Shadows of deceit

17.

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the living room. Poppy woke up on the couch, her body stiff and mind still foggy from the restless night. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, her thoughts immediately drifting to the conversation with Branch from the previous night.

She sat there on the couch. Her hands folded in her lap as she looked to the ground. Having texted Branch the night before, granted such a simple conversation, made her heart feel warm. But there was still some sort of looming feeling she couldn't quite explain. That was until she heard the door to her shared bedroom with creek open. That's what it was. Guilt. She went behind Creek's back. What she was feeling was... shame. 

Creek emerged from the bedroom, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spotted her on the couch. "Morning," he said curtly, moving towards the kitchen without waiting for a response.

"Morning," Poppy replied quietly, watching him as he prepared coffee. The atmosphere felt thick with unspoken tension, and Poppy couldn't shake the feeling that Creek knew something was amiss.

As they sat down for breakfast, the silence between them was palpable. Poppy stole glances at Creek, hoping to gauge his mood, but his expression remained unreadable. Finally, he spoke, his tone casual but his words laden with suspicion. "You were up late last night. Everything okay?"

Poppy's heart raced. She forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, just couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."

Creek's eyes narrowed further, his gaze piercing. "Anything you want to talk about? Or is this something you're discussing with someone else?" His emphasis on the last words made Poppy's stomach churn.

She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "No, just work stuff."

Creek nodded slowly, but his eyes never left her. "I see. Well, I've been thinking. Maybe we should spend more time together, and focus on ourselves. You know, like we used to."

Poppy forced another smile, but her heart wasn't in it. "That sounds nice."

Creek leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he continued to scrutinize her. "Good," he said, his tone softening slightly. "I miss how things used to be. Before... everything."

Poppy nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. "Yeah, me too."

The silence stretched on again, more uncomfortable than before. Poppy fidgeted with her fork, pushing her food around on her plate. She felt Creek's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to change the subject.

"So, what are your plans for today?" she asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from the dangerous territory it had veered into.

Creek took a sip of his coffee, his eyes still fixed on her. "Meetings, mostly. Trying to finalize some deals. How about you?"

Poppy hesitated. She had planned to meet Branch later to discuss their next steps in gathering evidence against Creek. "Just some errands," she said finally. "Maybe catch up on some work."

Creek nodded, his expression softening a bit. "Alright. Just remember, Poppy, I'm always here if you need to talk. About anything."

"Thanks," she said, forcing another smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

As Creek got up to leave, he paused by her chair, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Poppy. Don't forget that."

Her heart ached at his words, a mix of guilt and confusion churning within her. "I love you too, Creek," she replied softly.