Secrets And Lies [Completed]

38. monsters lurking underneath

Song of the chapter is
Heart of Darkness by Sam Tinnesz

-37-
-Veronica D'Rosario-
-Present-

____________

Paper Lantern
26 November, 2030
2:45 pm

When the line goes dead on the other end, I'm left perplexed.

It was clearly Moose's idea to accompany me for the second meet with Zayn but it seemed like he had apparantly forgotten about it or had another plans.

The least he could do was inform me.

As that thought crossed my mind, I felt like an absolute fucking hypocrite immediately. How could I ever lecture him about being clear of his intentions when all I had done for the past eleven years was run away?

I shook the thought away and stared at my phone screen. A long sigh escaped my lips.

I had no right to ask Moose about his whereabouts or even demand his promised presence when I had spent countless instances breaking every single promise that I had ever made to him. I would be a hypocrite if I did so.

I was worried, that was all.

He wasn't the kind of person who would evade calls without an excuse, especially in times like these. He probably had something going on in his house....with his fiancee. My palms squirmed in place at the thought of that.

Keeping my phone down, I sipped my coffee and stared out the glass panel of the Paper Lantern. The entire diner was see through so it wasn't a hassle to look at the downpour outside. I watched as the raindrops raced against the window and then glanced at my watch.

It was 2:47 pm.

A whole seventeen minutes had passed and there was still no signs of Zayn anywhere. I half contemplated leaving but then realised that if I wanted to get more information out of him, I need to stay patient.

Even if he was a late-latif.

Drumming my fingertips against the granite surface of the table, I took another sip from my cup when the phone in my hand buzzed. I looked at it with apprehension, fearing another text from the killer, but no....it was just Zoya.

'Is he there yet? Did you guys meet?'

I had informed her about today's meet with Zayn this morning and she had insisted that I text her every hour so that she could make sure that I was okay.