The Victimless Crime

Chapter 21: Open Book

Trigger Warning: Abuse, Torture

"What would I do without your cocoa?" Oli said as if trying to get the sudden indifference in the air out of the way. Locke slides her mug cocoa over the island table then settles across her.

Ever since that first ever real argument they had, it felt like there was something different in the air. It's like she can't joke and tease him anymore. Though, the way Locke does not say anything at all, but his face without a hint of anger, she doesn't know if that's just her.

"Is that your way of saying sorry?" Locke asked.

Oli looks down on the cocoa as if she's too exposed for her own good. She nods as a reply.

"It's alright," he said as he brought his own cocoa to his lips.

Oli glances up at him and looks back at her cocoa.

"I didn't mean it...what I said before," she finally spoke.

"It's alright, but...I really do hope I know what's going on, Oli. As a friend...I really want to help,"

"I honestly don't know where to start," she takes a sip of the cocoa.

"Believe it or not, even 10 years ago, I still went around trying to solve mysteries, but then considering how young I was, I only worked on town mysteries. Little mysteries like the disappearance of Mrs Fiona's flowers. The old town belief that a man lives in that haunted house. Just anything," she takes a sip once more, and she does not look at Locke at all.

"Though, my mom would always come with me. We'll solve cases together, but then one day after solving the case of the cursed gravestone, I found her dead in her room. Suffocated from a rope wrapped around her neck. No matter how hard I tried to find anything to lead me to my mother's killer, I couldn't find anything...even the police. So...I was left alone - alone like alone in my world. I lived with my aunt but I felt too alone in my own world," she takes a deep breath shaking from the slow opening of her own book she badly wanted shut from her friend or anyone else.

"Until...I met him. Liam Freud. He's two years older than me. We met at this ice cream shop I usually go to with my mom. He just...came to talk to me and eventually he became- my friend," she drinks more than a gulp of the cocoa letting the warm liquid burn her tongue a bit.

"We were inseparable, but then you know...it developed to something different. You know young love stuff. You know how that goes," she awkwardly chuckles. "Then as months went by, I felt renewed and felt like myself again...so I decided to go back to solving the case behind my mom's death,"

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment. "Though, as I figured out the case...all along it was him who did it. He has been observing me for awhile then eventually did some crazy thing just to get me to notice him. It was weird and psycho logic. I was too naive and stupid to confront him about it,"

"But I know I have to face him...how can I be in a relationship with someone who killed my mother? I was prepared to throw him to jail with all the evidence I found; however, before I even get to do what I believe is right, he beats me to it," her fingers begin to fidget against the mug. The feeling of vulnerability is beginning to shake her, tempting her to stop.

Locke reaches a hand and closes it on Oli's hand. She looks up to see an assuring expression on his face as if to tell her that she doesn't have to continue saying it. However, at that she knew she had to continue. There is no point hiding it anymore. When Locke told her all that his feeling of neglect from her, she couldn't even look at him properly anymore. That wasn't her intention all this time, but it seems she has to make up for it. She owes him a big explanation. There is no reason not to trust him.

"I still remember the day, Locke. I was supposed to meet him in our usual place, but then before I could reach the place, someone dragged me into a van. Gagged my mouth and covered my eyes. Then later I found myself in some dark room. I was just there for I think 3 days. No food or water to come to me until then he came," Unknowingly a tear fell from her eyes.

"He didn't even apologize or anything for killing my mother. No emotion at all towards killing my mother. Instead, he asked me if I wanted to join him in whatever goddamn gangster group he's in," When she notices the blurry vision from her flowing tears she looks down. Locke, whose hand is still on top of hers, squeezes her hand for comfort.

"Who in their right mind would join the man who killed your one and only family? I said, no. Instead of letting me go...he tortured me. Every day, he'll do something...anything just to hear me scream in pain and until I'll bleed or bruise out," she wipes away the tears.

Locke turns pale hearing that. It all then made sense to him then from the little things he didn't figure out why Oli hated so much. She hates it when her door is shut when she's inside the room. She doesn't like brownouts so much that she clings to him like a puppy. She throws away any sort of cable ties in the house and changes it with cute ribbons instead. There are so many more that could be solely related to that. At the thought, Locke walks around the corner and rubs her back as a soothing comfort from a friend.

Oli leans her forehead to him and buries her face on his chest then cries once more. "Do you know why I hate the name Olivia?"

Locke doesn't answer.

She added. "It's because he calls me by that name. He called me Olivia sweetly when we were together and called that exact name as I screamed in pain as he beat the hell out of me," she sobs. Her hand unconsciously squeezes on the hem of Locke's shirt. Locke on the other hand, not even a hugger, wraps his hand around Oli tight.

Locke doesn't answer, but the longer Oli cries against his chest, the more his heart swells as well. It seems his friend wasn't the only one with trouble and smiles. It seems after all this time she has been masking her past to forget it. She has been running away from something all along, and here he is seemingly pulling her back to it unknowingly.

"Oli," he finally spoke.

"You have to trust me to help you. I promise you, I ain't some good cop. I'm more than that. If anything comes after you, I wouldn't hesitate to punch them with an iron fist," he squeezes his hold tighter.

Oli chuckles a bit and muffles against his chest. "Iron fist,"

"Yes. An iron fist," he repeats.

Oli pulls back her eyes resting on the tear stains on his chest. "So many people I love already died because of me being once related to him,"

Tears still run across her cheeks. She's already an open book to Locke. There's no point trying to wipe it. Though, shutting the book for so long and opening it once more felt more painful than she ever expects it to be. The more she's vulnerable the more her heart aches as if grief showered on her once more. Fear comes creeping up her skin the more she lets Locke know of all this. Fear of losing her only friend.

"I wouldn't die, Oli. I will make sure you will never have to pull me out from the afterlife," Locke pats her shoulder.

Oli looks. However instead of puffy pained eyes, she looks up with sharp and determined eyes. "Okay, then," she nods and harshly wipes her tears away.

"Let's get that bastard out of its cave," she gritted.  

Author's Note: 

Get ready for some roller coaster ;)

Next Chapter (22): 

The Revenge Club