It Will Always Be A Game

09: Solivagant

You want a fight, I'll bring a war

I watch him as he holds Moestie in his arms and walks up to us. My eyes are fixated on his face. His eyes glance me up and down before looking at Azrah. He pats Moestie and gently sets her down on the ground.

"Good afternoon." He nods.

"Nice to meet you..?" She gives him a weird look, smiling sceptically. "Do you need anything?" she looks at me. "Or anyone?" His damn blazing blue eyes meet mine with a glint of bitterness swirling in them. I can't help but stare into his eyes.

He stares at me before nodding and taking something out of his pocket.

"Detective Ethan Presley from the FBI."

My stomach twists and tightens into knots when those words enter my ears.

FBI.

He's a detective?

From fucking FBI?

Trying to steady my racing heartbeat, I speak up. "What are you doing here?"

He glances at me.

"You have to come with me," he says, directly looking into my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what's going on here," Azrah shakes her head. "Alyssa, do you know him?" She turns to me, a puzzled expression on her face.

Fuck.

She can't know.

"Uh," my mouth falls open. I look at him. And back at Azrah.

She'll know if I lie.

She'll figure it out.

"No, I don't. Why would I?" I shrug and play with my jaw, trying to look just as confused as she does. She looks at me in suspicion. I raise my eyebrows in question.

"How about you give us a minute, detective?" she smiles at him before taking my arm and dragging me to a corner.

"Hey, my leg!" I wince. "Okay, I need you to tell me what's going on. First, your face and your foot. And then your hand. What- what is going on? Just tell me if you want to be hospitalised!
And now the freaking FBI?!" she whisper-shouts. "You can't tell me it's because you fell, Alyssa," she quotes 'fell.'

And right now, I'm looking anywhere but at her.

"Alyssa." She gives me the death stare. "I know you're hiding something."

I look up at her. I don't know what to say. No words come out of my mouth, not when there's so much chaos in my head.

"I-"

"Listen," she holds my hands, making me look at them, "please don't tell me you're in some huge trouble. You've been acting so distant these past weeks, and I don't know what's going on, but I know something's bothering you," she looks at me, "or someone...?" Her eyes dart over to my bruises.

Yes, there is. I had to say goodbye to my closest friend, the one who has stood by me through thick and thin, and I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to see him again. I felt the agonising pain of a bullet tearing through my foot. And then, I came face to face with the man who once claimed to be my 'father.' Now, I'm receiving messages written in blood, with no clue as to who's behind them.

"Alyssa?" she snaps her fingers.

"Listen, it's not much, you're worrying too much. I'm sure he's just here to..." I turn around to glance at him. He's staring at us, his brow furrowed and arms folded. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here.