KINDNESS WITH A PRICE

Aaron’s POV

I ran.

I ran so fast my lungs burned and my legs felt like wet sand. The cold slapped my face as I bolted away from the lake, my heart thundering so loudly it drowned out the world. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. The image of Paul slipping under the dark water was already tattooed behind my eyelids.

I ran until my house came into view.

My hands were trembling so hard I missed the doorknob twice before finally getting it open. The warm air of the living room hit me and for a second I thought I might pass out.

I had done it.

I had actually done it.

He was gone, in the lake, not coming back.

The nausea came instantly.

Mum would be home in less than an hour.

I dropped to my knees, my breath coming in short, sharp bursts as the weight of everything slammed into me. I didn’t have the luxury to break down right now. I didn’t have time.

The kitchen.

I forced myself to stand and move toward it. The sight hit me like a punch: the dark stains on the floor, the smears on the cabinet,