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Chapter 91: _ Why’d He Come?
"Look," I began, trying a calmer approach. "Maybe you should just go to your meeting. We can talk about this later when you’ve had a chance to clear your head."
Rhett ignored me. He did not cast me not even a single glance. His brow only furrowed in concentration as he continued writing. Finally, he slammed the notepad shut with a force that made me flinch.
"Thank you for your time, Isleen," he said abruptly, his voice completely devoid of any emotion as though he wasn’t the one who was about to kiss me earlier.
Before I could respond, he turned and strode out of the room, his long legs eating up the distance in a few powerful steps.
Geez, that man...
I watched him go, my mind reeling.
What on earth had just happened? And why did I have a strange feeling that Gamma Rhett knew what he was doing asking about Liam like that?
Lupe, who had been watching the exchange with curiosity and concern, finally spoke. "Isleen, what was that all about?" she asked softly.
I shook my head, feeling utterly lost. "I... I have no idea," I admitted. Looking at Liam, who was staring intently at the door Rhett had disappeared through, I added, "I guess he’s making sure we’re all okay."
Was he?
I sank down beside Lupe, offering her a comforting smile. "Forget about Gamma Rhett for now," I murmured. "Let’s talk about you. How are you holding up?"
Lupe sniffled and I saw that her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. "I’ve been better," she mumbled back.
Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. "You’ll be okay, Lupe. You’re not alone. I’m here for you."
She squeezed me back weakly, her body trembling slightly. "Oh, Isleen. I– I don’t know what..." She couldn’t finish as a sob escaped her lips, and tears began to stain her cheeks again.
My heart sank watching her like that. I feared I might start to cry too. I really didn’t know how to watch people suffer without sharing in their sadness. Surprisingly, Liam scooted closer and his small hand reached up to wipe away Lupe’s tears.
"Don’t cry, Lupe," he whispered gently. "We’ll miss her too, but crying won’t bring her back."
Ugh?
We will miss her too?
Oh please, Liam, speak for yourself. Lupe’s mum’s death must have been sad but the woman was a pain in the ass. I was sure Liam didn’t know what he was saying for saying she would be missed.
He barely even knew her too.
Just then, a soldier approached us with a grim face. "We need to secure the scene, ma’am," he addressed Lupe respectfully. "Would you and the others please step outside?"
Lupe’s grip on me tightened. "No!" she cried, vigorously shaking her head. "I want to stay here. This is my house, my mother’s scent is here– you can’t take that away from me!"
Argh. Lupe was overreacting but it was justified.
The soldier flinched, clearly taken aback by her outburst. "We understand your grief, ma’am," he said placatingly. "But we need to conduct a thorough investigation. As soon as we’re finished securing the crime scene, you’ll be free to return to your house."
Lupe shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No! I don’t want to leave! This is where she was— this is where everything feels... real."
My heart ached for her. This poor girl was drowning in grief, and here we were, forcing her to relive the trauma. Taking a deep breath, I intervened.
"Lupe, honey," I said gently, cupping her face and forcing her to meet my gaze. "It’s okay. You don’t have to stay here. Come and stay at my place. We’ll all be together. You, me, and Liam, okay?"
Lupe looked at me for a moment, probably bargaining if she wanted to be with us or not. And then, I saw understanding filtering through her face. Finally, she nodded, wiping her nose on the back of her hand.
"Okay."
The soldier sent me a grateful smile. Thank you for that," he said, relieved. "It can be hard dealing with grief in the midst of an investigation."
The pack’s soldiers were just very compassionate. I liked that for them. Gamma Rhett was leading them well.
We all stood to leave and Just as we were about to step out of the room, the door swung open. In came a familiar figure. Kylo stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight in front of him. His gaze landed on me first and I swallowed. Then, it flickered to Lupe and Liam, then back to me.
The thing was... his expression was unreadable.
Oh, Kylo. Why’d you come here now?
I was not ready for him yet. Guilt began to war inside of me. I had ignored his phone calls. What excuses would I give to him now?
The breakup we had suddenly felt like it was a lifetime ago. He began to move toward us but Liam gave him no chance to move closer as he ran joyfully to him.
"Kylo!" He squeaked and jumped into Kylo’s arm.
Kylo caught him just right in time. Look at Liam, young, and worry less. He had probably forgotten the grief in the air and was just genuinely happy to see Kylo.
Kylo stood frozen for a moment, his surprise presently overtaken by the sight of Liam barreling towards him. A smile played on his lips as he effortlessly caught the boy in a hug, burying his face in Liam’s soft hair.
"Woah there, little buddy," Kylo chuckled, his voice warm and calming. "Did you miss me?"
"Lots!" Liam exclaimed, his face buried in Kylo’s chest. "Where have you been?"
The question went unanswered.
Kylo glanced at me as though I was the one capable of answering it. My stomach clenched with guilt. I hadn’t spoken to Kylo since the fight, and had ignored his calls in a pathetic attempt to avoid the inevitable.
He was here regardless, wasn’t he?
Could I possibly run from reality? Could I?
–
[A/N]
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