This Is Where I Want To Be

106. Trauma

Charlene

Juliet would not leave Michael alone again. Liam, Cindy, and Jessy had to all three be there before she would even walk back with me, letting Louis get into the dirt.

She was waiting at the gates when I sat down next to Carl after giving Rodrigo the little tube. I didn't know what to say to Carl. It had been months of Louis and him trying to find out who was behind everything. No one had suspected Bertram would go that far in playing both sides. How did he keep it all from Louis?

I was nervous. Carl put his hand on mine. "What's wrong, Chars. Where is everyone? What happened." I interlaced our fingers and gripped onto him as Mateo transformed into a human. Carl's gaze drifted down to our hands. "It was your father... Carl." His hand clasped mine tighter. "We saw him with Qadir. He took Michael."

The crowd went nuts when Louis and Qadir started fighting. It wasn't long before Juliet killed him, and my face was buried in Carl's shoulder. Her animalistic nature... Being a creature was sometimes too much for me to accept... His hand was on my head and hair. Agatha crying next to him.

We all sat motionless as Juliet ran out of the arena. There was only one place she was going.

"I think... I'm not going home with you." Carl said solemnly. He looked up, and my gaze traveled with his. It was Kubra. I jumped up, and he caught me.

"Carl, I think it's a mistake...." Kubra tried... Carl's eyes were on the ground, wheels turning. And he left.

"We have to go home," I said to Kubra.

He nodded. Helping Agatha up. We still had to navigate the crowd. The night was over.

"Charlene, I have to go tell Marcus. Will you be okay?" Kubra asked as we neared the red gates. Agatha gripped my hand. We both nodded, and Kubra left quickly. I saw Juliet aimlessly staring into the room.

***

Marcus

It was almost the middle of the night when the request came through, and I saw Kubra's name... I knew something had happened. A lump formed in my throat. I was still at my office desk, even that late at night. I waited impatiently. It was Juliet's Birthday, and I didn't even go over to see her, scared that it would all be ending soon.

The office door opened... Kubra's eyes carried a mixture of shock and fear... He went to sit down. No bow, no greeting, nothing.

"What is it? Out with it!"

"Your father died."

Strangely I had no immediate feelings about it. Not even relief. Kubra wasn't saying anything else... I walked over and held out my hand. He hesitated. Irritated, I waved my palm at him. I wasn't even talking anymore or civil. Everything that happened between us was coming to an end.

"Remember that time in France... When Jack and I came after the Embassy. You hugged me because I was secretly altering your feed. I want to remember you like that."

"Give me the stick, Kubra."

"Remember that time you killed my father."

The words hurt. I remembered the moment. When I had to face him after...

"Was it you?"

He shook his head slightly. Ahasuerus came into the study. Kubra gave me the tube and fell to the floor. Me falling in front of Juliet in the club flashed in my thoughts. Where was that guy? That would love her even if she had fifty lovers. I shook myself and waved the little tube in the air. The three of them were fighting. Juliet got him down almost all by herself. She had on the mouthpiece.