Aaron's Fall (8 page)

“Asia when was the last time you slept?” he asked frowning with concern.

“I can’t sleep,” she stated softly. “I don’t want to dream.”

“My Mom use to rub my back when I couldn’t sleep, it works.” he said comfortingly. “Roll over baby.”

Asia rolled to her stomach Aaron lowered her robe. His hands were gentle on her back, as he tenderly caressed her back. Her eyes closed, savoring the feel of his hand on her body. It would be the last time. She looked at him. “Thank you Aaron,” she said softly pulling her robe to her shoulders and rolling to her side. She slept.

Aaron lay with for a while. Restless he rose and sat in the living room wondering what happened to her. He looked over at her, when he heard her stirring restlessly, tossing, and turning. Aaron went to her and woke her up. Her eyes opened. She sat up pulling her knees to her chest.

“Asia, I need to know what happened.” He asked his tone insistent.

She looked at him. “I should have never allowed you into my life, nothing changes Aaron,” she stated tears brimming over and dropping on her knees.

“Asia what happened?” He persisted.

Asia took a breath, gazing at his handsome face. It didn’t matter if he knew she would be gone by tomorrow. She took another uneasy breath. “I forgot my keyboard at my house, so I went to get it, when I got there Bass was there.”

“Bass?”

“He was Marcus second in command. He told me he owned the block now that Marcus is dead, and that Marcus gave him everything, including me. When I turned to run out, he grabbed me and dragged me back through the house. I try to leave but he grabbed me and started beat me, then he sent me to get beer, than he wanted…,” she couldn’t finish.

Aaron visibly tense. “Did he…?”

“No, when I left the house, I ran all the way back here.” she said quickly. Silent now Asia he rested her head on her knees.

“I didn’t expect you back this soon, or I would have been gone, but was too afraid to leave the loft.”

“Asia, I’m sorry this happen to you.” Aaron said in a pained tone.

“Its okay Aaron, thank you for making me feel like I was alive even if it was just for a little while.”

She lay down and turned her back to him. When she slept, he left her. He didn’t want to leave her, but they had to get back to camp.

Asia awoke alone; she had hoped for that, if Aaron were here, he would stop her from leaving. She packed a bag, and then went to the studio. She left a note for Tia.

Thank you Tia, for caring about me

I’ll never forget you

Love Asia.

She folded the note and placed the key on it. She then wrote a note to Aaron.

Thank you for letting me feel special and alive again Aaron.

Asia.

She had some savings and her clothes, everything else she left behind. She caught the bus bound for Macon. There she found a room, a job at the hotel in the city. She could live here, no asked questions.

Chapter Five

Tia arrived at the studio, and discovered the notes Asia left. She called Martin, explaining quickly to him about Asia. Martin handed his phone to Aaron.

“Your not going to be happy, Aaron,” Tia said sadly.

Tia paused. “Asia’s gone.”

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Aaron said loudly in the phone.

“Gone Aaron, she left a note.”

“Read it, Tee,” Aaron demanded. She read the note. Aaron became quiet, and handed the phone to Martin.

“How’s Aaron?” she asked her husband.

“He’s not happy.”

When they got back to Atlanta, Aaron tried to find Asia, with no luck. She had to go out of town; he had no clue where she could have gone. He knew she had no family to go to, so where the hell was she?” He had searched for weeks trying to find her without any luck. He even went to her job to talk to some of the people that worked with her. They all told him the same thing. They didn’t know anything about Asia, she always stayed by herself.

Aaron, Martin, and Eddie went pay Bass a visit.

Aaron wanted to beat him senseless, but Martin and Eddie convinced him not to. They arrived at Asia house late afternoon. Aaron knocked on the door; it opened.

“Bass?” Aaron inquired.

“Who want to know?” Bass said in the voice he was named after.

“I’m a friend of Asia’s,” Aaron told him.

Aaron grabbed him by the front of his shirt nearly lifting him from his feet, pulling him from the house, throwing him off the stoop. Bass landing on the sidewalk. Martin and Eddie following closely behind them. Aaron followed down the steps standing over him.

“If you ever come around Asia, or put your hands on her again, I won’t be responsible for what will happen to you, do you understand!” Aaron said venomously.

