Aimee sits down once she touches down the Sydney airport with four hours until her next flight and her head full of questions. Is she being punished? To fall in love with a man as heartless as the one that lays with her, only for his wife to reveal herself as the mastermind behind their devious plan. She should have known. All the clues to their twisted game were there. She's being punished for her own wrongdoing. 

His screams and punches in the airport still ring in her ears. She can't feel anything but a state of disquiet. Aimee gets up from her seat and aimlessly wanders the duty-free shop. Her eyes glare at the discounted items but her mind is focussed on his steel-blue eyes, as cold as his own heart. 

Her phone buzzes inside her pocket. She removes the device and sees Paulo's picture on the screen requesting a video call. With red eyes and an ache in her heart, Aimee picks up the phone. 

"Ola amor," he says softly. It takes less than a second for Aimee to figure out that while she was mid-flight from the Bay to Sydney, her twin was on the phone with Paulo disclosing the events that transpired hours before. 

"Papa..." she uses the endearing term and releases a muffled sob. "I'm a mess..." she says while dragging her limp body to the ground, with her back held by the cold marble wall.

"I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to hold you now." He says visibly upset to see his daughters' distress. "Callum told me everything."

"Yeah, I imagined it." she looks up at the limbs that walk by her. "Can't believe I trusted him. That I believed him." She looks back at her father on the small screen. "This is my fault. For believing I deserved to be loved. That I could be forgiven."

Paulo's face falls, "Forgiven? What on earth do you need to be forgiven for?"

Aimee glances at passengers passing by, some glancing at her occasionally, perhaps because the airport has plenty of seats available, but she has chosen to sit on the floor. "For killing him" she finally says.

Paulo sighs, "Aimee, it's not your fault. He didn't die because of you. His death is not on you."

"He died because of our fight, because of my stubbornness."

"He died because his heart failed him. And, if you are at fault, then so am I. We fought that morning and I left the house angry and bitter at your father. I have as much as a fault in his death like you."

Aimee shakes her head negating his words. "No, that's not true."

"We all make mistakes. But, we didn't cause your dad's heart attack. He loved you so much. He disagreed with you, and I disagreed with him, and Callum disagrees with me all the time. That is part of being a family. And, you got your heartbroken. And, you shouldn't have and I'm mad that you did and I cannot even be there to hold you." 

Aimee shuffles her bottom with her butt cheeks freezing from sitting on the uncomfortable cold floor in the airport.

"I'm on my way to Australia. Callum doesn't know yet but I've organised everything and I'm leaving in three weeks."

Aimee raises her eyebrows at the sudden revelation, "You told us that Australia was not a place you want to revisit."

Paulo looks past Aimee and at something in front of his eyes. "Jack and I had a long conversation a few days ago. We have discussed what is best for you two. He told me everything that has happened..."

"Do you mean the fact that you and dad lied to us about him being our real dad?" she asks in an accusatory tone. 

"Yes," he says sheepishly. "It's best if I'm there so we can conclude this chapter together as a family. I know you are about to board a plane to a completely different country but perhaps it's best if you reconsider and stay back. So, I can speak to you and your brother. Together."

"I can't go back to Byron Bay. Nothing good will come of it. I'm going to India."

"But..." Paulo interjects.

"I don't care who she is. That's what this is about, isn't it? I know she's here somewhere. You are right. Callum needs to hear it from you. Finding out that he was our father would have been a hella lot easier if it would have come from your mouth."

"How long have you known that she's there?"

"Honestly, since the day I found the letter. I saw your face. I guess you know who she is, and that is part of the reason we never travelled here in the first place. You both were afraid she would try to contact us?"

Paulo sighs, "In part. But, also because your father decided to make you believe he was your adoptive father, same as me. He didn't want you to see us differently."

"We wouldn't."

"Are you sure about that? Look at your brother. He is obsessed with finding her."

"Because you guys hid it from us. If you had been upfront about it from the get-go, we would know where we stand. Besides you were the one that encouraged him to come here. Both of us."

"I know. We were wrong in hiding this from you. But, I still think that you should stay back so we can talk about this as a family."

Aimee ponders his words for a brief moment but her broken heart rebuts the thought away. 

"Callum is the one that cares about it. You are my family. That's all that matters to me." Aimee gets up, her butt cheeks frozen from the cold marble. "I'm going to India. I've made up my mind no matter what Callum or anyone else thinks about it. There's nothing here for me."

