𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

𝟔𝟏| 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞

After a short walk in the nearest park, I returned to the motel. Leo and I must have missed each other because when I got inside, there was no sign of him.

He ran away like a coward.

I know, I know, I was gone too. And even earlier than he did. But I had a reason for that. He humiliated me. He turned me down and I felt used. If he wanted to prove to himself that he could get Lucifer O'Donnell's daughter under her skin, congratulations, he made it. But from now on, he has to reckon with the fact that I won't let him closer to me anymore. So, he can forget about the characterless games with the emotions he's played so far.

I don't know where he went. And to be honest, I didn't care. My enormous anger suppressed the feelings I had for him. Therefore, I didn't feel any fear or worry about what might happen to him.

I stood by the sink, trying to do the most normal activity I've done in the last few weeks. I took a sponge in my hands, dripped a splash of dishwashing liquid on it, and wetted it down under running water. I took the first plate and started scrubbing.

I was never one of the teenagers who were annoyed by washing dishes. Quite the opposite. Doing it, I felt so...ordinary. I liked to do it a lot more than burying corpses somewhere in the woods.

I was so busy with dishes that I didn't even notice when Tom showed up next to me.

„What happened between you and Leo?" he fired it at me. I dropped the plate from fright, which landed on the bottom of the sink with a loud crash. Fortunately, it didn't break. „Eh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he muttered apologetically, scratching the back of his head.

„All right, Tom," I smiled, „that's okay." I casually tried to avoid the question. Maybe if I didn't answer him, he would leave it at that.

Tom kept his eyes on me. He stared at me fixedly that it felt like he was scanning my brain and trying to get some information about me and Leo from it. I was uncomfortable, so I decided to start washing again. For some unknown reason, the silence between us seemed more torturous to me than the thought of me answering him.

An annoyed sigh came out of me.

„Nothing happened, what do you mean?" I lied frustratedly. The irritation in my voice couldn't be overheard. I knew that wouldn't be enough for Tom. I wouldn't believe such a lie in his place either.

„Ria," he began carefully. Then he paused for a moment like he was waiting for permission to continue. I nodded weakly, „I shouldn't be the one to tell you about it, but... even the blind man would see that something happened that bothered you. And I don't want you to be worried. Even though we haven't known each other for a long time, you've done a lot more for me than anyone else, and I care about you." Tom leaned forward to see my face better.

„I care about you too," I admitted. Not a single lie came out of my mouth. It was the holy truth.

„Leo likes you too." I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I was getting sick of these words. „More than like," Tom clarified. The pressure in my chest doubled and I wanted to scream at top of my lungs. Oh, really? Does he more than like me? So why did he play with me first and then kicked me out?

I stared at him but still remained silent.

„Do you know how Leo and I met?" Tom changed the subject. I shrugged my shoulders. If the story of how they met miraculously helps me not kill Leo as soon as I see him, I'd love to hear it. „Leo probably told you he worked for Mina," he began carefully. I nodded. I remembered how hard and how long Leo confessed to me about it. He was afraid to get it off his chest because he was scared it would change my attitude towards him. Only now did I realize that he didn't really trust me. What did he expect me to do? Hating him? Reporting him to the police straight away? Did he forget who I was? Who did I live under one roof? Who is my father?