double pov

The sanctuary (10)

"William, is it ? May I sit down ?" I asked as I cautiously approached him, trying not to disturb him any more than he already was.

"What do you want from me ?" he replied without opening his eyes, his voice imbued with icy indifference.

"Nothing special, I just want to get to know you," I said with a big smile, hoping to break the ice.

But William wasn't fooled by my acting. He opened his eyes and stared at me with an intensity surprising for a child.

"Has anyone ever told you you can't lie ?" he challenged, his brown eyes piercing through my mask of self-assurance.

"Oh yes," I thought, because he was the one who told me over and over again in our previous life. But I couldn't tell him that.

"Hey Luca, what are you doing ?" shouted Kim as she came running up to us.

"Me ? I was asking William if he knew any places to hide," I improvised quickly, trying to divert attention.

"I see," Kim replied, clearly skeptical.

As for William, he merely glanced at us.

"Please excuse my brother for disturbing you," said Kim with a hint of embarrassment.

"It's okay, apology accepted," William replied as he slowly stood up, then headed inside the building without another word.

"Luca, why did you approach him ?" asked Kim, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Sorry, but I was desperate to find a good hiding place, haha... Is there anything else ?" I tried to change the subject, well aware that my answer was unconvincing.

"Yes, you're weird today. But anyway, let's go join the others,"

"Okay," I replied, following him.

My mind, however, was elsewhere. In the past, it had been Kim who had approached William first. This time, it was different, and I couldn't help but wonder how it would affect things..

…

…

…

The next day, I approached him again, but he quickly rejected me. Nevertheless, I repeated this action every day until he gave in.

"Okay, Luca, that's what your name is, isn't it?" he said one day as he turned to face me, a gleam of defiance in his eyes.

"Yes, and I..."

"Wait! Before you continue, I want you to tell me your true intentions," he interrupted abruptly, his gaze piercing.

"What do you mean ?" asked I, feigning innocence.

"Don't take me for a fool. I've made inquiries about you and your brother. I know your parents are still alive, but you're here because there's no one to look after you," he declared confidently.

Honestly, it didn't surprise me that William had done some research on me. He was always suspicious of people trying to intrude on his privacy. It was a characteristic of his personality, even in our previous life.

"Besides, what's the point of coming to see me ? If you want to make friends, there are other kids in the orphanage who are much nicer than me. And if it was your brother who had come to see me first, I could understand because he's the sociable type" he added, his tone becoming increasingly accusatory.

I took a deep breath. It was time to put my cards on the table.

"Look, William, I'm not trying to pity you or intrude on your private life for no reason. The truth is, I need your help," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.