will Aya. Now get off the phone. Get home and get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Don't let them get to you," I was trying to reassure him.

"Aya, Do I ever?" He says that. But even when he'd pretend they didn't I always felt that they did. Maybe that's why he rebelled so much. Because it hurt him and the only way to make it hurt less for him was to hurt them. Yet for weird reasons they always forgave him. Maybe because he's an Alpha. "I'm going, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

"I love you…." But before I could say anything more the line went dead. I dropped my phone in my lap and sat quietly the rest of the drive. Henley didn't say anything else, either. He knew I needed this. Funny, people say rip a Band-Aid off quickly and then it’s over. But you know what? It still fucking hurts. It will hurt for a long time too. I just hope that I can see my parents again and in better circumstances. I hope.