Bass looked from one to the other. Fear evident on his fat face. He knew right away these big men could tear him a new one. He looked at them closer, recognition in his squinty eyes. Bass got up.

“Hey, your Aaron Harrison, Martin Holland and Eddie Smith.” Bass said grinning like an ass, “The Dirty Birds,” he said excitedly, not caring that he was being threatened by Aaron.

Aaron frowned at him. “Stay away from Asia,” he warned again.

People in the neighborhood starting to come out of their houses, standing on the stoops.

“Where is she, why you protecting that Bitch?” Bass said, “If you see her tell her to get her ass home.”

Aaron didn’t think, he punch Bass in the mouth, Bass stumbled backward.

“Never come near her, you got me!” Aaron said through clenched teeth, ready to attack him again.

“Why you protecting that bitch, she’s used goods, ain’t worth sh…,” Bass said

Aaron punched him again, this time he fell to the ground.

“Beat his ass!” someone yelled from one of the houses. Aaron was ready to attack him.

Martin grabbed Aaron, Eddie ready to step in.

“Let me make him understand,” Eddie said smiling sinisterly.

Bass was scared now; he knew these big men meant to kick his ass.

“Okay, okay! I didn’t want the bi… her anyway,” Bass said. Satisfied, the three men turn to leave.

“Hey can I get my jersey signed,” Bass called after them.

Aaron turned to go after him, but Eddie and Martin stopped him.

Eddie shook his head. “He’s not too bright is he?”

Later that day the police got any anonymous call to the address. After the arrests at Asia’s house, Aaron then had the house boarded up.

Asia was gone for almost three months. Aaron hadn’t been able to find her and it scared him. Aaron physically gave up looking for her, although he thought of her all the time, he also hoped she was okay. Aaron returned to his old routine, his parade of women, although, he couldn’t be intimate with any of them. He found none compared to Asia. Martin was worried about Aaron; noticing how reckless Aaron was becoming. He was not the good-humored person he used to be. He partied day and night, starting missing football practices. Martin knew Asia had affected him more then he cared to admit.

Aaron, Eddie, and Wayne were schedule to appear at the Macon Elementary School for a public appearance, to talk to he kids about the dangers of drugs. They checked into a hotel, in town. Aaron stayed in the suite to himself most of the time, while Wayne and Eddie went to see the sights of Macon.

The next morning Wayne and Eddie were going up the hallway, when they heard a familiar sound.

Eddie frowned, “I heard that voice before,” he told Wayne. The sweet sound was coming from one of the vacant rooms. Wayne and Eddie peeped into the room. It was Aaron’s Asia.

Asia turned seeing them, dropped the towels, she held, surprise registered on her face. She didn’t know them well, but she knew they were friends of Aaron. Was Aaron here too, she thought, with dread? She couldn’t take the chance of running into him. When they left she rushed out the room and into the employee’s entrance.

Eddie and Wayne rushed back to the suite.

“Aaron!” they called. “Your Asia is a maid in this hotel.”

Aaron sat up in the bed. “Where?”

“Down the hall.”

Aaron pulled on his pants and rushed from the room and up the hallway. She was gone. Aaron came back to the room. “If it was her, she gone now, anyway,” he shrugged, “I stopped looking for her a long time ago.”

Eddie and Wayne knew Aaron was broken up over Asia. He still cared about Asia although he denied it. They were to leave Macon in the morning. Eddie and Wayne convinced Aaron to go this nightclub they discovered. Aaron reluctantly agreed.

He sat most of the night, the women in the club throwing themselves at him. Aaron decided, he had to forget Asia, take one of the willing women to his room, and lose himself in her, and then send her on her way. With an attractive woman on his arm, he informed Eddie and Wayne he was leaving.

It was about two am; Asia had stayed working a double shift. She would get done in the morning then it would be safe to leave. She had gone to the linen closet to get more towels, carrying them under each arm. She turned the corner and saw Aaron walking up the hallway towards her, a pretty woman clinging to his arm. He didn’t see her at first. Asia stood shocked for a second. Wondering why was he in Macon. The way he was coming was the only way out of the hallway. Lowering her head, letting her hair fall on the sides of her face Asia rushed pass them. Aaron stopped and turned, looking at her retreating.

