Leticia (42 page)

“Yeah you’re
right;
the stories are too similar... unless... everyone has been telling the truth.”

“I doubt that highly. At the minute though, I’m more pissed about the wire than anything.”

“Why were they
wearing it
?
” Tristan asked
.
“I wonder if they let us capture them purposely?”

“Why would they do that?” I frowned
.

“To get some insight into us. So that we would be so preoccupied with questioning them that we would drop our guard.”

“I doubt it, nobody attacked did they?”

“True. But there had to be a reason for it.”

“I agree, but since I killed David and you mangled up Tom, I doubt we’ll ever find out.”

“True.”

“Tom had a daughter by the way; she’s only five years old. She will never know what happened her father...”

“Tish you can’t think like that. He was trying to escape, he would have gone straight back to the rest of these
lowli
f
es
and...”

“No, you see I don’t believe that. I’m sorry Tristan but not everyone in the group is heartless and addicted to the blood. This guy lost everything, his daughter, his job, his home... he just wanted money to be able to get back on the straight and narrow...”

“Tish...”

“Did you know that whoever this evil son of a bitch is, threatened to kill his daughter if he didn’t continue to hunt me. So d’you
know
what? I don’t blame him for doing it. He wasn’t thinking about
his own
safety, he was looking out for his baby.
.. and she’ll never know.
”

“I don’t think that's necessarily a bad thing,” Nancy commented. “I mean about his daughter not knowing. If I found out my father, had I
actually
cared for him of course, was hunting some woman and trying to kill her to save me... I wouldn’t be happy.”

“I understand that, but also think on this; she’ll never know where he went, why he went, she’ll wonder if it was her fault... if he even loved her. That is so upsetting.”

“I know. But there’s nothing we can do about it, not now.”

“Yeah, I know.”

They both turned silent, so
I decided to
find Jackson
.
However, when I left the room I bumped into Luke.

“I was looking for you,” he tried to smile. “Can we go for a walk, even if it
’s
just for half an hour?”

“Erm, yeah,
OK
.”

I let Tristan and Nancy know we were going out, just so they didn’t panic when they
realize
d we were no longer in the house. Then
we
headed into the fields behind the property.

“Are you
OK
?” I asked him.

“Yes and no, to be honest I feel strange, I don’t know how else to describe it. But I think I need to stop being on my own so much now. I need to mingle and try and get my personality back.”

“I think that would do you the world of good.”

“Would you come out with me?”

“Where?”

“I don’t know
.
We
could go for a
meal
or to a pub one night if you like? We could go tonight if you’re not busy.”

“Luke you know I can’t do things like that with you. I’m with Jackson, I won’t betray him.”

“So leave him, you haven’t known him very long, you’ve not been a couple...”

“I won’t do that, I’m sorry. He’s in my heart and I care for him so much, I
love being around him and he cares about me...”

“So do I!” he shouted. “Doesn’t that matter to
you?
”

“Of course it does, but...”

“He doesn’t care about you as much as I do!”

“Rubbish, you can’t say that, you don’t even know him,” I snapped. “And
he
doesn’t
want to change me!
YOU DO!”

“Not anymore...”

“Bullshit, you had a pop at us
for
being different only a few days ago. We’re not
normal
remember. Why would you want to be with someone like that? Someone who isn’t
human?
”

“Because no matter what you are I can’t stop loving you!” he blurted out. “Every day I spent in that lab I thought of you.
You were the only thing on my mind
.
I just wanted to get out of there and get back to you... thinking of you kept me sane.”

“Luke, it’s been nine years; I know it didn’t seem that long to
you
... but to me... it felt even longer. I was
heartbroken;
I can’t begin to tell you just
how
upset I was. I spent a long time alone and eventually, it stopped hurting so much. There will always be a place in my heart for you... but I can’t be with you again.”

“Do you still love me?”

“Luke...”

“Be honest,” he said, hope in his voice.

“I’m sorry, but...
I don’t...my heart belongs to someone else.”

He turned away from me and I heard him taking deep breaths. “Are you in love with Jackson?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s none of your business.”

“Please just answer me.”

“No, I’m sorry, I won’t.”

“Will you ever reconsider?”

“No, I’m really sorry, I care about you I do; I always will and I wouldn’t
ever
see any harm come to you. I will be
your
friend forever... but nothing more.”

“There’s absolutely nothing I can do?”

“No Luke, there isn’t.”

He didn’t speak again for a few minutes and I debated leaving him to his own thoughts again. But I didn’t want to leave him alone in case we were being watched. I didn’t know what to say to him to make him feel better. I didn’t like hurting him, but the last thing I wanted to do was give him false hope. I don’t agree with playing with people
s
hearts. That is just plain cruel.

