Two months had passed since Aaira's fate had changed. Still, to this day, she thought about him. The man that saved her life.
…
Aaira slowly began to open her eyes, her hand gripped tightly by another's. She decided that she would change her fate, whether it had already been changed by the one holding her back or not.
When she finally gave herself the courage to look back, the dark haired man had returned. His arm outstretched to hold onto her, his jaw tightening and his neck straining to carry her weight.
"Don't…" he began, forcing himself to hold Aaira in his grip, "don't let go."
At his request, Aaira held tighter, swinging her other arm to reach out to him.
It felt almost impossible. But, as much as she struggled, she was reluctant to let go.
With a final reach of his hand, Aaira had managed to grab on, where she was eventually pulled back up. Her arms had wrapped around the railing, the strange man's arms wrapped around her stomach to lift her over.
The river had seemed so close, yet so far.
Their bodies dropped to the pavement behind the railing, where they had rolled about and caught their breath. Aaira was still hesitant about allowing him to rope her back in. On the other hand, she felt as though she was indebted to him.
Her arms flung back to pull herself up and, as her breath began to come back to her, Aaira's head twisted to look at the man, who was still laying across the ground with arms outstretched.
"Why did you do it?" Aaira questioned.
Although she was thankful, she was cautious.
He took a moment to himself, slowing his breathing down and sighing.
"What choice did I have?" he breathed, lifting himself up onto his feet. He gripped the railing to hold himself up, still trying to strengthen his arms.
"You only had two."
"So? I made my choice." He heaved, stretching his back and scratching the back of his neck. "Shouldn't you be thanking me?"
Aaira quickly adjusted her tilted head, "thanking you?" She finally had the strength to pull herself from her sitting position, wobbling on her legs as she stood upright. "I should be thanking you?"
He shuddered under the cold wind, his eyes gleaming towards her. "I saved your life-"
"You made me miserable!"
He was clearly offended, but brushed it off quickly. His feet twisted against the pavement as he strolled past her. "Go home."
Before she could utter another word, he had walked too far ahead, unable to hear her.
And that was the end of him.
…
In the space of just a few moments, Aaira had been stripped of her courage to reunite with her mother once again. She felt like she was given another chance at life, and she would take it in her stride.
James, her uncle, would be proud of her.
And she was finally sure of herself, as well as what she wanted.
Aaira longed to be happy, for someone to be proud of her achievements. So, for once, she would try her hardest to get what she wanted.
Her eyes wandered around the room, noticing how empty it was. For the first time in a long time, Aaira felt scared. It was finally time to start university, and she'd never been so unprepared. All that was left was her bed, a few boxes scattered around, and a soft creme blanket that draped over her legs.
Aaira held her blanket close, it was the only thing left that could get her to sleep.
It was her mother's.
Sure, it was a little dirty and worn, but that was the only safe place she had.
As she spaced out, the hinge of the door cracked open, and there stood James.
Her uncle smiled, watching Aaira smile back sadly.
"Are you ready?"
She takes one last glance out of her window before nodding her head. He noticed how hesitant she was with her answer, and let her take a moment to herself.
"Aaira," his voice was soft as he spoke and, for once, Aaira had felt comforted just by hearing her name being called. It was something she was never used to.
Swivelling her head, she looked back at him with blunt eyes.
"You don't have to go now," he pressed his lips together, "if you need more time-"
"I'm okay."
Aaira was quick to respond, and he nodded his head in acceptance. Even admitting she was okay, she knew she wasn't. And, so did her uncle.
"You don't need to rush. It'll take time to get used to something new. But, I'm only a phone call away. You know that."
She nodded as he pressed his palm against her cheek. Aaira's eyes began to close at the comfort of his touch. It was simple, yet it meant so much.
James was never affectionate, especially since losing his sister. He even refused to fall in love.
He often said this one thing, and Aaira never forgot it. Not once.
'There was only one woman I ever truly loved; and that was your mother. And, since giving birth to you, she gave me someone else to love in her absence.'
