Nuclear | Edgar x Colette

Risk (Make-up Pt. 3)

Edgar POV (Present)
We had finally returned to Fang's palace, and everybody took a seat back in the western living room as Colette announced, "Okay, let's continue the story here."

Colette POV
"The source of the green blinding gas was a leaking piper, connected to..." I gasped as I realised a possibility of a hidden secret far below us. Was that the reason why this cloudy smoke was spewing everywhere? Did he have anything to do with that weird thing down there?

One thing's cure sure, I need to solve this weird mystery of the orphanage before everything goes nuclear. Before everything blows up in our faces. Before we get caught in the cross fire.

Between who, I still have no idea.

I turned away from the window, ready to head back to my room when a familiar voice from behind me called, "Hey, Colette?"

I scowled as I recognised it, putting on the fiercest expression I could muster as I wheeled around and demanded, "What the hell do you want, jerk?"

Edgar's face turned nuclear as he confessed, "Um...I...need to tell you something."

"What?" I prompted.

"The truth," he answered blankly.

"Oh, wow, that was totally so helpful! I now know just exactly what you're talking about. No confusion, no questions, no unknown answers whatsoever. Thanks a lot!" I deadpanned sarcastically.

"Please, Colette." Edgar's face looked very serious as he stared into my eyes, and I felt some of my resolve crumbling, and my heart palpitating as I glanced into his eyes, my expression softening. "I really need your help to uncover something, so first, you need to know the truth behind everything," he begged.

The guilt in his eyes made my heart break for him. I was way too harsh with him.

Maybe...I was too blind, too ignorant to see the truth.

And perhaps...not just for this.

Maybe...there was something messed up in my heart too. Something...I ached to solve, something that I missed dearly although I hadn't experienced it before, something mysterious that was so familiar and unknown at the same time.

I sighed, "Okay, let's go to my room to talk."

He smiled, and I felt something within me flutter.

I really hoped this wouldn't end the same way it did with him—the other boy I missed so much, for two reasons. With that, only came heartbreak.

Hopefully, this wouldn't be the same thing.

I don't think I could survive it yet again. The first time had broken me for so long, and taken me so long to get over, and even longer to finally see him in a different way. I would never forget the pain.

And I didn't want to risk breaking myself again, and maybe breaking Edgar as well for the second time. He had been so sad, so guilty when I talked to him after everything that happened...I didn't want that to happen to Edgar too, just because of me.

I had...misunderstood Edgar. Maybe he would turn out to be a good friend, one that would stick by me just like him. Maybe he was worth being around with, worth putting everything that happened behind us.

I wasn't going to risk ruining everything that was, and everything that could be.

I can't risk that, not again.