“I think we should go back inside. It’s going to rain.” He said, walking away from me.

“Luke... Luke...”

“What?”

“
Can we be friends?”

“I don’t
know
if I can be; you’ll have to give me some time.”

“Of course. I understand.”

We walked back to the house in silence. As soon as we were inside he went up to his room.  I went into the smaller living room and stood by the window. I felt so mean, so guilty, but I couldn’t lie to him. When I looked at him now, I felt no kind of love for him at all. I cared about him like I would a brother... but nothing more. The only person I cared about in a romantic way now was Jackson and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon, if ever.

The rest of the day
and
the day
s
that followed were horrible. Luke wouldn’t speak to me or even sit in the same room as me. I didn’t know what to do, I wasn’t about to start lying to him and giving him hope where there was none. Surely he would have preferred me to be truthful with him. Jackson knew something had happened between us, and he wasn’t very happy when I wouldn’t tell him what. I had a feeling that if I
did
tell him, he would be funny with Luke. He didn’t need more shit to deal
with;
he had more than enough already.

In the end though it drove Jackson mad. Today, he had spent most of his time in the study with only his own thoughts for company. I’d just finished having lunch with Nancy when she decided to get involved.

“Tish, sweetie, I’m worried about you and Jackson. When you consider how much tension there was between
you
and how you
finally
got together... you don’t seem very close. Am I making sense?” She started.

“Kinda.”

“I just mean, I expected you two to be a lot closer than what you are. I thought you’d be inseparable, unable to keep away from each other. Yet, you both seem distant.”

“I know, I’ve noticed,” I sighed.

“What is it Tish
? You can
talk to me.”

“There isn’t really much to say. He’s been busy getting things back on track with his
work;
I’ve not really been myself lately.”

“I hate to say this, but I’m going to anyway... you two were as close as they come... before Luke came along.”

“We’d only been together, what? A day or two? That isn’t really enough time to...”

“You were laughing together, kissing all the time and you seemed happy; both of you.
An outsider would have though you had been together for years.
But
now, I don’t know, like I said you
’
r
e
distant.”

“I take it he’s still in the study?” I asked.

“I guess so, I haven’t heard him leave.”

“I’m gonna go talk to him.”

“Good.”

“Thanks for lunch it was lovely, see you later.”

I knocked on the door to the study and waited for him to tell me to come in.

“Hey
,
” I smiled, entering and closing the door behind me. “Are you
OK
?”

“I’m fine, you?”

“I’m good.”

“Great.”

“Jackson, please don’t be all cold with me again. I thought you said the old you was back.”

“He is he just wants to know what’s going on with the woman he adores and Luke.”

“If I tell you,” I said, finally giving in. “You have to promise not to say anything to him.”

“I promise.”

“I mean it Jackson.

“I said, I promise.”

I took a deep breath. “Luke told me he loved me still, that he wanted me back. He wanted me to leave you and try and make a go of things with him again.”

“What?” he said between gritted teeth.

“I told him I couldn’t
d
o that. He asked me why and told me to be honest, so I was. I told him I didn’t love him. That I couldn’t be with him again. He didn’t like what I was...”

“What did he say?”

“That he no longer cared, he just wanted to be with me.”

“Little shit, I swear...”

“You promised!” I shouted. “
Besides
, I told him my heart didn’t belong to him anymore and that the most I could offer him was friendship. Whether he will want that or not
,
I do not know. But he knows not to try and persuade me or make a move or anything. He knows the only person I want to be with is you.”

“What did he say to that?”

“Honestly...
he hasn’t spoken to me since.”

“Good.”

“He won’t try anything Jackson, I made it perfectly clear...”

“I hope for his sake he doesn’t.”

“Oh stop it. For Christ’s sake, just leave him alone.”

“I will unless he tries anything. If he does, I think I have every right to say something to him.”

“He won’t. Now can we go back to how we were the first few days we were together, please?”

“Yeah sure.” He shrugged.

“Forget it. I’ll leave you to it.”

“No...
no don’t. I’m sorry,
it’s
him I’m pissed with not you my love. Forgive me, I’m sorry.”

“
OK
, what are you up to?”

“Just been thinking
.
”

“
About
?”

“I’m thinking we’ll get attacked
sometime
soon
.
I think it’s best to get all
the
guns and
other weapons
out
and
maybe
set a few traps around the house, the
outside
I mean.”

“Honestly, I don’t think they’ll come here.”

“What makes you say that?”
he asked.

“
Even though th
at guy was wearing a wire, no
body came. I know David told them to wait, but Jesus, they were here over a week.
It’s been so quiet.
”

“Maybe the
y’re
gathering their
forces;
maybe they will attack full force.”