THE END

26. Acceptance

And I see someone I shouldn't inside the house.

Inside Caleb's house.

Leif Darnell.

And the next moment I'm on the ground struggling for breath as he strangles me.

"It's me.....Adi-Adira! Leave m-me Leif !!" I scream.

I notice the EXACT moment when he realises who I am and sets me free.

"Mini? What are you doing here? Are you okay?" He helps me stand and brings a glass of water.

"What are you doing here, Leif?" I ask him while sipping the water I never knew I needed.

"I should be the one asking you that." He counters.

"I ran away. Escaped. " I answer truthfully.

"So why are you out of breath and with scars?" He touches the scars on my hand and I flinch.

"Scars due to fence climbing. Out of breath probably due to some bastards chasing me down the road." Honesty at its peak.

"Who- bastard!" He curses under his breath and opens the door I took forever to lock.

"Where are you going ? Leif ? Mr. Giant?" I shout for him.

"To teach some bastards a lesson." He answers as he goes down the road I came from.

Coincidence? I think not.

While he is at it, I take my time to unpack my materials in this new home.

Caleb = Home.

At  3 :08 in the morning the doorbell rings and I open the door after confirming it's Leif.

"You shouldn't have." I say when I notice the cut on his lips and reach out for it.

"Well sadly I cannot punish the fence. And some people need to know what's not theirs." He pushes my hand away.

"And what's not theirs?" I ask looking directly into his eyes.

"You." The answer comes naturally from him.

"Who do I belong to?" I continue.

"You don't want to hear that." He snaps out of whatever we had and goes to the medical supplies while applying the antiseptic cream himself.

"What are you doing here?" I question.

"I needed my mind off things. And Caleb always helped me for that. I think I missed him." His brows crease the slightest for me to know what he said is genuine.

"I miss him too." I inform him.

"It's been almost 3 weeks, Mini. Where have you hidden him ?" He holds my palm and directs my eyes to his.

"I haven't hidd-"

"STOP! Please I beg you. Tell me the truth." He shakes me from my shoulders.

"Theres is NOTHING I can tell you !" I yell at him.

"Celia survived suicide." He catches me off guard with this news.

"WHAT??!" I ask in terror.

"Caleb was her only family. Her family was abusive and thus he took her under his wings. She always respected him even though they were almost the same age. And when she broke up with Joshua, things escalated quickly."

"I didn't know they broke up." I murmur.

"How would you, when we couldn't even reach you for almost 3 weeks ! She still blames you. But now Joshua was back to support her mental health." He completes.