“Asia?” Aaron called, and ran after her, leaving the woman in the middle of the hallway. Asia stopped, sighed, and faced him.

“Asia I’ve been looking for you,” he said a little harsher then he meant to.

“Why?” she said softly.

“Aaron!” the woman called impatiently.

“Wait here Asia,” he said going to the woman, with the intention of sending her on her way.

Asia watched the women and Aaron talking, she was obviously upset that Aaron left her alone, she said some choice words, and turned to leave in a huff. Asia used the opportunity to get away. When Aaron turned back, Asia was gone.

“Damn it,” he swore, and went to the room and called the front desk.

“Yes, Mr. Harrison,” the clerk said.

“Send me some towels please,” Aaron requested.

“We’ll send them right up.” the clerk assured him.

Five minutes later housekeeping was at the door. Aaron pulled open the door. It wasn’t Asia.

“Where’s the other girl?” he asked the maid.

“Oh Asia, she’s gone, got sick.”

“Sick?”

“Yeah, she was crying and shaking all over, said she felt bad, she went home, here’s your towels,”

“Do you know where she lives?” Aaron asked.

“I’m not going to tell you that, how do I know you’re not some kind of pervert.” the room attendant said sullenly.

“Look lady, I know her, she use to live in Atlanta, she a friend of mine.” Aaron said his voice firm and final.

The maid stared at him for a long minute.

“What?” Aaron said frowning as the woman stared at him.

“I’m just remembering your face,” she said scowling at him. After a second she spoke.

“Well, let me see, Asia don’t talk much, I took her home one night, said she didn’t like being out at night, I dropped her off at some boarding house on Broad St.”

“Does she usually work nights?”

“She comes to work in the afternoon, and stay until morning, I think she scare of the dark, which is odd, but she never leaves before the sun comes up.”

“How long ago did she leave?” Aaron asked.

The maid looked at her watch. “You might catch her at the bus stop, a block from here.”

Aaron gave the woman two hundred dollar bill, and rushed to the elevator.

Outside the hotel, Aaron walked the block, hoping he wasn’t to late. He stopped. There she was, sitting on the bus stop bench.

It was a cold night; she had her arms folded around her body, a wool hat pulled down on her head. She kept looking over her shoulder and up and down the street. He could tell she was frightened.

“Asia!” Aaron called.

Asia looked up at him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. His arms opened, she got up and ran into his arms opened. She held on to him tightly, her body trembling.

“I’m here, its okay now.” Aaron replied. His heart was elated. He found her; he closed his eyes and exhaled holding her close.

He moved her arms length away, looking into her green eyes.

“Why did you leave me?” Aaron asked her.

She stared at him. He pulled her back into his arms.

“I’ll take you home,” he told her.

“No, no visitor at the boarding house,” she told him.

“We’ll go back to my room.”

“No, I’ll get fired.”

“Asia it doesn’t matter, I’m taking you home to Atlanta.”

“No, I can’t go back to Atlanta, Bass...”

“Bass is in prison,”

“My house?”

“Is boarded up.”

“No, I don’t want to Aaron, I’ll make a life here,” she stated firmly.

“Asia come back with me, I want you with me.” Aaron admitted to her.

“Why Aaron, because you feel sorry for me, I don’t want your pity.”

“It’s not pity Asia I care about you, I like being with you…”

“I’ll just ruin your life.” she interrupted.

“I want you with me Asia,” he repeated firmly. “Come on Asia, it cold out here lets go back to the room and talk,” he said holding out his hand.

She relented and took it holding on to his hand tightly. Her head lowered when she saw someone walking ahead of them coming towards them, she tensed holding onto his hand tighter, moving closer to him. Aaron squeezed her hand back. She looked up at him.

“Your safe Asia,” he said reassuringly.

They returned to his hotel suite, Asia saw the maid that told Aaron where she was in the hallway. She looked at Asia, smiled, and then looked at Aaron, scowling, giving him a warning look. Aaron opened the door letting Asia go in before him.

Aaron pulled her hat from her head and took her coat. She had on her usually large t-shirt and jeans, her hair in a ponytail hanging down her back. Aaron fingers felt the silkiness her hair. He inhaled absorbing her fresh scent, a scent that was hers and hers alone. She moved away and sat on the bed.