The Sinner

91

I jolt awake to arguing.

Make that very loud arguing. The two others who I had shared this room with, clearly didn't care that I was still sleeping.

My eyes peel open, the weight of my anxiety from yesterday holding me to the bed. I try to push past it, slowly sitting up and rubbing my eyes. My body felt like it was a thousand pounds, which made me want to go back to sleep even more.

What were they arguing about now?

"Just think this through, Kie, we're the only people you know here," Rafe tells her.

Kiara seems to ignore him and continues to bang on the old wooden door. My eyes flick between the two of them, trying to use context clues to pick up on what was going on. I don't think they even realized I was awake.

"I need to talk to Mr. Singh!" She shouts this time, following with her fist hitting the door.

I flinch at the loud sound, it had to have been early. Seven, at the latest.  No one likes to hear something that loud this early in the morning, especially me.

"Kiara," Rafe huffs out. "I know you're lying about where the diary is. Are you trying to get out now? Leave the two of us here?"

I hate to admit it, but if that is the case, Rafe seems to be spot on with his guess. That does seem like what she's doing. She clearly won't tell him what she knows. All she's doing is demanding to speak to Singh.

"For the last time, I don't know where it is," She tells him, her brown eyes are ice cold as she stares into his own.

The door suddenly opens, and each of our attention is turned toward it. One of the guards appears, an intimidating look on his face as his eyes dance between the three of us.

"I need to speak to Mr. Singh," Kiara tells him, "I have some information he'd like to know."

"...Okay."

And soon after, she leaves the room with the guard. Rafe tilts his head back in frustration, just as we hear the door lock again.

"I don't understand," I say, watching him walk over to the door and pull on the handle. "What's going on?"

"Kiara's planning on leaving us here," He says, resting his forehead against the door. "She knows where the diary is."

"Are you sure?" I ask, throwing the covers off of myself.

"The Pogues always have what we want, Corrine," Rafe says, his tone signaling he was annoyed. "If she doesn't know, her stupid friends do. Especially Pope, he always knows shit."

I could imagine Kiara leaving Rafe here, she's always hated him. And I know I'm not her favorite person in the world either, but would she really leave me here? With him?

Probably.

But she'd soon return with the other Pogues. And they'd have to realize that I would still be here. Someone, would come rescue me. Right?

I sit down on the front part of the bed, crossing my arms over my chest. I start to think of any way I can where I could get myself away from him if she does leave me here. But unfortunately for me, there's no way out, besides being let out by Singh himself. So who knows how long I would be forced to stay here.

"How are you feeling today?" He asks randomly.

I look up from the floor and notice he's leaning back against the forest green wardrobe. His arms were crossed, gaze entirely on me.

"Better," I say truthfully, "Still not the best but, it's whatever. Not like I can do anything about it."

"Anything I can do to make you feel better?"