Keep Your Enemies Closer | a Bars and Melody Story [COMPLETED]

Chapter Eight

"You need to trust him." The sun was rising behind the trees as Leo came and sat besides Charlotte the next morning. They had walked for another hour to find the rundown row of houses on the outskirts of the forest. Their walls were tumbling and some of the rooms were so derelict they didn't dare step inside. There was dust and spiders and old family photos, with faces none of them knew. "I can't." Charlotte finally whispered, she reached for a stick and poked at the fire Charlie had built. "Why?" Leo asked. "Are you seriously asking me that?" Charlotte snapped. A branch snapped behind them and spy training or not, Charlotte jumped. Charlie laughed, he was carrying a pile of wood. "I'm not planning on staying here that long." Charlotte said, pointing to the stash they had built up outside one of the row of houses. Charlie shrugged, "just in case." He sat down on one of the logs opposite her and Leo. "What's going on?" He asked, but Charlotte just folded her arms and asked. "How'd you kill her?" Charlie stared at her, Leo looked like maybe he'd rather be getting interrogated. "Excuse me?" Charlie said, laughing. Charlotte was up and moving towards him in a flash, she had him by the collar. "How'd you kill her?" She hissed through gritted teeth. "I want the real story this time." He glanced at Leo, before saying. "Drugged her." He shrugged. Charlotte let him go, she backed away until she almost stepped in the fire. "No you didn't." She said, looking at Leo. "I know she was bleeding, I saw the blood."

Charlotte backed away from Charlie, she glared at Leo. "I saw the blood, Leo, at your old house." She snapped, not caring who heard her. "Stop lying to me!" She glanced at Charlie. "I saw the blood." She whispered, almost like an afterthought. "I know." Leo said, standing up now and walking towards her. He reached out to touch her but Charlotte pulled away. "What aren't you telling me?" She asked, her voice barely audible, all her fight was gone now. Leo looked down at the ground but didn't utter a single word. "She deserves to know." Charlie said, he stood watching them. "She can't handle it." Leo shot back. "She is here!" Charlotte yelled above them, they both turned and stared at her. It felt like an eternity passed until Leo finally said, "sit down." He gestured to the fallen logs but Charlotte just crossed her arms. "I'm fine where I am, thank you." Charlie smirked, but she didn't have time to deal with him. She was too focused on Leo and the fear in his eyes, he ran a hand through his hair. He looked tired, and scared, and not at all the son of a spy-slash-assassin. "You." He whispered, his voice low and quiet. "What about me?" Charlotte asked, confused. "You killed her." Charlie said, blunt. She stared at him, trying to let the words sink in. "I what?" She asked, stunned. "You killed your mother Charlotte." Charlie said, firmer this time, he left no room for doubt. "I didn't." She snapped, shaking her head. "Leo, he's lying. Tell me he's lying." She stared at him but he just shook his head, his eyes were sad as if he really wished Charlie was lying. "I don't remember." Charlotte admitted. "That's because I erased your memory." Leo said, he turned and began to walk, but kept talking. "I found you with her, she was bleeding and you was a mess. I gave you some tea that would make you forget, I didn't even talk to you about it." Leo shook his head, as if that was the thing he regretted most. "You was exhausted, you fell asleep so I went to bury the body in the woods." Charlotte stared at him. "I saw you burying her, I assumed you'd killed her.." her voice trailed off. "I killed her. I killed my mother." She felt trapped, like she couldn't breathe but she didn't try to run away. "I don't know why you did it, but I'm sure you had your reasons." Leo said. "I killed her, Leo." Charlotte snapped. "I killed her and I didn't even remember it."

The sky was nothing but stars as Charlotte sat alone that night. She heard footsteps but didn't turn around. "Leave me alone." She said, her voice icy cold. "I can't do that." Leo said, his voice calm and steady. He sat besides her on the log, the fire was barley burning in front of them but neither of them bothered to restart it. They sat in silence for a long time, just listening to the sound of nothing until Leo said, "it'll be okay, you know." Charlotte stared at him. "I killed my mother Leo, you can't trust me." Charlotte stood and began to pace. "You don't get it do you?" Leo was up and moving towards her, Charlotte doubted he even realised he was shouting. "I've known you killed her." His voice was softer now. "I've known, all these years I've known and honestly, I don't care." He shrugged and looked away, as if he were admitting a deep and dark secret. "Well, I care Leo." Charlotte said through gritted teeth. "Stop worrying." Leo said, but it just made Charlotte more angry. "Stop worrying?" The shout echoed off the trees, Leo shushed her not wanting Charlie to wake up. "Are you seriously telling me that? I find out that four years ago I killed my mother and I can't even remember and I'm a murderer Leo, I'm a murderer and all you can say is stop worrying?" Leo laughed. "Charlotte, stop worrying." He said it slower this time as he closed the small space between them. "Why should I? This seems like a good time to be worried." She said, but Leo was so close she could barely breathe, barely talk. His breathe was warm on her skin when he smiled and whispered, "You don't look like a killer." Then he kissed her. "What was that for?" Charlotte asked, pulling back. Leo shrugged and looked at the floor, as if he honestly didn't know. Charlotte walked to the log and sat down, she shivered in the cold night air. "Here." Leo said, taking off his jacket and putting it around her shoulders. "We'll find out." He said, his voice sure and steady. He sounded like a true spy then, as he whispered. "We'll slip under the radar for a bit but when we're ready we'll come back." Charlotte nodded. "We'll come back." She couldn't help but wonder what sort of people would be looking for her - the good and the bad. "I promise you, we'll come back and we'll find out what happened."

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I n s t a g r a m: pengmendes

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