Killer Love

Chapter 8 "Half of the truth"

We received a tour around the campus of the university and got assigned to our bedrooms.  I got room 207 from the east wing. The counselor explained that I will be sleeping alone for my father requested it on my behalf. I was kind of relief for I needed my space to cry myself to sleep for the next days. I opened the door and turned on the lights. It was a pretty big room, one queen bed a white drawer, white desk and a closet that had a sliding door mirror.  I walked in and threw myself on the bed. Did I make the right decision to abandoned Adriane and the house?  For one Gabriel was the one begging me to leave the house but with Francis but little did he know Francis will turn out to be their accomplices.  My heart sank at the thought of Francis. I loved him… he made me go crazy over him in such a short amount of time. I stood up and decided to begin unpacking. I looked at my wrist watch and it was 1:30 pm the counselor said that we will be having lunch around two sharp and dinner at six. I wasn’t in the mood for lunch. My heart and mind where somewhere else in Virginia but I forced myself to go to socialize.  When I arrived to the big cafeteria I was mesmerized of how full it was. There were a lot of freshman’s this year I thought. Though who knows if it’s always like this every August for this is my first time on college. “Hello” a squeaky voice said from behind I turned around and it was Velma the long lost best friend of Emily! “Hi” I said awkwardly she hasn’t changed a bit. Short hair dyed brown with blonde highlights, had plumped-cheeks with some freckles on it, short about 5’2 and just the same old. “I know it must be awkward talking to me but I couldn’t help but to talk to you! How you’ve been?” she said with a cheery smile. “Good” I said, I couldn’t believe the coincidence. “I’m glad… how’s… Emily?” she said looking at the floor ashamed. “Good. You don’t have to be ashamed with me Velma… Love is love.” I said trying to ease the tension between us. She smiled at me and behind her came Peter. He too hasn’t changed a bit dark skinned, very tall around 6 feet. He placed his hand around Velma’s shoulder. “Hey Coral!  What are you doing here?” he gave me a warm smile. “Good and I can see you two are doing great!” I said smiling. I was glad to see familiar faces here. “Would you like to have lunch with us?” Peter said as he looked at Velma “We really want to talk to you!” Velma looked at Peter and said “Peter forget it, I don’t think is fair.” He looked at her serious “Of course it is, she needs to know the truth so we can finally live in peace without people talking back there in Raphine.”  I agreed to have dinner with them for I needed to find out what was happening.  We sat and everything was quiet at first but Peter broke the silence.  “Look” he said looking straight at me then at Velma “The truth is we all know you guys think I cheated on Emily but the truth is it was nothing like that. When I first met Emily I will not deny that I thought he was beautiful but that’s it. The one that actually called my attention was Velma.” Velma smiled shyly and he kissed her on the cheek. “The truth is Emily said she was engaged to me for she needed a way to stop her father from pressuring her to marry this Dante guy, the one she’s married now for he did something terrible to her…” I looked at him confused and asked “What did he do?” Peter lowered his head and Velma began to talk “We don’t quite know” she pressed Peter’s hand and I could tell they were hiding something.  “All we know she did not wanted to marry for that mysterious terrible thing. So Peter and I agreed to play along. She told us it would be for a while but that while turned in to months. We were tired Coral on hiding our love and Emily wanted to convince Peter that I would be better if he married her but it was simply not an option. Peter loved me and I loved him and we couldn’t hide it anymore. So we came here to Richmond to study and to hide from Emily for a while. When we returned we learned that she told everybody including her family that we where the traitors and that I snatched Peter from her.” Velma began to cry and Peter hugged her with his strong hands.  She seemed to be telling the truth and knowing my sister Emily she would be capable of that and more. “I believe you” I said sincerely. “I’ve learned so much about my family that this just doesn’t surprise me.” They asked me about what I discover but I couldn’t tell them. It was my dark secret and it was my duty to keep it. That night I didn’t go to dinner. I grabbed a couple of sodas and snacks from lunch and the vending machines and took them to my room. I wanted to be alone and I was tired. I hear on knock on my door so I put on my silk pink robe on and opened it. It was Francis! “What are you doing here?” I whispered. “Aren’t you going to let me it?” He said “No I will not, go away!” I said “Well I am not leaving here until you talk to me.” He grabbed me and kissed me. My heart felt like it was going to burst out and I heard a noise from far away. I opened my eyes and it was all a dream. I ran in to the door because the noise that woke me up was the counselor knocking. “Sorry to bother you Ms. Millington I just wanted to check if you where okay and to give you, your schedule.  “Thank you” I said and said my good nights and sat on my bed to stare at the schedule but my head was in the dream.  What could Francis be doing right now? Is he on Rachel’s arm or is he in danger? I tried to shake all my questions away and tried to think on something else. What could be that secret that Emily is holding against Dante?  What was that terrible thing he did? Why did father pressure her in to marrying him? God knows what secret does my family hide?