"This is final?" 

Aimee sighs and nods. 

"And, is your..." he hesitates to muster the right words. "friend... there?"

"Not yet, is still early."

"What if he doesn't turn up. Will you go back to Byron Bay?"

Aimee smiles at her father's concern. "Pai, he's coming. We still have a few hours before the flight. I'm sure he's sightseeing Sydney."

"But, you barely know him..."

"Pai, please trust me. I know what I'm doing. He bought the ticket when I was in New Zealand."

"People can change flight tickets. I'm just worried."

"You sound more and more like Callum."

"What will you do if he's not there?"

"I'll still go." Aimee stares confidently at the screen. "I need to find myself again. I can't do that back in Byron Bay with all the Callum drama on the side. I came to find dad here and I guess I have or maybe I haven't, but I know now that this is the best for me." she sighs and lowers her eyes to the ground, her heart thumping at her next words. "And, I need to move on from him..." her voice falters at the last syllable. "I need to forget him." 

She peels her eyes from the screen and sees a familiar figure across the corridor. He is clean-shaven and his hair is longer but she recognises him immediately. 

"Aimee?" her dad asks noticing her absence. 

"Yeah?" she answers glancing once again at Scott that is now closer to her. He is standing by the announcement board, looking at his watch and phone constantly, clearly anxious. She smiles at his demeanour. "My friend is here." She turns the camera to show her father the young man.

"The guy in the red shorts?" Paulo asks while inspecting him. "He's quite tall. How old is he again?"

"Pai..." she scolds him. "You're being overprotective." 

"Ok, ok..." he responds. 

Aimee turns the camera back to her and smiles. "As you can see he is here."

"And, clearly anxious to see you."

"I guess." The man in front of her eyes makes her cloudy thoughts dissipate for a brief moment shining a moment of clarity to her broken heart. "I'm going to meet him. I'll send you and Callum a text when I land in Delhi."

"Be careful out there. Where you sleep, what you eat..." 

Aimee rolls her eyes amusedly. 

"And, give me regular updates. Anything goes wrong, or you need money, just let me know."

Aimee chuckles, "Will do. Amo-te pai."

"Eu também meu amor." He responds.

Aimee hangs up the video call and stares a bit longer at Scott. He is now staring at his phone and muttering to himself. He is clearly undecided about something. Aimee picks up her bag from the floor and stares amusedly at Scott. Scott takes a few steps back and forth, still muttering to himself and then glances up to the board. 

Aimee takes a few steps to her right to understand what exactly what is he looking at and realises he is staring at the board that announces the planes that have landed recently at the airport. He is waiting for her, impatiently. She starts walking towards him, but her phone interrupts her. She giggles amused at the name on the screen and picks up the phone. "Hello?"

She sees Scott placing a hand over his head. "Hey..." he says hesitantly. "I'm sorry to be calling you..." he closes his eyes and sighs. "I was just wondering..."

"I'm sorry who is this?" she cuts him off amusedly.

"Uh..." he says. "Scott" and rubs his face.

"Scott?" she says a few steps away from him.

"Yeah, we met in New Zealand... I'm sorry, is this Aimee?" she laughs out loud. "Turn around dummy." he turns around and smiles at her sight.

Aimee hangs up the call. "You are too gullible. It's adorable." 

"You are an idiot. And, I say this is in the nicest possible way," he says while she envelopes her in a hug. 

"I was being an idiot so point taken." Aimee smiles. It's been the first time she has smiled in the last few days, and it feels good. Scott feels familiar and uncomplicated. 

"So, I know we are not sitting together on the flight but I was thinking we could try to go to the counter and see if we can get our seats swapped with someone or something and sit together." He rambles and she hums in response. He stares at her for a moment and notices for the first time her puffy face and red eyes. "Are you ok?" he asks concerned. 

Aimee is taken aback by his question. She's laughing with him for the first time but realises that although her heart is feeling a bit lighter with Scott's presence, her appearance is still showing signs of the last hours of her life. 

"Had a bit too much to party on my last night in Aussie land," she responds avoiding further enquiry. "Besides, who says I want to sit with you?" 

Scott freezes momentarily until he hears her laughter. 

"Too gullible" she giggles.

"Yeah, yeah, funny" he embraces her while walking towards the gate and she leans her head in his arm seeking shelter. 

Author's Note:

Photo by Action Vance on Unsplash