This Lawless Love [wlw]

Chapter Fourteen: Deja Vu

"I'm going to go now..." Almenira said with a quiet voice, almost afraid to raise it an octave higher.

"Almenira-"

"No, I'm just gonna...go," she began to reach for the handle of the door, only to be restrained by Michelle's hand grasping her arm.

They had left Anne Frazier's house quickly after their exchange. The woman had walked back dabbing at her eyes and found Almenira doing the same. Michelle swiftly excused them and ushered the sniffling girl out.

The drive back had been silent and tense. When they pulled into her driveway, the two women had sat awkwardly, unsure of whether to discuss the previous events. Almenira herself had no idea where to begin airing her grievances. From Michelle's intense character to her strange interrogation, there was too much to unpack and too much energy had been drained from her to poke at it at the moment.

"I- Wait. I am sorry, Almenira..." Michelle took a deep breath and opened her mouth to continue but seemed to be at a loss for more words.

"It's fine. I just wanna head home now. It's fine, really." The small, forced smile and uneasy way the young girl eyed Michelle made it clear that it was not fine.

"I wish I could tell you everything. You would understand. But I can't right now and you just have to trust me,"

It was Almenira's turn to struggle for words. The situation reminded her of every other fantasy novel she's read. The ones where the main character is a normal human with a normal life until they're approached by some supernatural creature in disguise telling them they are the Chosen One.

While it would have been a pleasant surprise if Michelle revealed herself to be a wizard, she knew that was highly unlikely and therefore the conversation was highly unusual.

"Honestly...I don't even know you." And with that, Almenira turned back around, swung the door open and jumped out the car all in the same instant.

To her horror, however, the clank of Michelle's car door opening followed almost immediately after and before Almenira could even make it to her porch.

"But you know Claudia Antonik so well?" She yelled from behind her.

An emotion that was a mix of protectiveness and offense bloomed irritated and ready to bite back within her.

"What is your obsession with her?" That emotion got the better of her, causing her to stalk back to where Michelle stood, brows furrowed and mouth scowling.

"I know her more than you do! Which is why I want to help you, Almenira, why can't you understand that!" Michelle's tone had adopted a harsh, accusatory edge to it to counter Almenira's.

"How do you even- who even are you?"

"I- " Michelle paused, and searched Almenira's eyes. She was upset; very upset and it looked like biting her tongue (whether she was physically doing it or not,) was painful.

"I want to tell you everything-"

"You're very weird," The girl cut her off. Michelle had no right to be upset at anything because it was Almenira who had been humiliated. It was Almenira who needed to ask the questions, "and I never want you to talk to me again."

For the third time within those short minutes, Almenira turned to remove herself from whatever weird baggage Michelle was involving her in and for the third time, she turned right back around.

"Did you fuck her!?" She demanded. The idea suddenly popped into her head as her subconscious deduced what Michelle's apparent connection to Claudia Antonik was without hearing it from the woman herself.