It All Started With The Kidnapping

Chapter 25- Unraveled Secrets and Reclaimed Trust

Elijah's POV

I arrived at Sara's house and knocked on the front door, hoping she was home. The door opened to reveal an older woman—Sara's mom, I assumed. She greeted me with a cautious, "Hello."

"Hi, is Sara here?" I asked.

Her mom raised an eyebrow and replied, "What are you doing here?"

Having met her a few months ago, I sensed she knew Sara was upset with me. "I need to speak with Sara."

She crossed her arms and said firmly, "No, you don't."

Frustration began to creep in. "Why not?"

Her glare could have cut through steel as she said, "You broke her heart."

"I didn't do anything wrong," I protested.

She shook her head, then asked, "So you weren't cheating on her?"

I quickly shook my head. "No, never. I love your daughter with all my heart and would do anything to protect her."

A small smile appeared briefly on her face but vanished quickly. "She told me you've been getting texts and then leaving."

I sighed, acknowledging, "That's true."

She didn't look pleased and demanded, "Who are the texts from? And don't lie to me; I can tell when someone's lying."

Oh crap. "They're from my boss," I said.

Her confusion was evident. "Why would you hide that you have a job?"

I looked down, admitting, "Because Sara could get hurt."

Raising an eyebrow, she asked after a moment's pause, "What kind of job do you have?"

I started to respond, "My job is—" but was cut off by Sara, who interjected, "He's a lawyer."

I looked up and saw Sara standing next to her mom, who looked thoroughly confused. I turned back to Sara and smiled, saying, "Sara."

She gave a quick "hi," and her mom asked, "But how is being a lawyer dangerous?"

I realized how absurd it sounded, given I was still in high school. I explained, "Well, people who hate you because you've helped put them away might try to get back at you by targeting you or your loved ones."

Her mom nodded slowly, accepting the explanation. "Okay then."

Sara then asked, "Mom, can I talk to him alone?"

Her mom stepped closer to me, pointed a finger in my face, and said, "If you hurt my daughter, I will come after you and make sure you regret it."

"I would never hurt your daughter," I assured her. "I love her and I won't ever stop loving her."

After her mom left, Sara looked at me with a mix of sadness and curiosity. "Why are you here?" she asked.

I glanced at the ground and said, "I came to tell you the real truth."

Sara's eyes filled with both sadness and hope as she asked, "What are you talking about?"

I nodded toward her, saying, "You want to know who I get texts from and where I go?"

She nodded. "Yes."

I took her hand and led her to my motorcycle. We drove to my house, and as we arrived, Sara looked at the place and asked, "What is this?"

We walked inside and headed to the living room. I looked at her and said, "This is where I go."

Sara seemed puzzled, but before I could explain, Theo walked in with a smile and said, "Hey Elijah, I've got another job for you. Oh, hey Sara."

Sara looked at Theo, slightly confused, and responded, "Hey Theo."

Theo turned to me and asked, "Does she know?"

Sara looked from Theo to me, and I said, "I was just about to tell her."

Theo nodded briefly. Sara asked, "Tell me what?"

Here goes nothing. "I'm the right-hand man for Theo's mafia."

Sara's expression shifted from shock to a knowing smile. "I know."

Theo and I exchanged surprised glances. I turned back to Sara and asked, "What? How do you know?"

Sara's smile widened as she explained, "I saw your tattoo. Theo has the same one, and I noticed it on a few other people. I looked it up, and it's associated with the Costa Rican mafia. It wasn't hard to figure out."

She continued, "I love you, Elijah. I trust you. You only wanted to keep me safe and prevent me from getting hurt."

I smiled and said, "I didn't realize you knew, and I'm frustrated thinking about all the time we lost and the secrets kept."

Sara looked at the ground, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She asked softly, "Why didn't you trust me?"

Feeling guilty, I replied, "Anyone could use you against me because I love you deeply. This is the first time I've felt this way, and I'm scared of losing you. You mean everything to me, Sara, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

I looked up to see her crying. I went to her and wrapped her in a hug. She cried for a while before calming down. We leaned in and kissed. I was relieved that she wasn't afraid of me; I couldn't bear the thought of the one person I love being scared of me.

When we finally broke the kiss, I looked at her and asked, "So, are we okay now? No more secrets between us? You need to stay safe for me and trust me rather than assuming the worst."

She smiled, kissed me on the cheek, and replied, "If only you'd keep yourself safe for me, too."

I smiled back, then remembered the party. "I'd like to introduce you to my family as my girlfriend at a dinner my mom is hosting tomorrow. Don't worry, Theo and Luna will be there, too."

Sara looked at the ground and said, "As long as Luna is there. No offense, but your parents sound a bit intimidating."

I laughed and reassured her, "My mom is the sweetest person ever, and my dad can be nice."

She giggled and said, "Thanks for the heads up."

We then headed to the movie room, where we watched a film and cuddled together.