Forces Beyond The Grave

2.2

His face was blank, so if it weren't for the short-tempered tone in which he spoke, Lennox wouldn't have known that he clearly had a problem with her explanation. But trying to process his response and not giving a reply in adequate time caused Jay to give up waiting. 

"What about the manor? What happened to it? If you survived, then," 

"It burned down." She replied promptly. 

His eyes widened. "It's gone?" 

"Yeah." She nodded, and he closed his eyes as he shook his head. 

"Look, I don't know what's up with you, but if you're not gonna tell me what happened then tell me now so I don't waste my time waiting for a real explanation. You can't show up after two years and not say anything, and you can't say things like that and not elaborate, so are you gonna tell me or not?"

She frowned as he sighed. Lennox was familiar with impatience, and Jay could be the poster boy for it. But instead of giving him what he wanted, she was stuck on his behaviour. It was...agitated, upset, and confused, and Lennox only had one idea as to why. 

"Forget it." He sighed in defeat. 

"I hurt you." She said suddenly. 

He stopped in his tracks after beginning to walk away from her, slowly turning back as she continued her shot in the dark. 

"When I left, it hurt you, emotionally." 

He just frowned. "Well yeah. You lied to me Lennox, you made me a promise and you went back on it, and it cost me the last two years, how do you think I felt?" 

His words triggered a memory in her mind; she pictured the last conversation they had on the couch, remembering how she promised him she would see him again before leaving that same night to return to the manor. 

"Betrayed. Scared." She tried. 

He just let out a laugh. "Yeah, something like that." 

He looked her up and down, seeing the slightly confused expression on her face and deciding to make it simple for her. 

"Look, I don't know what changed, but something's different about you. It's like you don't even know how to act. Maybe it's because of what happened in those five days, I don't know. But you're either gonna tell me or you're not. I'm glad you're okay, if you are, but it doesn't seem like it. If you want to talk, my number hasn't changed. I doubt you'll need it."