Blind truths

Let this folly end

I didn't quite know what compelled me to ring his doorbell again, three days after the conclusion of the case had been filed up, and all parties notified. Somehow, I had trouble accepting that this man I'd seen only twice would leave my life forever. I wanted to see if he was well before I walked away. Wanted to exchange a few true words with this gentle man without the burden of his accusation hanging upon his head.

Third time's the charm, right?

The door swung open, revealing a woman with a heavy jacket. Curly hair, tanned skin and a wary expression.

- "Yes?"

Taken aback; I had not realised Mr Jensen had a companion, I was about to state my purpose when Marcus appeared by her side.

- "Oh, hey! Let her in Nadja, it's Elena."

The brunette woman gave Marcus an odd look and took a step back with reluctance. Guilt, shame and worry oozed from her, and I had trouble understanding what was going on in her head right now. I stepped in to to greet Marcus politely when he suddenly drew me into his arms and squeezed the life out of me. Stunned, I struggled to breathe when I heard footsteps in the corridor. Stuck in the teenager's grip, I locked eyes with Lucas who stood a few feet away.

He, also, was wearing a warm jacket. His chestnut strands were slightly disarrayed, revealing the curve of his high cheekbones and strong jaw. And most of all, giving me a good view of his amber eyes. A gleam of tenderness passed within their depth, and I could catch a sudden wave of gratitude and ... fondness directed at me. Like a soft blanket landing upon my shoulders, it mingled with Marcus exuberance and swept me off my feet.

- "Thank you!"

Frozen on the spot, I was starting to feel lightheaded when Lucas closed the distance in a few strides.

- "Marcus, you're squeezing the air out of her."

- "Sorry, sorry!" the teenager exclaimed as he released me.

Finding myself without support, I suddenly wobbled. Lucas' hand landed at my elbow, his sharp features worried. Curiously, I wanted very, very much to lean into him. Damn, I had not realised how much sleep I'd lost on this case. The idea of a fifteen-hour nap felt more and more appealing...

- "Are you all right?"

Lucas's smooth voice called be back to reality, and I nodded sheepishly.

- "Erm. Yes, thank you. I wasn't expecting such a welcome."

- "What? With the stunts you've pulled and clearing my father's name, what did you expect?"

Marcus' excitement created a buzz of energy around me, and I smiled.

- "A standard 'we're good' or 'thank you' is usually what I get."

- "Way underrated," he scoffed.

His statement brought a smile to my lips. That kid was so much fun to be around; I hoped he would settle more often with his father, if only to help him shed the nightmare of the past weeks. Behind me, I could feel his girlfriend's gaze boring holes into my back; she certainly wasn't happy to see me, and I wondered why she seemed so hostile.

And I, for my part, wondered why I cared so much.

- "We were about to take a walk, do you want to join us?"

Nadja mentally scoffed behind me, and I accepted with a cheesy smile. Yes. A walk would clear my mind. And so, half an hour later, the three of us walked Fanny in the forest behind. Nadja held Lucas' hand possessively, and I kept my distance as we conversed. There was something uneasy in that relationship, and I wondered why the woman seemed so insecure and so aggressive in the first place. Several times, she interrupted our gentle flow with snarky comments. I sighed; pushy, again. Exactly like his ex-wife.