The One Who Didn't Die

7.2 His Truth

Edited

We were outside my hotel room door and he leaned against the adjacent wall as I pulled the key card out of my bag and got the door opened, he hadn't arrived empty handed.

"I thought I was only seeing you tomorrow." I said after he closed the door from inside.

"This couldn't wait, I couldn't wait any longer." He said sitting on the couch closest to the door.

"What is it that couldn't wait 24 hours?" I asked leaning against the window pane, facing him. "And warranted a trip to LA?" I asked standing up on my own.

"I know. I know what you've been doing for the last two months." He said throwing a folder onto the bed. I walked over and opened it to find some of the earlier info collected on Daphne.

"How long have you known without telling me?" I asked taken a back.

"Since the night before you went on tour." He said. He stood up and I sat on the bed instead. "I think you should stop, whatever it is that you're doing." Daryl voiced his opinion.

"I'm not about to quit after I've basically just started." I said with a look of distain.

"I don't see this ending well for you, the fact that you're keeping whatever this means, a secret cannot possibly be good." He said putting his hands my shoulders.

"Well then it's good that you don't make my decisions." I said shrugging his hands off. I remembered that had said very similar words to him when I wanted to leave for St. Augustine.

"Are you even aware of the decisions you're making?" He asked stepping back.

"Yes, yes I am." I said sternly. "I wanted to tell you but this is why I didn't. You already made up your mind about how this will end, and I know what I'm doing, I know why I'm doing it too, so I'm okay." I said digging into his eyes. "You don't have to worry anyway, you're not the lucky untold one, and no one knows that I think Daphne was murdered." I said after he had broken eye contact.

"What?" His head shot back in my direction. "You want to believe she was murdered?" He asked, confusion engraved on his face. "I knew this had hit you hard but that's a little farfetched." He said looking particularly confused.

"I don't expect anything from you right now." I said shrugging. "I don't even care whether or not you find this legitimate because you clearly don't actually know what you claim to. I'm going to carry on looking for what I'm looking for." I said with body language devoid of emotion.

"Closure?" He asked folding his arms. I could not help but laugh. "Looking into this is not going to bring Daphne back." He said before adding, "People can love you but still leave you, they can do things you don't understand." He said crouching down in front of me. I shook my head.

"Oh my goodness! I know she's not coming back but I also know that she didn't do anything and how dare you talk to me about that, I'm really getting over this whole Daryl knows more than me about my dead sister thing you have going on. I'm someone you love and I'm doing something you don't understand." I said. My breathing rate and heartbeat had increased a while ago but I only noticed them now.

"Fair enough but what I do understand is that you're not in a good place, your judgement is clouded and you're acting pretty irrationally." He said calmly.

"Oh so what, now I am not emotionally stable? Thank you for the enlightenment wise Daryl." I asked getting angrier as I spoke but simultaneously entertained by his observation. "But so far I've done alright thank you." I said crossing my arms. He stood up and walked toward the wall opposite to the bed.