The Gang Leader's Girl

24. Oh No.

"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."

- Anaïs Nin

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I sat in my bed later that day, my head was completely blank. I haven't left my room since I got home from school, I've just been staring at the plain walls in my room. After an hour of fighting with Axel, he finally gave up and left when he realized I wasn't going to tell him my newfound discoveries.

Axel wanted me to tell him who I got the information from but if I told him, I knew he would hurt Clayton. I didn't want to see him hurt just because he was the only one who didn't hide the truth from me.

Clayton's words seemed to be pounding in my head, no matter what I did to get them out they stayed stuck in my thoughts. Axel tried to convince me it was best this way, me not knowing Jack-shit about anything, I don't see how being in the dark would protect me. If I just knew what was going on, what perceived danger they were talking about that I needed to be protected from, I would stop fighting them so much.

"If you're not careful and don't connect to the dots that are right here in front of you Mia, it's going to get you killed."

What dots am I not connecting? I tried wrapping my brain around the words he spoke but it just left me feeling more frustrated and hopeless than before.

I never did like mysteries. I was more of an "all the facts out in the open" type of person. I didn't like secrets, which is pretty hypocritical because I am probably the least open person in the universe.

"Mia?" I heard Rylan call from the other side of the door.

I heard him knock softly before jiggling the doorknob that I made sure to lock after Axel left.

"Can we talk, please?" Rylan practically begged.

The sadness in his voice instantly made me feel bad for being so rude to him, I didn't enjoy arguing with him. I found myself pushing the blankets off and reluctantly getting off the bed to unlock the door for Rylan.

"This is a 'no lie' zone." I pointed at him.

"If you lie to me while we are in here, I'll cut your finger off or something." I threatened him, smiling lightly at him.

"No lie zone got it." He repeated letting me know he understood.

"Good," I told him.

Rylan walked over to the desk chair and sat down, spinning left and right slowly. I could tell from the cloudy look in his eyes he had a lot he wanted to get off his chest.

I went back to my original seat on the bed and starred over at Rylan but he was too focused on the floor underneath us to realize. I opened my mouth to say something but the words fell flat leaving me gaping like a fish out of water.

"I'm sorry." Rylan's voice was barely above a whispered.

His eyes were still fixed to the ground, there was a deep frown on his lips and scowl on his face. I watched as he fidgeted with his fingers out of nervousness.