Twilight Rays

15. Shut up became that for us

"I'm not sure how to tell you this. But the thing is, I knew who Jo was cuz he used to be one of my clients. I didn't know at the time you were related to her but I had met Clara too."
"You mean you sold..."
"Yeah. I just had to tell you to give you a good reason to hate me, you know."
"Okay I get it, what I don't get though is why you're even considering dealing again. Like, why did you quit in the first place?"
He seemed embarassed.
"It's complicated."
"I'm sure it's not, just tell me."
"There was this huge party one of my friends was throwing..."
"I know about Alexei's party, he was stupid enough -or high, I dunno - to post some pictures on Facebook. Anyway, keep going."
"Yeah so, you guessed it, we smoked and stuff. But I was really feeling down that day. So I was in the bathroom looking at my reflection and I was just like, I wanna forget it all. Next thing I know, I'm at the hospital for overdose. I had passed out. So yeah, that's what I did last summer. Rehab."
Thank God he wasn't crying, otherwise I would've lost it too. And the memory of me thanking him for being alive strucked me.
"Oh my God, he was this close..." I realized in a mumble.
"So please, don't give up on me just yet. I'm a crappy person and I know it, I just need you to... I just need you."
"Okay." I whispered, hugging him tighter.

We walked back to the house, slowly, like we didn't want the moment to end.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" I said.
"Yes, tomorrow at noon."
"Oh right. Christmas day."
"Something wrong?"
"I'd just like Clara to come back."
"Yeah, me too."

Raja's POV!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When we reached, Destinée's place, Twilla slowed down.
"Don't wanna go back inside, huh?" I noticed.
"No, let's just sit on the porch." she proposed.
We sat down. Although it was December, the weather was perfect with a coat. Actually, it was such a warm night Twilla took her coat off then wrapped it around her shoulders. Mine was already unzipped, so I was fine.
"If it's not too much to ask, she suddenly said to me, what were you struggling with when... you know."
"Promise you won't cry?" I teased.
"Shut up."
"Sorry, sorry." I grinned, letting her head rest against my left arm. "I'm not sure, maybe my parents going away, or the stress related to have, like, weed growing at my place."
"Why did your parents left?"
"My dad's job. But he could've said no. I think I was too much to handle for them, you know, we were getting into weird crap and wouldn't listen to them."
I missed them. I felt guilty, and it was pretty obvious to me they got scared of me, so they ran away as soon as they could. If it wasn't for Mo, my brother, I would've end up on the government's charge. Twilla rubbed my back with her hand then whispered (she'd always talk in a low tone at the right times, like she knew which conversations were unique and special):
"I know how you feel."
"It's not exactly the same thing, I replied, they got scared of me, they didn't want to be related to me anymore."
"Trust me, Raja, you do not know how I ended up at the orphanage."
"Tell me then."
"No...another day perhaps. I don't want to make you cry."
She slightly giggled.
"Shut up." I joked.
"Hey, you know what?"
"What?"
"You know, in the fault in our stars, there's that scene when they keep saying okay?"
"Huhum"
Yes, I had read the book.
"And okay was their always? I think shut up became that for us."
"I like that."
"Me too."
We stayed like that for a while apparently, because when Twilla's dad appeared behind us, he seemed quite concerned.
"Gosh Twilla, we've been looking for you over an hour now! Mind telling me where the hell were you?"
Oh yeah, her parents weren't Christians.
" I was here the whole time." she mumbled, rubbing sleep off her eyelids.
"Well, get inside, DeeDee was looking for you."
"I'll be right back", she whispered to me before getting up and running inside.
Her dad stayed on the porch. I kept my gaze on the Moon, who looked huge by the way.
"I see you're getting along with my daughter." He said.
"Yeah, we're good friends."
"Yeah, about that..."
I turned around to face him, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're a bad influence for my child, so I want you out of her life."
Was this really happening? She had just forgiven me!
"Sir, how can you say that, you don't know me at all!"
"I saw you with Joseph once, so that can only be bad news."
"That was a while ago, I cut some people off my life lately."
"Maybe, but I won't take the chance to have Twilla threaten by those people. I'm sure we agree on that, don't we?"
"Yes but..."
Your older daughter disappeared three days ago with that very same kind of people.
"I've heard you had to leave anyways. When again?"
"I'm not leaving anymore, I don't have enough money."
"What do you need?"
"Huh?"
"How much do you need to leave?"
"Like 600$, thanks anyway."
"Deal. I'll pay for you."
That man was crazy.
"What? I don't want your money."
"You don't have much of a choice."
I sighed. Looked like he was right.
"Okay fine, but let me at least talk to her until I leave. I'll be gone by next week."
"And you won't talk to her?"
"For the 10 weeks I'll be in Europe at least. After that I'll be her neighbour again."
"Oh, I'm making her move back home. Clara's a troublemaker of her own."
At least he was aware of that.
"You really planned everything."
"We're talking about my girls here."
He stretched his arm:
"So we got a deal?"
"Yes."
We shook on it.
"Hum, sir, I said, mind if I ask you one thing?"
"Sure."
"When did you saw me with Jo?"
"Let's just say he gave you a gun and pretend we never talked about it."

And then it hit me hard: The man was a cop.

Introducing you : Raja's POV! (I really like it, if you couldn't tell) Like, comment and add to your library to get the updates :)