"If I could do one thing in this world, I wish I could give you a collection of moments you felt okay."
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•Kyle•
My eyes scan the pattern on the ceiling while I lay next to Rae in the dark. I reach for my phone so I can check the time. Midnight.
I sit up, realizing I won't be able to fall asleep right now. Rae is sleeping with her back turned to me. The moonlight shining through the thin curtains allows me to notice her relaxed posture and how her body evenly heaves as she breaths in and out. That tells me she's really asleep, not just pretending like she does whenever something is bothering her and she doesn't want me to worry. At nights like those, I had held her close to my chest and stayed up with her, talking nonsense so that I can distract her. But tonight I know she's really asleep.
She was in shock ever since that phone call from the police. It took me hours to calm her down so that she could get some rest. I wanted her to be in a better state-- physically and mentally, when we go to the police station tomorrow morning.
I get up as quietly as I can, and head straight to the living room. I walk to the corner where a large canvas is placed surrounded by paints and small brushes. Rae bought this for my birthday last year. It's the best gift anyone has ever given me.
I believe everyone has some sort of hobby or addiction that helps them escape the dark parts of their reality. Drawing is that escape for me. I can hide behind my sketches and lose myself in it for a while. Everything else kinda fades away. And I need that tonight.
I sit on the chair in front of it and flip the page to the next one, leaving my previous unfinished work for some other time. An empty, white paper stares back at me and I know what I want to draw on it. What I have to draw on it.
About an hour and a half later, I stare at my work expecting it to magically make me feel better. Nothing. I reach out and touch her smiling face, as if she's right in front of me in the flesh. I love drawing Rae. And she's always smiling in my drawings because that's the way I want her to be all the time. Happy and safe from any harm.
But pain and heartache don't seem to stay away from her. Why did this have to happen? She was finally starting over and trying to be happy. She was leaving the past behind her and now it fucking crawled back into her life to torture her.
She doesn't deserve any of this.
My neck makes a cracking sound as I try to move, and I know I can't just sit here any longer. So I go back to our bedroom and lay down beside her. Fortunately, it doesn't take long for me to doze off to sleep.
* * *
Rae is already dressed as I wake up at 7:00 in the morning. She brushes her teeth and ties her hair back before leaving the bathroom to me. I get ready as well while she goes to the kitchen to prepare our breakfast.
But as I walk into the living room, I find her standing still in front of the canvas, two bowls of cereal in her hands. I step closer to her from behind and put my hand on her shoulder.
"When did you..." she trails off, still staring at it.
"I couldn't sleep last night."
She places the bowls on the table and walks closer to the canvas. She looks at it closely before turning back to me. "It's beautiful."
How can it not be when you're the one in it?
"Are you okay?" I ask, noticing the tired look on her face. "We can just stay here if you want. We'll call the police station and let them know we can't make it."
She doesn't give me an answer. She steps closer instead, and leans up to kiss me. Feeling her warm tears brush past my lips, I pull away. I look into her teary eyes and pull her closer to me in a hug. I put my arms around her shoulders and hold her tightly as she starts sobbing.
"I'm so scared," she chocks out. "I don't know what they're gonna say. I have no idea. But I'm so--" Her voice cracks and my heart aches at the sound.
I wait for her to calm down, and she pulls away after a few minutes. "We're going," she says in determination, drying her cheeks with her sleeves. "We have to."
God I love this woman.
* * *
We walk into the office and a young detective stands up from behind his desk. We silently take turns to shake his hand and he gestures for us to take a seat.
"Ms. Prescott?" He asks to confirm her identity even though we already showed our IDs to the woman sitting behind a desk outside of his office, who I'm pretty sure just phoned to let him know that we're coming in.
"Yeah," she says quietly.
"I'm detective Peter Ericson, the one who called you yesterday." He glances at me. "Is he a relative?"
"No, I'm her boyfriend." I tell him but he looks at her so she can confirm it.
Rae nods and nervously waits for him to get to the point.
"Your parents died in a fire accident three years ago, correct?" He continues after she nods. "Like I said over the phone yesterday, we've found leads that are enough to re-open the file and investigate further. We need your help since you're the only witness who personally knew the victims, and have been with them the day of the fire."
She gulps and stares at him for a moment. "Um, what's-- what did you find? What made you believe it was m.. on purpose?"
The detective hesitates for a moment. "Before I tell you that, I want to ask you something important."
"Okay, you can-- ask..." She trips over her words.
"Did your parents have any... enemies or someone who wanted to hurt them?"
"Not that I know of," she quickly answers.
"Think," Detective Ericson tells her.
She glances at me and I try to nod reassuringly as I hold her hand.
Detective Ericson patiently waits for her answer but she keeps quiet. "Maybe one of them had a fight at work... did they mention anything like that to you?"
"I don't..." she speaks after a while. "I really don't remember anything like that."
"It's okay, you can tell us whenever you remember something."
She nods but the distress is still apparent on her face.
"A man came in here three days ago and said he wanted to report something. He gave his testimony regarding the arson case that took your parents' lives." Detective Ericson pauses and hesitates for a moment. "He said some of the cops who investigated the case at the time were bribed by the person who caused the fire - although we can't tell if it was deliberate or not- to cover things up and close the case. We investigated and found out that three of the cops who were involved no longer work here. Two of them have transferred to another city and the other one had quit his job a month after the case was closed."
Rae glances at me, her eyes wide. "That means he's... the man is telling the truth?" She mumbles to herself.
"We can't be sure yet," he says. "We're doing everything we can to find out the truth. Don't worry, Ms. Prescott. Justice will be served no matter what and the person responsible for it will get the punishment they deserve."
I hope he's right. But my real worry is, how much will she have to suffer until then?
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A/N
Hey guys..I wanna apologize for the slow updates. It's my last year in highschool and the big exam's coming up so I have to focus on that. I'll still update asap but it will be slower compared to how often I used to update back when I was writing book 1. Just wanted to say sorry and thank u for your patience and for sticking with this book for all this time. It makes me really happy that you even made it this far.
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Beautiful Mess (Book II)
Romance[Completed] Two scarred lovers trying to leave their past behind them, but it comes back to torture them when they least expect it. The difference is, they won't go through it alone because they have eachother now. They want to lead a happy life tog...
