DAHLIA
"What's with the look on your face?" Tori said, plopping down on the bed.
"What look?" I asked, feigning indifference.
"You look like you're daydreaming and there's a creepy smile on your face, Lia" she said, smiling.
I rolled my eyes, biting down on my lip.
"You're being ridiculous" I said. "Tell me, what happened between you and Red?" She asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't try to put on the 'I don't know what you're talking about' face"
I let out a sigh.
"We kissed. Twice"
"Wow, that's quite the achievement" Tori said, smirking.
"Can you not say that? Lee would totally say the same thing you said. It's annoying" I said.
"He's my better half, we say similar things. Soon, you'll understand. But right now, let's face the real deal. Do you have feelings for Red?"
"Yes, I do. I was trying to fight it all along because I'm engaged. Being on the run with him has definitely changed me and I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing" I said.
Tori held my hands as she gazed into my eyes.
"I want you to be very sincere with me. Do you truly love Aiden, your fiance?"
I swallowed hard.
Was I ever in love with Aiden?
I think not.
Perhaps, what I felt for him was infatuation.
I never really felt true affection towards him.
Sure, he's nice, gorgeous, caring but I've never declared any major affection towards him.
"No. I- I don't" I sighed.
"See? You never loved him. You were bound to meet someone else who you might have true feelings for. Do not be confused, sweetie. If what you're feeling for Red is real, I think you shouldn't break his heart"
"But, what about Aiden? How do I tell him that I don't-"
"If Aiden truly loves you, he has to let go of you to make you happy".
"That's the thing, he's never told me he loves me"
"Then, that makes it so much easier" Tori shrugged.
We heard a loud bang and we rushed out of the room.
The noise had come from Theresa's bedroom.
Red broke the door open but there, lying on the floor with a bullet hole between her closed eyes was Theresa. There was blood. So much blood on the floor.
"No" Red groaned, his voice laced with agony.
"Oh my God" Tori gapsed, tears filling her eyes.
I moved backwards, shock and dismay paralysing me.
"No, no, no" Red cried, kneeling beside Theresa's still form. She almost looked so peaceful, it hurt.
We heard the entrance door open. Lee and Axel came in.
"What the-Oh my God" Axel gapsed, moving his wheelchair forward.
Lee looked crestfallen. He was trembling as he put his hand on Red's shoulder.
"She's gone, Red" he said.
"No, she can't be. How-"
Tears ran down Red's face as he stared at his grandma's corpse. Why was life so unfair?
***
RED
I couldn't hold back the tears. My chest was hurting so bad as the agony flooded me. Theresa was gone. Someone killed her.
I squeezed my eyes shut, leaning on the wall. I could hear the sirens of the ambulance outside the house. I was still so shaken. I felt like I was suffocating.
I'd failed.... again.
Mum had known that they would come for Theresa. How many more people has to die? I want to end this, desperately.
Lee knocked on the door but I couldn't say a thing. I just couldn't. He opened the door and walked in, squatting in front of me. "Red, we have to go. Whoever did it would alert Skull. We have to leave right away" he said.
I stared at him.
"Red, come on"
I felt boneless.
But then, another thought came to my mind.
What if it had been Axel lying there? Or Lee. Or Tori.
Or worse, Lia.
A cold feeling of dread washed over me and I shivered.
"Red, you okay?" Lee asked, looking very concerned.
'No, I'm not!'
I wanted to scream at him but I seemed to have lost the ability to speak.
"Red, now I'm very worried. You look very pale" he said.
I vaguely heard the door open. The others had come in. "What's wrong with him?" Lia asked
"I think he's in shock" Lee said, placing a hand on my forehead. "Arch?" Axel said.
I blinked.
"I'm just as shaken as you are. But, you need to get yourself together" he said, his face pale. His eyes were bloodshot too and he was trembling.
"I can't move my legs" I croaked, wincing at how weak I sounded.
