Lines

Chapter 26

Connor POV

He put his head down and rubbed the back of his neck. Though he was now facing the ground, I could see the embarrassment in his features.

"So...how much of that did you hear?" he asked nervously.

"Do you want the truth or do you want me to lie?" I asked, followed by a light chuckle, in attempt to lighten up the mood.

He returned his glance to me with a serious expression and I threw my hands up in surrender.

"Okay okay" I started. "I heard pretty much all of it. "You may not know this, but through this short time that I've known you, I've gotten to know a lot about you, things that you may not have even realized."

His face had suddenly become much more interested and I could tell that he was eager to hear everything that I had to say. Since now was technically "later", I figured this was as good a time as any to have our talk.

"I actually pay attention and listen to you; the things you say, the things you do, the way you behave in certain situations. When I first got to the hospital and you pushed me back out the way you did, I already expected something was up.

"What other reason would you have had to do that besides if you were something that you know I'd be mad about if I found out?"

His face, once again, carried that look of embarrassment as he put his head down, playing with his fingers. I lifted his head with my fingers so that we were making eye contact again and smiled so that he knew I wasn't mad.

Of course I felt kind of played that had even happened at all, but I wasn't going to sit there acting like I wasn't hiding a secret that was just as big and one that had put his life at risk.

"I only asked you about it to see what you would have said, to see if you'd lie to me. You did, and I was upset at the moment, but then I realized that I'd been holding back a few secrets myself." I began to get nervous myself as I continued.

"You see, I had been planning to talk to you about it later that day following the apology. I didn't expect that we'd be having our conversation, right here and now, especially under these circumstances."

I pulled out the apology letter that I had written him, having shoved it in my pocket after seeing it on the ground by the hospital. "I want you to read this aloud for me."

He was hesitant at first, but he eventually grabbed the paper out of my hand. He looked down at the paper and then up at my once more. I sent a reassuring nod and he began.

"You deserve the world
And that world includes the truth
But all I told were lies
And for that, I apologize to you

I see a future with you
But my lies stand in the way
So here goes the truth
I hope you choose to stay." With the conclusion of his words and the poem, I began to speak again.

"The truth is, I was at the hospital to visit WT, Will as you probably know him. Will works, worked, I don't really know anymore, here for me at this warehouse. You probably know by now that this warehouse isn't just for the shipment of clothes."

I led him inside the warehouse and over to a few crates that were near the entrance, lifting off one of the lids and exposing its contents.

"It all started when my parents died. I was old enough to understand what had happened, but was still just a little boy. My sister and I", I pointed to Adeline's body on the ground behind me, "were put into the foster care system.

"When I turned 18, I was put out of the system and stayed with one of my boys from high school for a bit. We didn't really get along too well and I just didn't want to have to depend on anyone in general, so I found a way to make some quick and easy money.