Our Deep End | ✔️

CHAPTER 54

Christian's POV

"Everything okay baby?" I question, observing the fall of Elle's smile once she views the content of her cellphone.

Confusing is an understatement to describe the past couple hours. First Micah came to my house and revealed to me that she is in fact a sociopath, then Elle and I got into somewhat of a heated argument which ended in me fucking her, and now we're all good. Or at least I hope we are.

She doesn't reply. Instead, she looks up with a fearful and shocked look in her eyes. The sight rattles my insides, and there's a sudden shift in the atmosphere.

"Christian..." her voice is barely a whisper. "Pass me the tv remote."

"Why?" I don't hesitate to fulfill her request, but my concern never fades. She still doesn't answer. Instead, she grabs the remote from my hand and angles it towards the television, turning it on. Her hands desperately flip through the channels, stopping at the local news station.

My uncertainty comes to a fast halt once I read the headline. I have to blink my eyes a few times to make sure I'm seeing correctly. Once I verify the haunting title, my stomach clenches.

BREAKING NEWS: AFTER A LONG YEAR OF GRIEF, THE MURDERER OF ROSEWILTON'S BELOVED ESME MELENDEZ IS FINALLY IN CUSTODY.

"Turn up the volume." I swallow, sitting up so that I have a proper view of the screen. Elle's eyes are also glued to the television screen, anxiously waiting for the news reporter to explain.

"It's been over a year since the tragic death of Esme Melendez. Detectives have gathered a list of suspects over the past couple of months, but have recently narrowed it down to a man by the name of Anthony Calvo."

The screen quickly changes to a man who's aura reeks of pure evil. He looks on the older side, wrinkles conquering all corners of his eyes. He has jet black hair that is beginning to turn white in some parts. This man is completely unfamiliar to me, but I am filled with shock and disgust nonetheless.

"At the scene of the crime, there was a small bloody fingerprint on the back of Esme's neck. After running several examinations, lab results have proven the fingerprint to be a perfect match to Calvo. His DNA has also been found in multiple discrete areas of the scene...one place being underneath Esme's fingernails. Calvo has been a suspect for awhile, after being seen acting suspiciously on security camera footage from a nearby business the night of the murder. With this solid evidence against him, justice can finally be served. Investigators now look into the affairs of the Melendez family, as the motive for such a despicable act is not yet clear."

The screen changes again, from a picture of him to a picture of Esme. The knot in my stomach grows when I see her pearly white teeth fixed in a wide smile. I don't think I've ever seen a picture of the girl where she wasn't smiling. And it was never those fake smiles where you can tell it's solely for the photos sake. They always looked genuine.

I would've loved to know her while she was still here, but it's fucked up because her death was key in me even knowing of her existence.

I think about that often. More often than I should.

Pictures of Esme are shown on the tv, and once they roll the helicopter footage of a body bag being taken out of her house the night of the murder, Elle shuts the television off.

There's a long moment of silence. Both of us clearly need a second to process what we just saw.

The entire reason I came back to New York was to piece together this mystery. I've already verified that Esme and I are related, all that was left to figure out was who killed her. I know it's not my place, I'm not a fucking detective, but for some reason I always knew that I would never be able to move on until I knew the full story. Who killed her, and why they did. I already figured out a lot on my own, but there's a deep feeling stirring inside of me that I've only uncovered a small tip of the iceberg.