Between Us

Chapter 37 : Echoes of Deceit

I sat in the backseat of Jax's car, still in shock. My hands were trembling uncontrollably, my mind struggling to process everything that had just happened. The factory, the fight, finding Engfa bound and helpless—it all seemed like a nightmare.

Jax glanced at Engfa as he drove, his jaw clenched with worry and frustration. "What happened, Engfa?"

Engfa looked at Jax, her eyes filled with exhaustion and pain. "After Nudee's party, I was walking to my car when a vehicle pulled up beside me. Before I knew what was happening, they grabbed me and forced me inside. I didn't have time to react." Her voice was steady, but I could hear the fear underlying her words.

"How did they know where you were?" Jax asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Engfa shook her head, her expression filled with uncertainty. "I don't know," she whispered.

As I listened, a memory surfaced, one that I had almost forgotten in the chaos of the day. I remembered seeing Mew before leaving for Nudee's party. My heart skipped a beat as I recalled our brief conversation.

"I think I know how," I said quietly, my voice barely audible. They both turned to look at me, "Mew," I continued, my voice gaining strength. "I saw him before I left for Nudee's party. He asked me if I was going to see you."

"What did you tell him?" Jax asked, his voice low and tense.

I felt a pang of guilt as I remembered my angry response. "I was upset. I told him I was going to see Engfa." Jax let out a long, exasperated sigh, then murmured something under his breath, too low for me to catch. His frustration was palpable.

As we pulled up to Haven, the tension in the car began to dissipate slightly. Nudee rushed out to meet us, her eyes widening as she took in Engfa's and Jax's injuries. Jax waved her off, insisting he was fine, and headed straight for the fridge. He pulled out a bag of ice and pressed it to his bruised cheek.

Engfa, meanwhile, slumped into a chair, staring blankly into the distance. I turned to Nudee. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

Nudee nodded and quickly fetched it, placing it on the table. I took the kit and sat beside Engfa, who continued to stare into the void. Gently, I reached for her chin, turning her face towards me. Our eyes locked, a moment of unspoken connection passing between us.

I began to clean her wound, but Engfa flinched and tried to pull away. "It's fine," she muttered, reaching for the cotton swab. "I can handle it."

Her hands were shaking, making it clear she couldn't manage on her own. I grabbed the cotton swab back from her, a bit more forcefully than I intended. "Just let me do it," I insisted, leaning in to get a closer look at her cut.

As I applied a bandage, I glanced up and caught Engfa staring at me. Our eyes met, and for a second, the chaos around us seemed to fade.

"You shouldn't be here," she said quietly, breaking the spell.

I frowned. "And where should I be?"

"Not here," she replied, her voice strained.

I pulled back, frustration bubbling up inside me. "Well, I'm here, taking care of you," I snapped. "No one asked you to," she retorted, her tone harsher than before.

I stood up abruptly, putting the first aid supplies away with more force than necessary. Turning back to her, I said, "I just hit a man with a metal pipe who had you locked up in an abandoned factory. I saw Jax with a gun. And the men who took you? They probably work for my father. So maybe, just maybe, you could be a little more grateful."

Jax, who had been observing silently, finally spoke up. "Nobody asked you to come, Charlotte."

I shot him a dark look. "You have a real problem with me, don't you?"