Fighting Love

Chapter Eighteen★

Numb becomes a heart that's been strong for too long

TRISA'S POV

Marlon threw the bedroom door open, startling Troy and I. He stood in the doorway, scratching his head awkwardly. "Uh, guys, I don't mean to interrupt, but," He cleared his throat, "There's another box at the door."

"What?" How did he know about the first box? I was sure I didn't tell them yet. "How do you know about the first box?" I asked.

Marlon looked taken aback by my question. "We were kind of sorta there?" He scratched the back of his head again and stared at Troy.

"Fluff, stop looking at us like that, we only saw some guy leaving the box at the door and you came out and picked it up."

"I don't believe you. He was wearing the same clothes as you, Troy." It puzzled me how he know the nickname my dad gave me, though. "How did you even get here so quickly? were you following me around?" I stood in the space between the bed and the doorway now, glancing back and forth at the two of them. They sent the note; I knew it.

"Fluff, relax. I borrowed mom's jet, and I got your address from the admin department." 

I stepped back when he stalked nearer to me. He cornered me against the wall beside the door. "It's just a stupid note anyway, babe. I didn't send it, I swear." Troy rested his forehead on mine.

"Hey, we'll figure it out together, ok." Marlon said while he patted my shoulder.

I nodded. 

"Fluff, I got you, okay? I can't imagine how you feel right now and I know this is hard for you. That's why I flew all this way to be the shoulder you can lean on." He left a warm kiss on my forehead. "I got you, babe."

He was such an idiot, but I couldn't say I didn't love it. A smile crossed my face like a hologram. There was an intense pain in my chest and I couldn't fight the tears that came with it. I sobbed into Troy's chest. "They're all gone. Being here makes it so real, and I can't handle it." I cried. It was true, I couldn't lay in bed without reliving all the moments my brother and I shared playing pillow fights. I remembered how my mom would make up stories about Jessica and me marrying off to handsome rich guys. All I had left of that were memories and ashes. It was too much for me. "I am just one person; I don't deserve all of this. "I wiped my eyes with Troy's shirt. "I have to go to the police station." I said.

Troy and Marlon followed me out of the room. "Fluff, you're not going alone."

"Okay." It was no use pretending to be tough around him anymore. He saw beneath my mask. Every time I tried to hide how I felt, he saw right through it. I hated how he saw right through all the walls I worked so hard to build around myself. But it did feel good that I didn't always have to say the words out loud because he would still hear them.

Troy and I drove to the station while Marlon stayed at the house. The police told us what happened. Everyone got burned to ashes, even persons in other vehicles were hurt. It wasn't just my family, someone else lost someone they love too, but they didn't lose everyone. The report said the fire was intentional, and the case was a murder-suicide. They found that the owner reported the truck stolen days before, but they didn't know who the drive was. He fled the scene. I didn't care whether the found him because it couldn't bring back all that was ripped away from me. 

"If we find any additional information, we will call you, Miss Morgan." The officer said as we were about to leave.

"Please don't," I plead, "I can't handle it."

"Oh, no problem, and again I'm sorry for your loss."

"Doesn't bring them back though," I mumbled as we walked out.