Deliverance (Fem x Stem)

25

Lilliana Morst

The cops seemed to be asking me the same set of questions over and over. I was still shaking, the feel of the knife still fresh in my hands' muscle memory. I stared down at my lap as I spoke, trying to calm down my racing thoughts. So much had happened today.

So much.

First my grandmother. Then this.

"Is he dead?" I blurted out, looking up in hope that I'd find compassionate eyes staring back at me.

The cop only boredly glanced up from his paperwork. "Critical condition."

Was he playing good cop or bad cop? Did they even do that anymore? "You seem nervous," he suddenly said.

"Yeah, I just stabbed a crook. How would you feel?" I threw up my hands. "I just- I- I never," I put my face in my hands, staring intently off into space.

"Excuse me for a moment." The cop left out of the interrogation room and I wondered what they were asking Teyanne. I didn't think she would fold, but we only knew each other for a short amount of time. What if she lied on me and they had some...I don't know, dirt on her? What if she had a criminal past and they used it against her? Or what if she was still mad from our argument earlier?

I was glad I had the opportunity to change into a thin black shirt because large sweat stains would be visible had I not. I'm sure the cool metal chair I sat in was being pooled with sweat right now as I tried not to fidget in my chair. I hadn't even thought, I had just stabbed the poor man.

And what if someone had forced him to do this?

Or he had a family he was stealing for?

Oh, now I wanted to bite my nails and curl up in a big hall and cry. Were we on the news? That means that everyone would know Teyanne and I stay there now. We have to move. We have to- We have to-

"You're free to go ma'am," the cop poked his head back into the interrogation room.

I shakily stood up as he quickly uncuffed me. I was surprised and greatly grateful. I rubbed my sore wrists and was taken out to the lobby where Teyanne tiredly sat. I half expected to see a mob of people who hated us waiting outside, but after we signed some paperwork, we had an easy walk to the Uber Tey had ordered.

"Wh-

"Let's talk about it when we get home," Tey cut me off. I sat silently, wondering what they could have said to her to get her in a funk like this. When I get home, I'm just looking forward to soaking these dogs and relaxing. Freedom never tasted so good, even though they had hardly held us for more than four hours. We tipped the driver and stepped out into the darkness. I was more aware of my surroundings, and folded my arms across my chest as we walked through the cool night. We successfully entered our apartment and Teyanne locked the door behind us. I immediately began to beeline towards the bathroom but Tey grabbed me.

"They asked me about Christiano."

"What about it?" I asked her confusedly, trying to read her face.

"Tried to taunt me about my family. Say that I'm just a rich nobody. Another spoiled brat," she spat at me. I realized that Teyanne was angry and that she probably blamed me. Another part of me briefly wondered if this is how she must have felt when I put the blame on her for everything else.

"Tey, I'm sorry, but I didn't ask those guys to come and rob us," I tried to pull my arm from her grasp but her nails dug into my skin. They could draw blood if they wanted to, if she dug deep enough. I tried to squirm away. "Tey, stop this. This hurts, like, really bad bro."

"One of them was the dumb driver who helped with the groceries. D'ya know that?" she asked me.

I didn't answer and I felt a squeeze of blood leaving my body. "Teyanne! Stop!" I screeched. I pried her off of me and she let me got his time, glaring at me as I ran away from her and to our bedroom. I locked the door, sliding down to the bottom of it as I inspected my hurt arm. What was getting into her?

Maybe I'll be glad to leave Dallas and Tey's weird ways. Obviously there's a lot I don't know about my own girlfriend. That was the most concerning part.

Chapter Checkpoint:

-What do you think about Teyanne's behavior in Dallas so far?

-Do you think the family made up a heart cancer lie to get Lilliana back in Houston?

-Was the almost robbery a coincidence or could it be a hired job?