That Thing Between You and Me

29. Trouble in Paradise

(Did you check out the new book trailer? No? Go check it out now! It's on the second part of this book.)

Previously on 'That Thing Between You and Me':

Andrew tells Mallory about Marko situation. Mallory denies killing him.

The two share a romantic moment followed by a conversation where Andrew states his willingness to share his story. Mallory confesses Emily's murder.

And now...

• • •

Chapter 29 | Trouble in Paradise

"When they called him a heartbreaker,
They could not have known,
That there was no heart,
More broken than his own."

-Erin Hanson

• • •

"Andrew, I murdered her. I shot Emily."

The words that she never thought she'd utter, left her with a bitter taste at the back of her mouth. They made her feel nauseatic. Over the years, she had told herself that repeatedly. Everytime she visited Emily, she would relive the guilt. But somehow saying it out loud made them even more real.

What followed guilt was an intense urge, an urge to whisper something else. The words sat right there on the tip of her tongue, waiting to roll out. Just one more secret. A secret that she hid not from the world but kept even from herself. A secret that would raise questions and provide all the answers, but she could not bring herself to confess. No amount of courage could get her to say it. Afterall what could be worse than killing your own best friend? Apparently, there was something. And she had done it.

While she was having an internal turmoil, she stared at her companion, waiting in anticipation for his reaction. But it never came. It was as if the time had frozen. There was just the two of them standing within a few feet from each other. The tension in the air was thick.

The minutes that followed were spent in absolute silence. Mallory's chest heaved as the silence began hurting her ears. She wanted him to say something.

Anything.

She expected him to yell at her, to ask her to get out. To pull out a gun and place the barrel on her forehead, to blow her brains out. Anything would have been better than looking at his face which was devoid of any emotion.

And then after ages Andrew uttered one word, "No."

"No?" Mallory echoed his reply, her brain unable to comprehend the monosyllable.

"No." He said firmly this time.

"Andrew..." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you heard what I s-"

"I did. I heard everything." He nodded.

"Then don't you wanna know why? Why I killed her?"

There was a short pause followed by, "I trust you."

"But you shouldn't." Mallory whispered, her shoulders slumping.

"Hey, hey. Look at me." His hands softly lifted her chin. "I have been working with 'The Beasts' for months, now. And that amount of time is enough to know how they work. How they force people to do things, things a person won't do in their worst nightmares! The way they play mind games without Antonio in picture, I can only imagine what would have happened when that sick bastard was around."