Wicked Games

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Hope's POV...

"What are you doing here all alone?" I hear Sato joining me on terrace.

I think I've been here for a few hours, watching nothing particular, lost in my mind. Not that I don't want to let my exhausted body rest, but I'm petrified here thinking about Ash's handwriting and letter I received. Last energy sipped out of my limbs, so I don't mind cold wind going through my bones.

"It's very cold outside, Hope." He takes his jacket off to drape it on my shoulders. My knees are secured by arms under my chin. "What are you doing here?"

"Thinking," my face won't break to show single emotion, even ones I want to express.

"May I know about what?" His voice is careful.

"About myself," I admit. "I keep making mistakes. I keep trusting wrong people and doing things I shouldn't. I'm always two steps behind Daisy." I shouldn't explode, not in front of him.

"Oh dear Hope, you're human being. It's okay to make mistake, it's okay that you feel—"

"No, Sato," I cut him off. "I don't feel. I think feelings. I've always been." I don't even recognize my own tone. "I feel I'm getting weaker." He looks at me puzzled. "The letter I received in police, you know who wrote it potentially?" He shakes his head. "Ashton"

"You're kiddi—"

"How could I be so stupid. The letter says that everything I'm looking for is in front of my eyes. Where?!" Finally, I groan, showing first human emotion. "You think I should—"

"Tie him to the chair and beat the shit out of him? No." Oh, that's weird he can read my thoughts so easily already. Didn't think I was so obvious.

"Oh, okay."

"This is very shocking," he tries to analyze everything in exact moment. "Whatsoever, I never liked him. He gives like all that 'look at me how cool I am' or overprotective forty-years-old mommy's vibe." He flips his nonexistent hair. I actually laugh, and he laughs with me. "Okay jokes aside, are you going to tell detectives?"

"No," I gulp feeling of betrayal. "I want to handle it first."

He nods. "Hope, you don't look well."

"I'm fine." I'm not. My wound is bleeding again, of course it won't heal in a week. My head pounds as if whole blood pulses into sore and I'm dizzy, everything goes round and round. Considering other bruises and ribs that hurt like hell, I'm fine.

"All right, go to sleep, let yourself rest." The moon is particularly bright tonight. As if she sucked all the shine from stars only for herself. White light drags on water with zigzags left behind.

She's my best friend.

If Sato heard these words, he would be angry for a decade.

I've never had passion or big love for moon, it was only a satellite of the Earth. But looking at her hang in the night sky, shining all alone makes me feel some type of way. Stars may shine, but they never be her friends, nor get close to her. She's lonely. Beautiful, desired, but lonely.

"Have you ever considered that everyone has dark side like moon which she never shows?" I think I relate to moon more than any human being. Kent associated me with sun, but I've always been moon.

"Everyone has dark side. Some of them hide it well. Some people just give up on trying to stay on the light side." He stares at gorgeous full moon with me.

"Does it mean that you're weak for giving up?" I ask.

"No," he shakes his head. "Sometime it's just rubbish to be good and do good. How does it make you weak when you get to show your villain side?" He only smiles at me and I return it back. "Go to bed."