His Majesty My King

Aaron McAllister

Aaron McAllister was a man of simple tastes and a complex mind. He lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood where the air smelled faintly of freshly cut grass and the hum of lawnmowers on a summer's day was the closest thing to music. His house was the same shade of white as the others lining the street, a silent nod to conformity that his neighbors had embraced with open arms. Aaron's lawn was meticulously trimmed, a patch of emerald that looked like it had been painted onto the earth. He took pride in the neat rows of daffodils that lined the cobblestone path leading to his front door, a stark contrast to the wild, untamed thoughts that often consumed his mind.

Every evening, after a long day at the office, Aaron would sit in his favorite chair on the porch, watching the world pass by in a parade of minivans and bicycles. His eyes were often drawn to the house across the street, where a young woman named Elena Castellanos lived with her mother. He had seen Elena grow from a shy girl who would hide behind her mother's skirts to a beautiful, vibrant woman who had the uncanny ability to make the sun seem less bright when she walked under it. Aaron knew that she was unhappy, could see it in the way she sighed heavily as she closed the door behind her, the sadness etched into her eyes that she thought no one noticed.

Elena was a creature of light, a stark contrast to the shadows that danced in Aaron's heart. Her laugh was like the tinkling of a bell, a sound that could cut through the heaviness that clung to him like a second skin. He had never spoken to her, not really, but he knew her routines. He knew when she liked to take her evening runs, when she was likely to be found reading in the sunroom, and when she was home alone. It was an innocent fascination, or so he told himself. Aaron was a solitary creature, comfortable in his silence and his solitude.

The first time Aaron saw Elena cry was on a Thursday evening. She was standing in her driveway, the light from the setting sun casting a warm glow around her. A letter clutched in her hand trembled as her shoulders heaved with sobs. Aaron felt an ache in his chest, a strange feeling of empathy that he hadn't experienced in a long time. Without thinking, he set his book aside and crossed the street, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. He approached her, unsure of what to say, his heart pounding in his chest like a caged bird. She looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen, and for a moment, Aaron felt like he was intruding on something sacred. But then she spoke, her voice a broken whisper that carried across the space between them. "It's over," she said, and the words hit him like a punch to the gut. He didn't know what she was talking about, but he knew that he had to help her, had to find a way to ease the pain that seemed to have taken root in her soul. And just like that, the quiet life he had meticulously crafted for himself was about to be upended, all because of a girl he had never truly known, but felt like he had always loved from afar.

He stepped closer, extending a hand. "Can I...can I help you?" he asked, the words stumbling from his mouth like they were foreign to him. Elena looked at him, surprised, then took his hand. Her grip was firm, and in that moment, Aaron felt a connection that was stronger than any he had ever felt before. He led her to the porch swing on his own property, the creak of the wooden frame a comforting sound as they sat down together. They talked for hours, the sun setting and the stars emerging in the velvet sky above them. Elena spoke of her ex-boyfriend, a man who had promised her the world only to leave her with a broken heart and a mountain of debt. Aaron listened, his eyes never leaving hers, his mind racing with thoughts of how he could make everything right. It was the first time in years that he had felt alive, like he had a purpose outside of his mundane daily routines.

Days turned into weeks, and their nightly chats became a ritual. Elena would sit on the swing, wrapped in a blanket, and Aaron would bring her tea and cookies, a small act of kindness that seemed to mean the world to her. They talked about everything and nothing, sharing their hopes and fears as the world around them grew darker and quieter. Aaron felt his walls crumbling, the carefully constructed barriers he had put up to keep people at bay slowly falling away. He found himself looking forward to the sound of her voice, the way she would laugh at his terrible jokes, and the gentle way she would lay a hand on his arm when she was making a point. He realized, with a start, that he was falling in love with her, and the thought both terrified and exhilarated him.

But Aaron had secrets of his own, a past filled with deceit and manipulation that he had buried so deep he had almost forgotten it was there. He had built his life around these secrets, and the thought of Elena discovering the truth made his stomach churn. He had been a different person back then, a person he didn't recognize anymore. Or so he liked to believe. Yet, as they grew closer, he knew that he couldn't keep his past hidden from her forever. He needed to tell her, to come clean before it was too late. The tension grew, a tight coil in his chest that he could feel with every breath. The question was, would Elena be able to forgive him for his sins, or would the truth drive them apart, leaving him once again in the cold embrace of his lonely life?