That truly stuck with Aaira.
For the past 18 years, she would always think about what her uncle said when she was really struggling. It always took away the pressure, and helped relieve her pain.
James offered her a final smile before glancing around at her room, tutting at the boxes. "Hey, didn't I ask you to clean this up?" he wandered around the room, kicking boxes and huffing. "Do you need some help bringing them downstairs?"
Aaira shook her head with a light smile, "I'll manage."
"Okay," he nodded, still staring at the boxes scattered around, "well, everything else is packed. So, don't take too long, okay?"
"I'll only be a moment."
On his way out he shut the door, leaving Aaira alone with her thoughts once more.
Who knew starting a new life could feel so… lonely. Of course, Aaira felt this way about almost everything. But, she thought that starting fresh would be more bearable. She thought she'd be excited - slightly overwhelmed, but mostly excited. It was a way for her to escape her past and begin a new future. A future that she could live without the trouble of anxiety, or feeling pressured. Aaira would finally live the way she wanted but, somehow, she knew that wouldn't happen.
…
Aaira gazed out of the window as the car stopped abruptly. Finally, she had arrived at her new home.
The air was cold, and the pavements slightly damp. With the trees blowing in the harsh wind she could smell the fresh air, it hit her immediately. With closed eyes, she took in that breath of air, and told herself she would be okay.
'Everything will be okay.'
"Are you ready?" James turned his head to meet Aaira's eyes, and she smiled as bright as she could. "Let's get you inside out of this cold." He stepped out of the car, taking in the view of the city. For a moment, he barely noticed the university behind him, the students wandering in and out. There were plenty of other students unpacking their belongings. Some had returned after term break, others were starting their new life.
Still, Aaira couldn't help but feel alone. It was likely that most new students had prepared themselves for their classes, they'd studied hard and already knew half of their course. But Aaira hadn't even expected to get this far. She expected her uncle to be attending her own funeral by now, instead he was driving her to her new home to become an adult.
Her life had been rushed. There were things she still wanted to do, she wanted to live her life to the fullest. Now she was stuck in education all over again. It felt almost like being back in high school.
Aaira didn't exactly have any friends.
People teased her over having no family. Whether she was wealthy or not, that didn't matter. What mattered was that she didn't have anybody. Not one person. Even going into class with a brand new bag or expensive shoes didn't gain her popularity. Now that she thought about it, those expensive gifts were a way of her uncle trying to make up for her mother and father's absence. It was out of pity.
"Are you going to help me with this? Or are you just going to sit there daydreaming?" James chuckled, heaving Aaira's luggage out of the back of the car.
She quickly snapped out of her dream, pushing open the car door and walking swiftly towards her uncle.
"Sorry," she smiled weakly, "just a little preoccupied."
"Are you worried?" he sighed, raising a brow as he dropped her luggage onto the pavement. James places a hand on his waist, taking a quick glance at the university. "It's not all that bad. You'll be okay."
His reassurance comforted Aaira, even just slightly. She took a breath, and let it out slowly, nodding to him as a 'thank you'.
Come to think of it, Aaira didn't remember ever saying 'thank you' to her uncle. Not for the expensive gifts, not for the wise words he shared - not even for giving up his life to take care of her.
Aaira rushed to James' side, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
She couldn't bring herself to say the words 'thank you'. But her embrace was enough for him to smile, and be grateful.
"I'm so proud of you," he hugged her back, brushing her hair gently. "Your mother would be proud, too. And your father."
Just those few words brought Aaira to tears, which she quickly wiped away and hid with a smile.
"I'll make this worth it. For them," she paused, pulling away from him, "and for you."
He sniffled, chuckling and messing her hair. "I know you will. Now, come on." James sniffled again, reaching for another bag, "it's too cold out here - making my eyes tear up."
For the first time in a long time, Aaira laughed.
After all these years of unconditional love, she was leaving. Who knows if it was for forever, or if she would return quickly hoping he would still be by her side.
