Seven

Chapter 28

We stayed on that platform for a few hours. Drying out in the heat in between swims in the cooling waters. Seven doesn't try to kiss me again, in fact he hasn't even touched me since he told me he likes me.

But he hasn't withdrawn from me, which I suppose is a good thing. Seven's mood is uncharacteristically upbeat and he smiles a lot even at the smallest things. It's almost as if his confession of how he feels has lifted some weight off his shoulders. We talk for hours, about nothing and everything. He asks me about my favourite scholars I've studied, my favourite music, my favourite memories from growing up. He tells me the meaning behind a few of his tattoos. The birds on his chest are swallows and are apart of the gangs emblem. The butterfly tattoo over his sternum is in tribute to his mother and sisters, beautiful and too delicate to know him in his harsh world. He tells me of his four month long addiction to Coca Cola when he was eleven. He could drink six cans of it a day and stopped when Curby took him to a dentist, he said the dentist had traumatised him by showing him photos of rotten teeth so he stopped drinking it. But that once he was fifteen he started drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. He quit smoking cigarettes about a year ago, but still struggled with his drinking for many years. When Seven was eighteen he began drinking heavily, although he's much better with it now he explained he still struggles with the urge to binge on alcohol. 

We sit in the car park of the liquor store before my shift still talking.

I ask him about the worst thing he's done working for his uncle. He's very hesitant to talk to me about it but I try explain to him it's something I need to know, I don't have to understand it I just need to know.

"I don't want you to know about that side of my life." Seven says quietly, looking down at his lap ashamed.

"I need to know though Seven."

"I know. I know you do but I'm not ready for you to look at me differently." He says quietly.

"You don't know that." I reach across the centre console to rest my hand over his. Seven turns his palm upwards under my touch and threads his fingers with mine to hold my hand. It feels so nice, his hand is so warm.

"What do you want to know?" Seven asks after a pause of silence. He keeps his eyes fixed on our intertwined hands as he speaks.

"What do you do with people in the basement of the club?" I ask him first.

"Depends why they're there." He cops out of an informative answer.

"Okay well what reasons would they be there for?" I try another approach.

"Could be for a punishment or interrogation." He answers, his thumb begins stroking over the back of my hand he's holding.

"How do you punish people?" I question, I'm a little apprehensive about what he's going to tell me next.

"We have a range of different punishments for members but mostly it's just beatings. Interrogations are...not as nice." Seven grimaces and I swallow the hard lump forming in my throat.

"What do you do for interrogations?" The words find their way out from my tight throat and Seven looks at me, his eyes pleading.

"Lilianna I don't think-"

"Please just tell me." I interrupt him and he looks at me, his face is pained. I know he doesn't want to tell me this stuff in fear of my reaction to him but I need to know. I just need to know what Seven is capable of.

"Uh, fuck sakes I guess I should explain that these people are bad people which is why I do it." He says first and I just nod. Seven frowns deeply as he stares at our hands.