The Angel Trumpet

14.

A few days later

I turn over in bed feeling an arm wrap around my waist as I snuggle into the pillow with my face buried into it. The sheets are hugging my body tightly but the body next to mine are hugging tighter. Light, sweet kisses are placed on my bare back, sending goosebumps throughout my skin. Their lips stop at the nape of my neck trailing to my ear and before I can see their face my eyes flash to the time and I feel myself shift out of their touch.

***

I've been having the same dream for a few days now unable to see who it is, the one that i'm wanting, craving...missing. I sat up in the hotel bed in the hotel we found a few days ago, leaving Conor's place which was hard but needed. Now I'm looking over to the black and red clock on the nightstand seeing it's already six in the morning. I get up from the bed walking over to the bathroom but hear a knock on the door. My feet take the detour and my hand turns the knob revealing Pito. "I couldn't sleep." He says leaning on the door frame. "And thought to see if I was up too?" He shrugs. "I figured you would be." I nod letting him in, standing in the corner of the room looking at the window trying to avoid eye contact, knowing he wants to talk about what happened that night he picked me up.

"Aleya, you haven't talked to us since that night. What happened?"

I knew this was coming.

"It was just a night."

The words I threw at him didn't phase him but the words he was wanting to hear were just as taunting.

"Are you sure?" He asks not convinced knowing I would shut down being colder than ever.

"Yes like I said, I'm fine."

Flashback to that night

"Thanks for picking me up." I wipe the tear away fast not wanting anyone to see I might actually care about something or someone.

"Of course."

The drive back to Conor's was silent and when I saw Tobias was still there, I go to where his stuff is and pack it into bags throwing him out.

"Where we're going, you're not welcomed." I say loud enough for Leo and Pito to hear.

Tobias waves me off grabbing his bags and giving the guys his middle finger.

"I never needed you! I never needed any of you!" He screams out finally realizing the damage he has done but has no choice but to run to his puppet master once and for all.

Behind me the guys pat my back not fully knowing what he has done but know enough not to fight for him to stay.

Conor's car pulls up after Tobias is gone and I ignore him. I stuff my clothes and personal items in bags. The guys are doing the same upstairs.

"Aleya, Aleya can you just tell me what the hell that was, alright? Because I need to know if you're really that person or the one that helps the ones who need it and not that--that monster I saw back there."

I scoff at him, "Monster? Am I really the monster Conor? Honestly." I say angrily that he ignored the fact I saved him when I could've let him be killed by Fernando's men.

"Just," He walks towards me holding my face and me not stopping him, wanting to feel his touch for the last time, he continues speaking, "tell me you'll stop. Say it and I'll believe it and you all can stay like you were. You can stay here with me." A few tears slip as I look down avoiding eye contact telling him, "If you knew what my life was, you wouldn't ask that of me. You would understand why and you would look at me just the same." I move his hands off me grabbing my bags leaving out the door and into the car with Pito and Leo.

Conor watches shaking his head in defeat, eyes watering and hands balled into fist against his sides upset that I would leave and not spare him his imaginary life he built for me and him in his mind.

Current time

After Pito left I showered up and left to see Jorge at his office to collect our first ever cut. Traffic was building up but I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel to pass time catching a glimpse of Conor in his car right beside me. I kept my eyes forward making sure he wouldn't know it was me, plus the car I had taken I found the owner returning it and buying myself a black Ford Mustang dated back to the sixties off a car fanatic. When I glance over again I see someone else in the car, a blonde like the one in the picture I saw, except her hair wasn't as wavy, her eyes were blue not hazel. My heart clenched inside my chest hoping it wasn't what I imagined until she leans over grazing her hands over his leg, flirtatiously, smiling.

His face remains the same until he glances over this time seeing me. I eat the red light racing out of there and out of sight wishing I didn't have that mental picture replaying inside my head. His car picks up behind me and cuts past a few other cars just to pin me on the other side of the office space.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I say pissed getting out the car as soon as he does leaving the blonde in the car puzzled.

"I can't let you walk out of my life, not like that."

I glance over to the blonde, "Seems like you're doing just peachy, ain't that right sunshine?" I wink at her then put a straight face looking back at him.

"She's a friend."

I chuckle. "Right, well I have things to do and you have a "friend" to get back to."

Without a second thought I get back in my car fixing my parking and leaving him to ponder in his thoughts.