Suffocating

Enfold; VIII

Aditya sighed as soon as Mister Prince- wait, no, Price left.

The chair he sat on crumbled with each movement. Aditya knew he soon would need to stand up, to be near Beti, and to close the curtains and lock the door, making sure no one would come.

He had to admit. The introduction between the two kids were... exactly what he was dreading, more or less.

Everything had fallen into place.

Beti had always been such an energetic kid. He still remembered her, four years ago, barging into his office, with his employees trailing behind her with guilty, shocked, scandalized faces, declaring that she had proof she deserved to be here instead of these dimwits - or had she called them idiots, he was unsure - holding a stack of papers in her hand with a cocky smile.

There had been no hesitance. No fear. Only certainty, hope, belief.

She'd reminded him too much of himself, back before Katrina. It had been what compelled him to read her writing, despite her entering without permission and disrupting the office's peace and rudely antagonizing his employees.

The research paper was, obviously, horrible, in the standard of his employees. But the theme was interesting. If he'd remember it correctly, it was about how the infrastructure of the Crystal city could be improved by changing certain laws.

What a deep topic, coming from fourteen years-old. And the fact that it could work had been a plus.

But no. That wasn't why he'd decided to hire her, despite the interesting, if not, stupid writing.

It was the potential. It was the resoluteness in her eyes, knowing that no matter how and when, she would work in his company.

And how it saddened him, to no longer see any of those prideful qualities in her, right now.

"Beti... Beti, you have to understand-"

"Did you- did you see that?" Beti yelled, throwing her arms out to the direction of the door. "What he just did? He just-... Why would you let him-? Him, of all people! Don't you know-" Beti caught herself, and she shuddered, hugging herself, taking a step back, and looking away. "He's dangerous."

So am I. "No, he isn't."

Beti, the girl who never learned the art of staying still, was frozen, her feet rooted to the ground, and her back straight.

She looked at Aditya with the same look as when he'd found her in the dark of her apartment after she'd carelessly not heed his words, attempting to brighten the world with the knowledge, as though secrets were wrapped for foolish reasons and the world would accept that terrifying creatures do exist and panic and chaos wouldn't ensue.

The room was dark, even with the lights on. That was what happened when you covered yourself from the world. You're surrounded by darkness.

Beti twitched, and twitched again, and rubbed her neck as though something was wrong with it.

"W-what are you doing?"

And she'd never done that before, ever, and it unnerved him, the way she scrubbed and scrubbed at the peachy skin turned pale, the way it pinked.

Adit reached out, his touch so gentle she shouldn't be able to feel it, but she did feel it, and she jumped and jolted away from him and Adit forced his heart not to break, easing it, whispering a reminder that Roxanne wasn't herself, she hadn't been herself for the past month.

"Beti, you need to calm down."

Adit tried reaching out again, because he couldn't stand it, the way she'd always rubbed at her neck with her nails whenever she was anxious, and the way her eyes would blur, and she'd be forced to relive moments she'd been desperately trying to forget.

Beti took a step back, and another, and another, until her back merged with the wall and she stared straight ahead, and it reminded him too much of what happened a month ago.

Only, there were small changes. The smallest of changes, that no one but him - and perhaps her sister, Claire - would know.

The Beti then was frightened to know that the world was out to get her and there was nothing she could do and

This Beti wasn't frightened. Scared, sure. Paranoid, absolutely. But more than anything, she was ready, ready for anything Aditya was about to throw at her.

Beti, still and composed and eyes wide and with a hint of red, spoke, her words calm and calculated, "You, of all people, should know. People are dangerous. Unsafe. We shouldn't- we shouldn't trust them, any of them, especially not Robert fucking Price-"

"Beti, calm down."

Beti broke at his words. Her lips trembled and her shoulders sagged. And she didn't break. Her lips as still as his face and his body. She snarled.

"Calm down? Calm down?! Fucking- seriously?! You sold your fucking company to a douche bag philantrophist and all you can say is-"

"Beti! Breathe."

This wasn't like before.

Beti blinked, and did as he say.

Adit wanted nothing more than to hold her, pull her close. But she managed. She was fine on her own.

And Adit looked at her, and saw Katrina standing behind Beti, smiling that mischievous smile of hers.

"See, I told you you should take her in."

Because it hadn't been her eagerness that made him mentor her, make her his own, teach her everything he knew and how to be more than him.

It had been Katrina, who'd taken one look at Roxanne and smiled.

And no matter how badly he wished he could protect her the way no one had protected him. He hadn't protected her. He never could. It was time he learned that.

Katrina smiled an understanding smile. She knew. She'd always known.

"Why would you sell Why him?" Beti's voice was like a whimper or a mewl of a terrified, sick kitten.

"Because he's the only one willing to buy it."

"What?"

It was time. He'd done all he could. He didn't belong here. He never had. It was never about this, never about the company. It was about Katrina. Katrina, who was unsafe so long as she stayed here. It was about his family, who he could now provide for the rest of their withering lives.

It was about closing a chapter of a book, and opening a new one.

"I... I never planned to stay here, Beti."