The Night Children

Chapter 32

I didn't expect to see his green eyes staring at me from across the room. Nor did I assume he was going to be at school today. He wasn't on the bus, and he wasn't in history first period but here he was, sitting empty handed in the back row of chemistry. I stifled a frown and made my way to my seat, feeling his burning gaze on me as I walked. Miss Anderson hadn't arrived yet which was very out of character for her. She was never late.

After sitting down in my seat, I couldn't help but glance in his general direction. He remained motionless, his body posed stiffly as if ready to run at any minute.

"Aaron."

He flinched, turning his gaze away to stare at the opposite wall. I frowned, feeling my heart flicker with annoyance. Why was he angry with me? He had no reason to be and yet his jaw was clenched in irritation, his eyes flashing indignantly. He didn't utter a word, instead he swallowed deafly.

"Talk to me." I said roughly, my voice laced with frustration. He pressed his lips together, turning them white. Disbelief prickled through me. He was acting like a toddler but for what reason?

"Don't tell me you're mad at me because I went and helped Isaac." I lashed angrily, ignoring the students that glanced back at us. The classroom was silent except from my bickering, as if the others were too afraid to speak in case Miss Anderson waltzed into class, catching them off guard. I couldn't care less.

He finally turned to me, his eyes a mixture of anger and resentment. "You helped a murderer." He hissed under his breath, his gaze flickering to make sure no one else could hear his hushed voice.

I felt my body stiffen from his harshness. "You shot him Aaron." I spat back, angling closer to him so he could hear the fury in my words. "You tried to kill him, and now you're pretending like nothing happened."

His eyes steeled over as he watched me, his lips still held in a firm line. "He has killed many children Renee, why save someone who's taken so many lives."

If I was the murderer, I would've taken the life of over twenty children's life. Aaron made a smart move, sacrificing one life for the sake of many.

Isaac's words flashed through my head but I quickly blinked them away. Isaac was too kind to Aaron despite what he did to him. Isaac only spoke the words he thought I wanted to hear, but if I was completely honest I would have preferred if Isaac hated Aaron for what he did. I would do the same.

"Because he is a child, like we are. You tried to cut his life short." My voice was embedded with an icy undercoat, my words jabbing at Aaron through his stony expression. "You pulled a trigger at someone who hadn't finished telling the truth."

His eyebrows pushed together at this, forming knots above his tossing green and gold eyes.

"He told us the truth, he told us who he was. What more is there?"

I shook my head, eyeing him. "He lied. He said he was the murderer to protect me."

Aarons eyes flashed at this, his fingers clenching together.

"He tried to scare me into thinking he was the murderer so I wouldn't seek answers anymore." I continued.

However Aarons pupils narrowed into slits, his expression all angles of fury. "He is lying to you Renee."

"What?" I said back, surprise making my heart skitter in my chest.

He leaned closer in his seat, enough for me to see the pattern of scars across his cheeks and jawline.

"He led you to a body, alone in the night. How could he have known that was there?"

I opened my mouth to explain to him the true reason why Isaac knew about the body but then paused, my tongue clicking against my teeth. Isaac knew about the body from The Parade but I couldn't tell Aaron that, if I did it would be a risk to his life. Instead I clamped my mouth shut, conscious of my gaze hardening. Aaron pressed on, his voice low in a sharp whisper.