Accacia
stared at him, silently pressuring him to answer her question. She knew he
would eventually. He told her everything; at least she thought he did.
“I—I just don’t deserve you,” he
whispered.
“That isn’t true.”
“Yes, it is, Accacia,” he said with
a sigh. His eyes were still glued to the celestial heavens up above. He didn’t
have the strength to look at her; he was ashamed.
“We all do things we regret, Aleco.”
“And what have you done, Accacia?”
She thought for a moment; she
couldn’t think of anything. “Well, I didn’t return to Father Giloth one
afternoon like I promised. I came back to the house after dark and he was
frightened something had befallen me—I felt horrible for hurting him.”
Aleco shook his head. “So, basically
you haven’t done a single thing.” Accacia didn’t respond to his words. She
didn’t know what to say. It was true; she hadn’t committed a single crime. She
had never killed anyone; she hadn’t even killed an animal. “I used to be a
monster, Accacia—I’ve done unspeakable things.”
“Let it go,” she said as she hugged
him. “You aren’t the same person, Aleco.”
“That doesn’t vindicate me for my crimes. I deserve to be put to the sword. You were right to deny my love to begin with.”
“That doesn’t vindicate me for my crimes. I deserve to be put to the sword. You were right to deny my love to begin with.”
“I was right for accepting you into
my heart—you have always been there.”
“You wouldn’t be lying beside me if
you knew my crimes, Accacia. And I would judge you if you stayed.”
“Nothing in your past will change our
present, Aleco. I know you aren’t the same person. You are a great man. I don’t
care about the man you used to be.” Aleco avoided her gaze and continued to
look into the night sky. She could feel the anger coursing through his body; he
hated himself. “Tell me the worst thing you ever did, Aleco.”
He finally looked at her. “Why?”
“I’ll prove it to you,” she said. “I
will still be here after you tell me. It will change nothing.”
Aleco sighed. “It will change
everything.”
“Try me.”
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” she said firmly.
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