All Aaira knew was that she couldn't lose the one person who stood by her. The one person who never gave up on her.
If she lost him, she would truly lose herself.
The university campus was filled with booths - most likely trying to sign new students for after class clubs.
At first, Aaira paid no attention, but then thought that if she passed by again later on she'd find the confidence to sign up to a few.
"Look at all this," James grinned, pushing his glasses further up his nose as he squinted. "See, you'll be preoccupied even after class!"
Aaira seethed through her teeth, checking over the stalls and booths once again. "I doubt it. I don't think I'll be too interested."
"Well, you can give it a try. This is your chance to get out there and try new things. Be adventurous.Put yourself in a bit of danger for once."
Aaira raised a brow at him, but he quickly turned away and shrugged.
"Not literally. But, you know what I mean."
"Right," she giggled, "I'll remember to put myself in danger at least once."
James' jokes were helping Aaira ease herself into her new life quickly. She actually felt confident for once, like nothing could stand in her way.
It was a long walk to Aaira's dormitory. She expected as much.
Four staircases. Round, and round, and round, and round.
By the time she'd reached the top, she was ready to leave again.
"Goodness, I'm getting old," James remarks, heaving himself up the last step. Luckily, he'd carried most of her luggage by himself, all she had to carry was a backpack and a laptop case.
"Here," Aaira offers a hand to carry her suitcase to her dorm room.
"Oh, how kind." James says sarcastically.
Aaira smiles a little before dragging her suitcase along the marbled flooring.
Considering it was the start of the term, the hallway was quiet.
There were no students - it was empty.
Aaira quite liked the peace and quiet, she decided to enjoy it as much as she could before all the manic began.
Then, with a single knock on the door, the manic started.
"Welcome! I'm Daniella!"
Aaira was greeted with a tight held hug, her hands slipping from the bags in her clutch. She looked back at her uncle and he gave her a little grin. Aaira returned the girl's hug with a light pat on her back.
Daniella took a step back, a wide grin on her face. "I suppose you're my roommate? Here, let me!" she reached out her hands to grab your bags, dragging them in with a struggle.
"No, honestly, it's okay-"
Before Aaira could continue, Daniella had already carried her bags inside, pushing them to the side of a wall.
"Well, this is it." She smiled, looking around the large room, "it's enough, I guess."
Aaira took a long look. Two double beds, two large wardrobes, two desks with a chair each, and what seemed to be a shared bathroom.
"I've made plenty of space for your bathroom storage, too."
Aaira shrugged with a gentle smile, "I don't have much."
Daniella glanced back at the pile of bags to the side that she had just hauled in. Somehow, she didn't believe Aaira.
"Right," James cleared his throat, brushing his thumb along his nose, "I'll leave you to it, then."
Aaira reached out for his hand, shaking her head, "you can stay a little-"
"It's better you unpacked and get some rest. You can always call me."
And with a kiss on her cheek, James was gone.
Daniella had quickly noticed Aaira mood drop as she bid farewell to her uncle.
"Why don't we get some coffee and have a chat?"
Aaira looks back at her, a sad smile spread across her face. "I'd like that."
The booths and stalls were even more packed than when Aaira had previously passed by. Perhaps she'll wait a little longer to join any extracurriculars.
"Wait here," Daniella nodded for Aaira to sit at a bench on the grounds, just a few feet from the stalls. Aaira took a seat and waited, but Daniella quickly returned. "Coffee?" She asked, not knowing what kind she liked.
"Latte," Aaira smiled, "with sugar, if you don't mind."
Daniella put her thumbs up and rushed off to the nearest coffee stall.
As minutes passed, Aaira just watched the students. Some of them were standing at the booths, some were making friends, others were taking photos of their new home - Aaira, however, just sat and stared.
Although, for a moment, she had her eyes fixated on a certain person. It was as though she had recognised him. Dark brown hair, hazel eyes. Then, he finally looked at her. Unfortunately, he recognised her, too.
It was him.
The man who saved her life.
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