Chapter 26 – A Dark Past

William

“Hey, Huntz!” I heard Logan say. I had received my fair share of winks and wiggling eyebrows from him since he had witnessed the kiss Harmoni and I shared in the hospital. Yet, he had promised to keep it to himself, until we ourselves understood what was going on between us.

“Hey!” I greeted back. “Where’s our princess?” I asked. His mood seemed to darken at the mention of Harmoni, before pointing to the gym house her father had built. I didn’t ask why his mood suddenly turned sour and simply assumed it had something to do with the guilt he was still feeling over the whole shooting fiasco.

Walking towards the gym, I could already hear the grunts coming from Harmoni, accompanied by the sound of the bag being hit hard.

I silently watched her as I stood by the door. She was relentless, she delivered blow after blow, not stopping a single second to take a break or a breath.

Judging by the sweat which had formed on her forehead, I guessed she had already been here for at least forty-five minutes.

“I’m sure that bag has had enough for today?” I said, interrupting her practice. She hit the bag a few more times before turning to face me.

She looked exhausted as she swayed slightly on her feet, but she still mustered a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes when she saw me.

“I’m not made of glass, you know. It’s already been two weeks,” she argued.

“Sure,” I agreed before countering. “But you’re also not made of steel. Plus, I think the bag needs a rest, it’s been assaulted enough for today. Don’t you think?”

She huffed before turning to grab her water. My body tensed as I noticed the fading bruise on her ribcage. Her right side was an unnatural shade of yellow, it was the rest of a painful bruise she had to endure.

Harmoni

I gulped down the water greedily. Looking at the time, I had been training for nearly an hour. I guess William was right. It was about time to stop, if I strained a muscle now, I wouldn’t be able to train again for a while.

When I faced him, I could tell something had changed. His demeanor was different. His earlier smile was replaced by a deep frown, as he seemed lost in thoughts.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked, confused by the sudden tension in the room.

My brows creased with concern when he didn’t answer immediately.

“Does it still hurt?” he finally answered back, pointing at my bruise while ignoring my previous question. My face paled at his sudden question, making me swallow hard. Of course, he would see it, wasn’t it the purpose of my outfit to fuel my rage? I clearly hadn’t thought this through which only made me scowl at myself more. I didn’t intend for him to see this nasty bruise.

“No, not anymore,” I admitted truthfully while looking for something to cover up. Spotting a shirt in the corner of the room, I sauntered over to it. Grabbing it from the floor, I quickly covered my scared body.

On the other side of the gym, William remained silent and solemn. Knots formed in my belly at his uncharacteristic behavior.

“What’s going on, Will?” I asked cautiously. I took a step closer to him. I could see him debating whether to share with me or not.

~Just do it~, the voice in my head said. ~Stop thinking so much and just do it. You are past being shy with him. ~

I reach out and took his hand in mine, slowly breathing out when he didn’t pull away from me. Instead, he shifted our fingers to intertwine them together. If the situation was different and William didn’t look like he had just seen a ghost, I would have jumped from excitement at the sign of affection he was demonstrating. Yet, all I could do was worry about his strange behavior.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” I whispered, half expecting him to let go of my hand and walk away, I was happily surprised when he gently squeezed my hand. The corner of my mouth lifted into a caring smile while I stayed silent, letting him decide.

With one final sigh, he spoke up.

“Your bruises,” he started, pointing at where he had seen them earlier. “They bring back memories,” his posture was still rigid and the frown that had formed on his face was unwavering.

“What kind of memories?” I asked gently, urging him to continue after a few minutes of silence.

“My father,” he continued slowly. Will was looking up at the ceiling, inhaling deeply. He made sure to avoid any eye contact with me. Although I wished he didn't. I wish I could be a rock for him in times of need and change, just like he had become for me.

“He wasn't a good man,” he finally said, meeting my eyes.

A sinking feeling in my stomach made itself known as his words registered in my mind. Was Will implying what I thought he was?

“Did he...,” I trailed off, hoping he would deny the accusation I was making. He didn't. Instead, he nodded. I took a shaky breath, my hand squeezing his. I knew him enough to know that he didn't want my pity. I hadn't been prepared for this revelation.

He had always talked highly of his father and even went to spend Christmas with him. Saying I was confused was an understatement.

“Why?” was all I asked. My father wasn't always home, but I could never deny the fact that he loved me unconditionally. It was hard to imagine, a father capable of doing something so monstrous. Of course, I knew these things happened in the world, I just never imagined it would happen to someone close to me.

It just seemed so far away. Turns out it had affected the life of the person I now considered closest to my heart.

“My father blamed me for my mother's death. She died giving birth to me,” he admitted, gazing at the floor. “He fell into alcohol and drugs and soon enough, beatings were part of my daily routine. At first, it was just shoving, then it moved to beatings and finally, it escalated to beatings with anything he could get his hands on,” he explained sadly. I didn't know what to say. It was so much to take in. “I focused on my work and school as much as I could. It was like a sanctuary for me.”

He seemed distant, almost like he was back in his childhood. I didn't dare interrupt, scared he would close back off again. The thought of his father beating him as a child had my blood boiling. What kind of person would beat a child, and dare call himself a parent?

“When I turned sixteen, I couldn't take it anymore. I got myself emancipated. It was a hard decision for me to make, it meant I needed to support myself and find a new roof to put above my head. Luckily, one of my teachers decided to take me under his wing. He took me in and provided for me. He kept telling me how I had a bright future in front of me if I didn't drop out of school,” he chuckled at the memory. “He spent hours convincing me to not drop out of school. It worked.”

“He seems like a great teacher,” I said, smiling at him. Not everyone would be willing or good-hearted enough to do what this teacher did. If I ever met him, I would be sure to thank him. William's life could have taken a very different turn if it wasn't for his helping hand.

“The best.” His eyes twinkled as he spoke of his favorite teacher. “He pushed me to go into university, he even offered to pay for it with the savings he had gathered.

I refused. I couldn't do this to him. His teacher's salary would never be able to cover the fees, especially since I wasn't the only one he would be financing.

“He had a daughter a few years younger than me. Stella. She was one of a kind,” he spoke almost dreamily. My heart clenched at the sight.

Clearly, he had strong feelings towards Stella. I couldn't help but wonder if the feelings he had for her were more than brotherly.