Two Truths and a Liar

XXIV • The fallen

Harley

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My mind, as always, was battling itself.

The door had just snapped shut behind our cold host the first time, breathing a painful echo of the sound to bounce through the room until uncomfortable silence swallowed it whole. A side of my head was shying away, wincingly, the memory of that all consuming monster breaking all the barriers that caged my fears, reminding me of my close call. The other side was glancing ever so often at the other presence in the room, whose saddened gaze spilled shame onto the floor and seemed to beg forgiveness without saying a word, two scared of my looming grudge. Desperately looking over and half opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something but words failed him every time.

I blinked at the plaster wall feeling a hazy weight over my eyelids. Who knew, through all his reputation, I'd find out how he really was.

Childish.

And yet, just hours ago, I had feared him with everything in me.

My chest caught, and a shaky voice cut the silence.

"I'm so-"

"Save it,"

We looked at eachother, him blinking, myself not. Opening and closing his mouth he tried to recover for a split second, floundering, searching again for the right words to say. He couldn't find any, it seemed.

"You couldn't do anything, yeah? Just forget it ever happened."

"I can't just…" He lowered his eyebrows in confusion. "That was awful, you guys could have died- you could have died or I could've hurt someone, I-"

"Why do you care so much, all of a sudden?"

A pause. He fumbled with the bedsheet absentmindedly, only reaching up to flick a string of hair glowing inside out from a distant window's light.

"What?"

"You care about people other than yourself, now, why?"

"I don't think I ever didn't care,"

His voice carried a whine almost, like a toddler trying to convince his parents he didn't do something that he obviously had. I almost smiled. "I mean…"

"Well, something changed," 

It was obvious. And it didn't make sense.

"I got cursed," Leon stared at his hands and sighed. "Then ditched, and then I met you and I kinda blamed you at first cause I didn't really know what was happening to me… But I realized it doesn't have anything to do with you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for dragging you into all this,"

My gaze hit the floor, not finding the willpower to say anything. But I could feel him searching for an answer.

"I know I almost hurt you but It won't happen again,"

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the flashbacks sending electric shocks singeing my thoughts.

"Christ," A dry laugh found its way out from my mouth, and reaching head to the ceiling I pressed my palms into my eyes, The strain of my eyes holding on even after they were closed. "You sound just like my dad,"

The air was stiff. Through the cracks between my fingers I watched him melt in pity, sadness, whatever it was that was going on inside his head splintering the surface of his skin.

He knew.

I tried to bury it away, but there was nothing left to hide anymore. My jacket sleeve had a tear from the running, caught onto a candle stand bolted to the wall and split through. It slipped when I raised my arms, sliding over scars and only hidden again when I pulled it up, frantically, from his prying look.