Paint Me Saved ✓ Book 1

27. Requiem for the fallen

Zemira

"Yes, I gave the orders."

With those words, the foundation of my trust built with Leo crumbled.

I wasn't sure if I heard it right the first time but when he repeated it again and again, I knew the truth. I lost Tag to a bad decision. One wrong order had the power to seal my fate. To lock me into an infinite loop of suffering.

"Zemira, listen to me." Leo took a step ahead.

His eyes brimmed with a hazed screen of sadness but it didn't affect me. Since his confession, I felt paralyzed. 

Since I realized Tag's killer touched me, kissed me, every cell in my body holding up my existence tried to burn itself off.

I sought help from the destroyer of my world to help build my business.

When he floated his arm up to hold me, I scrambled back. "I don't want to listen to anything anymore. I'm leaving."

I didn't know where I was escaping but the urgency to avoid inhaling the same air and sharing a common ground with Leo surmounted. His admission replayed in my ears. He killed my Tag. The quake from his acceptance held the power to cause a rippling effect on my chest. The love of my life was gone a long time ago. What remained of my sanity dripped off my fingertips today.

As I rushed to alert the elevator, Leo grabbed me. He clutched my shoulder blades, pinning me against a wall. Storm-filled eyes stared at me. Unlike all other times, the light in them camouflaged with something unreadable.

"You're not going anywhere till we sort this out, Zem."

"Don't you dare call me that," I roared, attempting once more to toss his hovering body aside, to jerk away from his grip. But like a wounded animal at the mercy of its predator, I remained trapped.

"I know you are hurting, Zemira. When I came to know about Tag, I should have told you. Dammit, I swear, I didn't want to keep you in the dark. I wanted to tell you everything about him."

Turning my head to the side, I looked away. His eyes swirled with tints of truth but I was unwilling to verify if he was indeed saying the same. 

I wanted to vent, cry and toss things around. I never found closure. I never got to blame anyone for taking Tag away from me except the universe, which never reciprocated.

Today I got the chance; handed the man responsible for taking Tag away.

"You killed him and there's nothing you can do about it. You can't bring him back," I said.

My eyes warmed up, clawing out the image of the Leo from my memory. Stale air entered my heaving chest. Dizziness set in. 

I held Leo for support while my boneless legs dragged me down. The ache rafting from the pits of my stomach imprisoned every inch of me in its hold, squeezing my breath away, substituting it with rocks.

"I can't bring him back, Zem." Leo turned to me with emotionless eyes and a straight face. Redness crept over his earlier pale skin - the color, tainted with guilt. "But I can bring you back."

The moment Leonardo's grip loosened, I pounced at the opportunity, shoving his body to a side and hammering the elevator button with my knuckles. Metal doors dragged open.

Ching.

"I lost someone too, Zemira. I suffered just like you." With pleading words, Leo stood at the entrance of the elevator, holding its sides while I stayed in, waiting for him to let go.