Missing [ST]

Twenty Two

Leah's patience had broken. Gone.

She'd been up for too long, grown restless tossing and turning, and pacing wall to wall, holding her lower back that was sore from not sleeping on a bed, was what she had resorted to.

When the time finally came, Leah was ready to make some noise, and she pushed past Joey, who barely had the chance to get out of the way.

"Woah, hey! What's wrong?"

After making it a fair distance into the hallway, turning back to see such a confused face of a man she had been considering a friend, was yet another act of betrayal.

"I don't know Joey, how about that you have been lying to me."

"What?"

"No, don't try to act innocent with me because I know. I remember everything."

Despite her clear warning, Joey bunched up his shoulders, displaying his hands in front of him.

"I'm sorry, but I-I really don't know what you mean!"

"Riiighhht of course you don't." Leah gave an accusing nod, and continued purposely into the living room.

"Leah! Wait, please!"

Ignoring him, Leah began rifling through cushions, discarding them onto the floor, though was well aware she had been followed.

She tucked her hair behind her ear when it fell in front of her face, an annoying obstruction, but it was the least of her problems. She didn't know what she was trying to find, but taking out her pent up energy on furniture was somewhat satisfying.

"We've told you everything we know," Joey tried to reason from somewhere behind her. "I made you a promise..."

Leah couldn't believe what she was hearing. The audacity he thought he had.

"What's the date, Joey?" She moved from the two sofas, and began opening drawers of the tv unit so hard, they crashed onto the floor. "Today, what's the date?"

"Uh-I..." The stumble amused her. "March thirteenth?"

"Yep," Leah confirmed, tv screen wobbling dangerously. "So that means I've been with you guys for a week. Which makes the night you took me the fifth, which means-"

"Please, stop." Joey touched her arm, contact that slipped like the confidence of his plea. "We can figure this out, yeah? Just help me understand."

Leah's rampage had been interrupted, but she didn't lash out. She had been given a breath of air, a focus point, except none of it calmed her down.

"Understand? Yeah okay, I'll get you to understand." The explanation burned to be free, an intensity mirroring how her memories had come rushing back. "So you forgot to tell me you crashed my grandma's birthday party, opened fire on my family, and then because I was the loose end, you hit me on the back of the head to make sure I didn't remember anything? Oh, and then proceed to kidnap me."

Leah's laugh was baleful, like a puff of constrained air from her mouth. It sounded just as inconceivable to say aloud as it did in her head.

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your little plan didn't work."

"What? What're you-"

"And the whole playing nice? It was a decent attempt, I'll give you that. You almost had me fooled."

Confusion consumed Joey, and he rested a hand on the back of his head before it delved through his curly hair like he too couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.