Forgiveness


    “Why did you sneak out? You should go back to the hospital. We can get one of the men to drive you


    back, right?” I suggested quickly.


    “Calm down, Malissa. You’re giving me a headache worst than any injury that I have on my body,”


    Hayden said as he frowned disapprovingly at me.


    “You should go back to the hospital,” I said firmly.


    “I’m not going. I drove back here myself, I’m fine…” Hayden said stubbornly.


    He drove here? After a car ident, he drove back here himself? I didn’t know what else to say. I rest


    my case here.


    Now that we’re talking, I might as well ask him about the situation outside. Luka mentioned that peace


    is being disturbed and I wondered if that was true. I wanted to know if that was why Hayden is keeping


    me locked up in here like this.


    “Hayden. Luka told me that it’s not safe for me to go outside. He said that the gangs are fighting. Is that


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    true?” I asked while trying my best to pick my words carefully.


    It took a lot of effort to get those words out; however, when I looked at Hayden for an answer, he was


    staring back at me with nk eyes.


    “You told me that you painted something today. Show me, I really want to see it,” Hayden said with a


    bright smile.


    “Umm…sure…” I replied hesitantly.


    Haydenpletely ignored my question just now. Why?


    It was sote at night now that perhaps it was more urate to say that it was closer to dawn but if he


    wanted to see the painting now then who was I to stop him? I watched as Hayden got off the bed and


    headed for the door. He could walk and move around so I guess he must be fine to a certain extent.


    With a sigh, I slipped out of bed and followed him out of my bedroom.


    The art studio looks mysteriously beautiful with the moonlight shining in; however, I could tell that the


    sun would soon rece the moon. Hayden stood in front of the painting where I had covered it with a


    “Just a moment…” I said as I quickly started removing the ck cloth.


    I honestly didn’t think that I would be showing the painting to Hayden in this situation, but it was good


    enough that he was interested. After removing the cover, I turned to gauge Hayden’ reaction to the


    painting. They say the audience’s most honest reaction to a piece of art was when they firstid eyes


    on it.


    It was unfair topare the two butpared to Ethan, Hayden did not really have a trained eye for


    art. However, that also meant that his reactions were always genuine and uninterrupted by professional


    experience or interpretation. The look on Hayden’s face when I first revealed the painting to him wasn’t


    one that I expected. Hayden looked a little confused when he saw my painting of the white tulips. After


    his initial wave of confusion, his expression softened, and he seemed to appreciate the beauty of the


    flower.


    “What do you think?” I asked.


    “It’s pretty. The flower looks white and pure,” Haydenmented.


    “I got Auntie to buy me some white tulips so that I could paint from the real thing,” I exined.


    I headed over to the table and lifted up the vase of white tulips to show him. Hayden nodded in


    understanding, but his initial confused reaction told me that he didn’t know the meaning behind white


    tulips at all. That was fine. I didn’t expect him to be well versed in floriography, thenguages of


    flowers, because even I’m not an expert at it or anything like that.


    “Do you know what white tulips symbolize?” I asked as I stared up at his face.


    “No…” Hayden replied honestly as he gazed down into my eyes.


    His eyes were the color of a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day…


    “It symbolizes forgiveness,” I said before smiling a little at him.


    “Have you decided to forgive me? Why all of a sudden?” Hayden said ash is eyes lit up with hope.


    Maybe he’s been feeling guilty for keeping me locked up in here all this time.


    “No, I want you to forgive me,” I replied honestly.


    Hayden looked at me with widened eyes. It seemed like my words had stunned him into silence. I


    shocked at my words.


    “Forgive you?” Hayden managed to question after a pause of silence.


    I nodded.


    “That’s right. I’m sorry for not trying to understand you at all. Even when you tried your best to keep me


    think that you should lock me up without telling me why but what I did was also wrong. I’m sorry…” I


    said sadly.


    “Don’t me yourself. You had the right to be mad. I decided not to tell you anything at the cost of you


    getting angry at me. That was just that,” Hayden stated matter-of-factly.


    “But still…” I began protesting weakly.


    “In the future, there will be times when I cannot tell you everything or anything. You will be left in the


    dark and you will feel helpless. You won’t know who to trust or what to believe. Just like now…” he said


    as he looked deeply into my eyes.


    “I see…” I replied softly.


    “Just like now and when times like thesee along in the future, can you please choose to trust me?”


    he asked but there was a slight plead in his voice.


    If I chose to trust Hayden, then I probably wouldn’t feel the way I did since I entered this suite. If I can


    trust Hayden, then will my heart and mind rest at ease?


    --To be continued…