I was bored out of my mind. Right now I was laying on my bed planning my escape from this hell hole. It was bad enough that I was stuck here until further notice, but even if I did go out, at least to the garden, it was already stupidly hot. And it was only March.
It was time for lunch so I stood up and headed down to the dining room. I really didn't feel like talking to anyone so I sat alone. At least the food was good.
I knew I'll have to talk to mum today, since this was kind of the reason they send me here. To be as close to her as possible. She wasn't the only one I had to converse with on a daily bases. Victoria and Dad called almost every day. And since it was only them I presumed no one else knew I was here. For which I was grateful. I hated pitty. I mean... who didn't?
My next stop was the library also known as my only source of entertainment. I will find something to read until I have to go talk to my Aron knock off therapist. I have been calling him that, since the first moment I met him. Not just because of the obvious shrinkiness, but also because of their eerily similar appearance. From the blond hair and soft, almost feminine features to the lean physique and slightly shorter stature. It was just my luck that the person who should be making me feel better is also the person that reminds me of someone I've been missing and by no fault of his own making me feel slightly melancholy and nostalgic every time I have a session with him. But then I kind of snap out of it when he opens his mouth. Way too little condescension.
I usually wouldn't have admitted I missed him as much as I did and the first few weeks I was actually doing pretty well with self-denial but after almost four months here, there was no use in lying to myself anymore.
After an hour and a half of me trying to read and failing, I went to my therapist. Like always I claimed I was fine and he, like always, refused to believe me. I sulked my way through the session and retreated to the phone. Dad didn't call, but Victoria did.
"Luke hello, how are you?" her voice sounded tired. Probably from working all night.
I can't believe I miss that.
"Bored. Look I know I needed help but I have been here for so long I feel like Jean Valjean."
"Don't exaggerate. He was imprisoned for 20 years. You have been gone for less than four months."
"But I'm fine!"
"They know what's best for you."
"If they know what's best for them they should let me go home. Because I am this close to starting a killing spree."
"Yes, I'm sure you are."
I groaned.
"How is Spencer doing on your team?"
"Quite well actually," her voice got a cheery edge to it "He is very capable."
"Well don't get used to it, because when I come back I'll need my partner back."
"We could find you a new one."
"Victoria!"
She chuckled.
"Relax. I wouldn't do that to you. You might explode from jealousy."
I frowned.
"I'm not jealous. I just don't like people or things being stolen from me. Permanently at least."
Which was kind of ironic, since my partner has pickpocketed me multiple times. And I really wasn't jealous. I mean it was my idea he gets transferred to Victoria's team after all. I knew he was losing his mind with all those evaluations and no cases.
When our conversation ended I returned to my room and tried to take a nap, which was stupid since I was neither tired nor had my sleeping pills. After 20 minutes I relaxed enough that I might for a change actually manage to fall asleep. But no! Of course, right at that moment, some asshole decided to shoot his gun and the sound could be heard very loudly from my window. Fucking Texas.
X
(Vanessa POV)
I couldn't stop smiling as I walked away from the Cafe where I just had lunch with Levi. I really did forget how much fun spending time with him was. When we broke up almost two years ago I didn't think we would even be able to talk with each other normally, but now we were having lunch dates? This was surreal. And he was still the smart, considerate and kind person I fell in love with all those years ago. I actually can't tell if I ever fell out of love with him.
As I was so caught up in my own head, I didn't notice Demetra until she made her presence known by calling my name.
"Demi hi! I'm sorry, I didn't see you."
She smiled: "I noticed."
I took in her appearance. Even dressed in her work out clothes, with a gym bag around her left shoulder and a sloppily done ponytail, she still exuded confidence and beauty worthy of her ballet past. Not to mention her impeccable posture and body. She was always a sight to behold and I was surprised when Aron never tried dating her after they slept together.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in her slightly Australian accent, courtesy of her mother's side.
"Oh, nothing. I just had a lunch date."
She nodded.
"Hey you know, I actually ran into Levi on my way to the gym and he said the exact same..." her eyes widened, realization dawning on her "...thing. O my god! You guys didn't!"
I didn't say anything, but the silence spoke loudly enough.
"O my god! This is horrible!"
Ok, she didn't sugar coat it, that's for sure.
"Don't make a big deal out of it."
She just gave me a very stern look.
"Ness, walk with me for a bit," her voice was a lot gentler than I expected.
We walked for maybe a block or two until she spoke up again.
"You do know that this is a terrible idea right? I mean you have to know."
"Look, I know me and Levi had our falling out, but...."
"That's not what I meant. Yes, of course, it's a factor, but not the main problem. The main problem is that he is engaged."
"Engagements get broken off all the time."
She stopped and I had to take a few steps back.
"Not this kind. Not the ones that would cost both parties a lot of money."
"Exceptions exist in every rule."
"Yeah in movies maybe."
I looked down at my feet. I knew I was lying to myself, but admitting that she was right would just hurt me that much more. She came closer to me and caressed my hair away from my face in a calming gesture.
"Look, Ness, I am not going to tell you what to do. You're an adult, but I can tell you what the consequences will be. If you get him to call off the wedding, he will most likely get cut off. Goodbye money, title in an extreme case the family. Which might not be a big deal for either of you, but how long do you think you guys will last? Truthfully?"
I gulped.
"I-I don't know."
"Yes, you do. Your previous break up was bad. And no one knew the circumstances to that one. How do you think people will react when you break up again after calling off the marriage to be together?"
Suddenly my mouth turned into a desert. Thanks to Demetra no one knew about my cheating, but those were literally the worst three months of my life. Levi and his whole family hated me. Aron refused to talk to me because I hurt his friend. I lived with Demetra, which was the only reason I didn't get completely depressed.
"Maybe we won't break up."
Naive. I was being stubbornly naive.
"If you guys were a good match, you would be able to get past the cheating. But you weren't doing that great for months prior to the incident."
The problem with arguing against Demetra was that you knew you will lose that fight. And yes she was once again correct. We should break this thing off before someone else finds out. I should call him right this second.
Yeah, that would be the smart thing to do. Too bad sometimes playing dumb just makes me feel better.