Hues in Love (COMPLETE)

XXII.moving on

The next morning, Devon was gone. Genesis thought Devon was around the tavern for all his things are still in the cottage. It was as if he was not gone.

Yet a week has passed, Devon was still nowhere to be found. Sighing, Genesis sat in his lost friend's single bed, his exhausted hazelnut eyes wandering around the chamber.

Squinting his eyes, there he saw a folded paper on top of the dresser, rising from his seat, curious yet frustrated at himself for not seeing the letter knowing he had come here numerous times this week now.

His rough fingertips grazing across the paper, reading Devon's letter, knowing his sloppy handwriting and wrong spellings.

You see, it was Genesis himself who persuaded Devon to be literate, his friend was against it at first, saying it was nothing but a waste of time. However, whenever he gambled, he noticed the exchange of notes among the players, that's when he gave up loathing writing.

I am sorry for how I acted last night. I need to fix myself first.

- D

At the bottom of the paper was the name of the man whom they lost the ranch along with his house.

Genesis knew he had to pay the man for the land, whatever price Devon and that man agreed to.

Sighing, Genesis folded the letter back, tucking it in his pocket thus walking out the cottage after his eyes roamed one last time around for he knew it'll take long before his friend came back.

"Godspeed, my friend," whispered Genesis as he began walking back towards the house where Agatha was waiting for him.

While Agatha was messaging his legs, Genesis told her about the letter he found.

"Devon's out to fix himself," he stated, shrugging.

There was a long pause hence that. Genesis opened his eyes, there he caught a glimpse of Agatha's eyes cast downcast, nibbling her lower lip, looking guilty.

His brows knitted, his index finger automatically caressed her chin, their eyes meeting, "What's wrong?"

It took a few seconds before she could muster a reply. "It's just-just that, it's my fa-fault Devon's go-gone,"

"Oh, sweetheart. 'course not,"

Agatha was about to strike back when he added, "What Devon did, it's absolutely wrong and I know he too knows that as well. At least this time, he had the courage to change it now, to do something about it, who knows, when he comes back, he is now the best version of himself, sweetheart,"

"I'll pra-pray for that to happen, Gen," she mumbled, even as Genesis tucked her hair behind her ear.

That night, all while Agatha was sound asleep inside Genesis' room. Genesis fetched towels for them and woke Agatha up.

Her sapphire eyes half-closed, hair unruly, she mumbled, "Wha-what is it?"

Grinning, he crouched beside her, his hand resting on her arm, "We're going swimming, sweetheart,"

"Swi-swimming in the middle of the night?" She licked her lower lip, battling against her falling eyelids.

"Yes, sweetheart, isn't that exciting?"

With that, off they go to the lake. Two towels were draped across his shoulders, Agatha's hand was just wrapped around his arm.

"I kno-know this may sound stra-strange but never have I tried swimming," she confessed, her eyes shifting from the dark surroundings to the lake a few meters away from them to Genesis who was stunned at first at her confession.