Insane - Who Are You To Judge? (Gripping Psychological Thriller)

Chapter 46 - Avery

January 2010

I clicked the door shut as gently as possible, so that I didn't wake Julian at that hour. After I had taken off my shoes and placed my black trench coat on its allocated hanger, ready to go back upstairs in the wardrobe, I caught sight of him sitting on the sofa, rocking back and forth with his head in his hands.

I was thrown by his presence but I tried to act normal. "What are you doing up so late?"

He didn't answer me. He merely continued to rock. The door to the outside was shut but suddenly the air in the room was sharp and unsettling.

Finally, with a fragile, shaky voice he asked, "Who are you?"

I approached him and as I did his eyes widened and he shuffled to the other side of the sofa. "What's wrong, babe? You're acting weird."

He wouldn't look me in the eye, instead they were fixed on my collarbone and didn't stray. "I followed you," he declared. "I knew you were hiding something and I was getting suspicious. I thought maybe you were cheating, so I followed you."

"Babe," I said again, shaking my grown-out fringe from my eyes and grabbing his hand before he could pull away, now understanding what had him so rattled. "It's okay. Calm down, you just need to get some rest and we can talk about this in the morning." Although my voice was calm, my heart certainly wasn't. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid and sloppy. How did I not notice him following me? I'd never been in this situation before and I had no idea what he was going to do. I thought that maybe if I acted like it was normal, he would take it better.

It didn't work. "No it's not okay!" he exclaimed, staring at me as though he didn't even recognise me. "I saw you kill people, Avery! What about that is okay?" He then paused and stared down at the carpet. When he finally lifted his head back up he asked, "Were there others?"

I sighed and opened my mouth but he stole my words.

"You have, haven't you?" Julian was frightened by his own words. "Have there been a lot? Gosh, the way you did it..."

I decided to keep my mouth sealed shut and let him process what he had just seen before I said anything – so that I could gauge the situation I had on my hands.

Julian went back to staring at the floor. His emerald eyes were no longer the vibrant ones I was hypnotised by, but a dulled murky pigment. I could see him recalling his memories from tonight as horror flashed across his face.

Suddenly he gasped and backed up further into the sofa. "You're them. You're the Grimm Reaper."

There was no need for me to confirm it, he had already drawn his conclusion. Now all I could do was try and minimalize the damage.

"Look," I finally began after staying silent for so long. "I understand that you're in shock and I understand why you're frightened, but nothing has to change. I'm still me. Let's just forget about this, okay?"

"Forget about this? Are you kidding?"

I knew it was a long shot but I had to try.

"I've got to call the police," he declared as he reached for his phone. I grabbed his wrist and held it tightly in my grasp.

My eyes were now harsh and I tightened my jaw. I'd tried the nice route and it didn't work, so it was time to resort to my natural instinct.

"You're not going to call anyone," I told him with a low, husky voice. "Let's not forget your own illegal activities. Is it really worth going to prison for? Come on, don't pretend you're a good guy. Don't pretend you care about those people. If you did you wouldn't be stealing from some new stranger every week, would you?" I loosened my grip and moved towards him. "You care about me. You don't want to ruin what we have, do you? It's not like I'm some entirely new person, you've always known I've had a dark side."

I cupped his chin and stroked the bristles there. "You don't have to be scared of me." I smiled, like I was some sweet little child. "How about we go upstairs and get some rest. I'll tell you whatever you want to know tomorrow, okay?"

Julian was hesitant and cautious, but after gulping down his distress, he nodded and relaxed his posture. I pulled him towards me and touched my lips to his. He was still reluctant and he didn't move his mouth to fit mine, but I wasn't too worried.

I knew he'd come around. It's something I noticed about him from the first day he stole my taxi. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he was just as bad as me.