"Come on, I'll help you" Lee said, placing my arm around his shoulder. Lia supported me on the left and we got into the car. I wanted to pass out. I didn't want to feel like that. I felt disappointed with myself for falling apart. Lia squeezed my hand.
"I'm right here, Red" she whispered.
"What happened to you, back there?" She asked, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know. I think I was in shock" I rapsed.
She kissed me and squeezed my hand gently.
"It's okay not to be okay sometimes, Red. It reminds us that we are human and we can feel" she whispered.
"I'm so tired" I sighed, leaning on her shoulder.
"Close your eyes and think happy thoughts" Lia said.
"Like what?" I asked with my eyes closed.
"Imagine me riding on a purple unicorn galloping along a large rainbow in the sky" she said and I laughed.
"What would I do without you?" I muttered.
She laughed.
*****
DAHLIA
We arrived in our new home hours later. Apparently, it was one of the houses Lee's dad left him in his will. After settling down in my room, I stepped into the kitchen to have a glass of water. Red was sitting on a stool in the kitchen reading some sort of file. Beside him was a bottle of vodka that was half empty and two empty vodka bottles.
"Arch?" I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead.
"I'm sorry, didn't want you to see my like this" he slurred, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a seat on the next stool. "I just- I'm so stressed out and I can't help but think of the fact that we might be fighting a lost battle. I've known Skull since I was sixteen. He's ruthless. He'll do anything to get whatever he wants" Red groaned, rubbing his eyes weakly. "He's done so much damage already. I do not want him to do more" he said. He sounded so miserable, my heart ached for him.
"It doesn't matter if we're facing a very lethal enemy but all that matters is that we don't give up" I said, running a hand through his silky hair that was no longer in braids. We moved over to the sitting room. His eyes were bloodshot and drooping. He looked really burned out. Letting out a sigh, he buried his head in the crook of my neck.
"My mother was going to have a baby. I was going to have a baby sister but the bastard beat her up until she lost her" he said, his breathing ragged. I gently rubbed his back, trying to soothe him.
"I hate him so much. I've never thought I was capable of hating someone this bad. He took the only man who loved me like his own son away from me. It's still hard to believe that he wasn't my biological father. Then, he killed my sister. I never got to see her. He took my mother away from me. As if it wasn't enough, he tried to kill my twin brother. Now, this? He had Theresa killed. I should've known. There's this nagging fear in me. What if I actually fail to protect the rest of you? I would never forgive myself. I'm terrified. So terrified" he said, his voice shaky and weak. He pulled away from me, rubbing his teary eyes.
"I can't breathe" he gapsed.
"Hey, I'm right here. Listen to the sound of my voice-" I said, shakily. He was having a panic attack
"I can't-" he choked out, tears running down his face.
"Okay, uh- mention five things you can see" I said.
In his panic-stricken state, he looked around.
"Uh...the couch...."
"Go on" I urged
"The table.... the door.....the clock......and.....uh- you?"
I smiled, brushing his damp hair away from his face.
"Mention three blue things you can see" I said.
"The painting---my shirt--- your---" His rapid breathing slowed down.
"Your eyes" he breathed.
I embraced him and he held onto me.
"It's okay. You're okay" I whispered, stroking his hair.
"I'm sorry-- I--"
"Sh-- it's fine. Just breathe"
He nodded.
Soon, his breathing evened out. I could tell that he'd fallen asleep.
I made him lie on the couch with his head on my lap. Lee walked in with Axel on his wheelchair.
"How's he doing?" Lee asked.
"He's not okay. He was drunk when I found him" I said.
Lee's gaze softened.
"He's shivering" Axel pointed out. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked very pale. Lee grabbed a blanket and placed it on Arch's sleeping form.
"He'll be fine. He's strong" I said, stroking his hair.
Axel smiled and I blushed.
"Am I embarrassing you?" He asked, grinning.
"N-no"
"Do not break his heart. He's a good guy" Axel said to me and wheeled his chair out of the sitting room.
"You should get some rest too, sugar" Lee said to me and I nodded before he walked away.
.