[color=Ivory]"Because I know that you're not likely to stay there."[/color] Blue eyes would rise to look at the woman before them, focusing in on the green jewel at her throat before changing focus to a spot on the sand not to far away. The soft sounds of the waves crashing against the sandy shore pulling him through the years to the moment he had first met Clara. Alone. . . Betrayed. . . and Forever Changed. He could almost hear the cries of agony, feel the sharp pain in his arm as she bit down on the arm he had offered. He had held her close that night, had done all he could to help the distraught girl who had been given a terrible burden, all the while feeling nothing but shame and guilt. [i][color=Ivory]I could've stopped it . . . stopped [b]him[/b]. . . but I was too late, and she payed the price.[/color][/i]

With a sigh, Jaden stepped forward, holding out the shoes for her to collect.

[color=Ivory]"Come on. . . it isn't healthy to linger in this place, not for me, and certainly not for you."[/color] Whether she took the shoes or not, he would make his way back towards the boardwalk, stopping mid-way to turn around, making sure that she followed him, his lanky form contrasting harshly with the white sands that surrounded hi thanks to the black of his suit. His eyes, ancient in the wisdom they seemed to hold and mysterious in the uncountable secrets locked within, pleaded with her to listen. [color=Ivory]"You won't find him here, he's much too cunning to return to this town while I'm here. So please just . . . find some way enjoy living, Clara. It . . . it saddens me to see how much control that he still has over you.[/color]

Jaden looked at his charge resolutely, knowing that he had likely pushed to hard, but feeling that it needed to be said. He could hardly stand to see her like this, day after day culminating with her coming to this desolate beach to relive that night so many years in the past. He knew her life was hard, he understood that she had every reason to hate the man, but hatred could only fuel a soul for so long before it started to change them. Darkening their souls and making monsters out of them. And that was a fate that he desperately wished for Clara to avoid.