The Arrangement

Chapter Fifty-Five

With Henley and Carter having disappeared for the majority of the day I gathered they'd either kissed and made up or killed each other.

Ashton went off straight after our chat and hasn't been back since so for the majority of the day it's been me and Lennox sitting in silence whilst we watch Netflix.

It's been peaceful and calm but there's no denying the silence is tense.

Henley and Ashton have tried to apologise so many times already. Carter has just been an ass which is fully expected but with Lennox it's strange.

He hasn't mentioned what happened yesterday, hasn't brought up my dad. He's just existed in the same space as me and it's a weird feeling.

I'm barely paying attention as we watch Shawshank Redemption, my focus way more fixed onto the silence and the way it seems to intensify everything.

"You're not bothered about the fact neither of them have come down" I say, referring to Carter and Henley.

He doesn't pull his gaze away from the TV when he replies. "No, why would I be?"

"I don't know" I admit with a shrug even though he's not looking at me. "I guess I just thought with how close you and Henley are you'd... I don't know... you'd be a little pissed he's been with Carter all day"

Only now does he turn his attention to me. He takes a moment, seeming to consider his response. "Honestly?" He asks his gaze meeting mine.

I nod urging him to go on.

He leans back into the couch, his eyes still fixed on mine, as if trying to gauge my reaction as he speaks. "We've been in this for a long time Blair, sharing your relationship with others isn't something you randomly decide to do overnight and believe it or not, it never used to be like this." He sighs and leans back, "we all worked really well together. There was a time when everything just clicked, when being around each other felt effortless and right."

I cut in, unable to hold back my thoughts. "Until you didn't," I say, the words coming out sharper than I intended.

He laughs but there's no real humour in it, his expression serious as he goes on. "You're right" he admits, his tone somber. "But it's the way it is now because there's love and care between all of us. When you leave you can walk away easily leaving it all behind. It won't be the same for any of us"

"Do you think things can ever go back to how they were for you?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lennox takes a moment to respond, his eyes searching mine as if trying to convey something words alone cannot. "I don't know," he finally says, his honesty both comforting and unsettling. "But I believe that if we can find a way to communicate better, to really listen to each other, there's a chance. It might not be the same as before, but maybe it can be something new, something just as good."

There's a tense moment whilst the weight of his words sink in and I find myself shifting a little.

"Look I know you're angry with us" he says and I'm about to point out that I have every right to be but he beats me to it. "And you have every right to be after what we did, but all I'm asking is you take these next two weeks to see it from our perspective, see why we might have acted the way we did even though we were wrong to"

I let his words sink in, the request he's making. It's not an easy one, asking me to put aside my hurt long enough to understand theirs.

"What so you want me to just put aside what happened and forgive you?" I scoff shaking my head.

"That's not what I'm saying Blair."

"So what are you saying?" I ask my tone a little harsh.

Lennox takes a deep breath, clearly trying to find the right words. His gaze is steady, and there's a sincerity in his expression that makes me pause, despite my anger.

"I'm not asking you to just forget what happened or to forgive us overnight," he begins, his voice calm but earnest. "I know that's not realistic, and it wouldn't be fair to you. What I'm asking is for a chance to explain, for you to see things from our perspective. Not to justify what we did, but to give you context, to help you understand the reasons behind our actions."

"I already know why" I hiss, "because of what Jamie did but it's still not a good enough reason to lock someone up Lennox"

Lennox flinches slightly at my words, but he holds his ground. It's clear this isn't easy for him either. He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture I've seen him do countless times when he's trying to gather his thoughts.

"Blair, I know it sounds terrible, and it was," he admits, his voice tinged with regret. "Locking you up was never the solution, and looking back, I can see just how wrong it was. But when Jamie did what she did, it shook us all. It felt like everything we knew was suddenly uncertain, and fear took over."

I narrow my eyes, not entirely convinced. "So you thought locking me up was the best option?"

"No," Lennox replies quickly, his eyes pleading for understanding. "It was a desperate measure, one made in the heat of the moment. We thought it was the only way to protect everyone, including you. We panicked, and in that panic, we made a choice that we thought was right."

He pauses, gauging my reaction, then continues. "I'm not saying this to excuse what we did, Blair. There's no excuse for taking away someone's freedom like that. But I need you to understand that it wasn't done out of malice. It was fear, pure and simple. Fear makes people do irrational things."

"Why didn't you just talk to me? There's four of you and one of me" I ask, my voice softer now, though still laced with hurt.

"We should have," Lennox admits, nodding. "And that's on us."

I let out a slow breath, processing his words. This doesn't erase what happened, but it does offer a glimpse into their mindset, into the chaos and fear that drove them to make such a drastic decision. It doesn't make it right, but it makes it human.

"Two weeks," I say finally, meeting his gaze. "I'll give you two weeks. I don't promise anything beyond that."

Lennox nods, relief washing over his features. "That's all I'm asking for. Thank you, Blair."