How to Kill a Man in Thirty Seconds

Chapter 66: Unravel

My brain was a whirlwind of thoughts as I slipped quietly out through the front door. The buzz of chatter filled my ears once more and yet, the photograph laying in my pocket felt like a boulder weighing me down.

My mind was racing.

Morgan Walker had been with my father two days before the murder. That fell perfectly within the time frame in which he was poisoned.

It was as I was slipping out the gates, heart racing that I turned back to take one last glance. A makeshift stage had been set up in the garden and Caroline was standing atop it before her cake, knife clutched tightly in her hands. Her lips formed a smile reminiscent of a clown's as the crowd burst into song.

Her father stood beside her and he was watching the crowd, but not really seeing it, his beady blue eyes empty and unfocused. Inattentive.

"Adrian!" I called, banging on his front door, "We need to talk!"

Silence. I hadn't heard from him in weeks.

"Adrian?"

Just as I was about to dial his number, the front door opened with a start. Adrian's tall figure loomed over me suddenly, to my surprise, looking disgruntled and annoyed.

"What is it, Charley?"

Guilt rushed me. I knew I had been ignoring him, knowing fully he didn't deserve the unkindness.

"Uh... Bad time?"

"I said, 'What is it'." Adrian's face was cold. Indifferent.

My heart sank, "I found out something about the murder. Something-"

"No, Charley."

I grabbed his hand, squeezed it pleadingly, "Adrian-."

"I think we should stop this."

I blinked, "Stop what?"

"This. Us. Whatever you want to call it. We should end it."

I stared. Shock and confusion filled me, leaving me bereft of words, "I know I pushed you away, Adrian. I'm sorry, okay? I truly am. But I just need you to hear me out right now."

His face remained hostile and distrusting. I had hurt him more than I had realized.

"Did something happen, Adrian?"

He was silent for a moment, before he gave up. The anger drained out of him.

Adrian sighed, and I didn't miss how his eyes dimmed, "Nothing. Nothing happened, Charley. I've just been thinking these last few weeks. I pushed you to keep investigating. Whenever we're together, we make bad decisions. We need space. Lots of it."

"Space?!" I cried incredulously, "We've barely spoken for weeks. What more?"

"We rushed into this too fast, Charley," Adrian said, gaze dropping. When it met mine again, the green orbs were filled with regret. His voice softened, as if that could somehow lessen the blow he was about to deliver, "I wasn't ready for what happened that night. I think, deep down, neither were you. My nightmares have been worse ever since. We need space, Charley. It's best for both of us."

I swallowed disappointedly, unable to mask the hurt that clawed at my chest or the bitter regret that burned within me, "So that's it, Adrian? We're done?"

Adrian nodded, eyes dim and unhappy, wracked with guilt.

This couldn't be happening.

I stepped abruptly away, shocked. Taken aback.