Clandestine | 18+

43~ A voice that hurts

Sour Times - Portishead
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"Vulnerability is never a weakness, there is strength in showing yourself to the one you love, and never losing who you are in them."
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Estelle Adler Camelli

"How are you?" My father asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.

It was uncomfortable , to say the least , being this vulnerable. Even if it was in front of my own father.

"I'm fine, dad." I responded with an annoyed breath, and he drew his lips in a thin line as if in thought.

While my dad was lost in his world, Pierce was leaning on the wall in front of us, having a very good look on the scene .

Then my father slowly opened his mouth, and closed it again. Carefully, then his gaze fell on me.

"Pierce told me what happened , but I want to hear it from you."

Oh shit . We did not discuss this.

My poker face kept me alive for years, but I couldn't promise the same while in this state. But even though, I stayed strong.

My face didn't move a muscle.

"Estelle cannot talk a lot, Enzo . Your best bet is to trust me on my word. Ask her questions that she can only answer with one word." Relief washed through me.

"Alright, if that's how you want to play it." He fixed his glasses, bringing them closer to the bridge of his nose. "Look me in the eye Estelle. Did what happen with you have anything to do with your sister?" His eyes were piercing mine.

What would Pierce tell him? My injury isn't one to lie and say I was careless. He could have very well tied this to my sister, and bluffed that he was the one to save me.

And I didn't think my father would try and catch me in a lie on his first question.

"Yes." I responded with a nod, tilting my head right to urge him to keep going.

"Were they people who were involved in her capture?"

If I say yes, I indicate I spoke with whoever put a knife in me more than a second. And I suspected this questioning wasn't about who put the knife in me, it was why and what I was hiding.

"Don't know." I said with a smile, but even though it hurt a bit less to talk, didn't mean this situation wasn't draining me out too.

His eyes were searching my face for an indicator of a lie. A glint of something was in his eyes, but I couldn't figure out what.

He fixed his position by the bed and shifted a little bit closer, taking my hand which I had over the blanket. He grasped it.

"You know, you always acted as if you had no poker face. Tell me why I can't read you right now?"

"That is not a yes or no question, Enzo." Pierce slowly said, and it came as a threat.

My father turned his head in his direction with the same slow speed he spoke.

"Do you think you have the right to talk to me, your wife's father, this way? And in that tone, which implies for me to back the hell off?" Now my father's voice turned in a threat.

Pierce to this only put his hands in his jeans front pockets.

"Yes. That's exactly right. And if I hear you press her at this state one more time, I'm going to start suspecting you are not here for her health, after all."