Breezes pushed her ponytail back as it swayed against her back, stopping at a cross road when cars speed through green lights. There was nothing but the sound of talking around her, conversations of simple things that she could only catch parts of.
Digging into her pocket, she grabs her burner phone. Calling her father's number, she places the phone to her ear. The dial tone rings, the crosswalk light turns white. With the large crowd, she begins to walk across the street. Listening to the ringing on the phone, eyebrows furrowing over her eyes.
The phone connects, hearing her father clear his throat on the other end. "Hello darling, is everything okay?"
"Hey dad, I wanted to ask you to do me a huge favor." Amelia sighs, rubbing her fingers through her bangs.
A pause of silence follows, before the sound of a shuffle. "What is it, honey?"
Even with complete strangers around her, Amelia can't help but to look around the crowd with her eyes. No one was staring directly at her, no one seemed to be listening into her conversation.
In her mind she knew that it would be merely impossible for anyone connected to her to know that she was here so quickly. Nor be able to track her down to her exact location. It was the nerves, having her guard down would be her downfall.
She always had to be sure at all times that no one was watching her.
"I'm in New York, if Dallas comes to you to ask where I've run off to.. Don't tell him." Amelia bites down on her bottom lip. "He's become more possessive than ever.. I don't think I can trust him."
Amelia loved Dallas with her entire heart, but something didn't feel right between them anymore. He was more than adamant on keeping her at bay from work, staying in the confines of their home together. It had her questioning his motives, that alone had her stomach dropping at the thought. Could Dallas, her lover and mentor have malice intentions for her?
A prayer would be placed when she had time, she hoped it wasn't the case. Amelia gave her life to Dallas, ran away from everything that had ruined her. He helped her, he took care of her. Dressed her to the best of his ability to make her stronger, powerful, feared. Was there any way that after doing all that, he would sabotage her?
Something in her gut told her to keep her distance, even if her intuition was wrong in the end.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that Amelia.." The way her father starts has her stomach dropping even more. "Something is just not right with him anymore."
He was confirming her worst fears, her dad never suspected bad of someone unless there was reason to. Did he see something she didn't see? Was he fearful for her? Amelia couldn't tell any fear in his tone, but his words spoke more than his tone ever could. Dallas in Charlie's eyes had changed, but for the worst.
She sighs, "I know dad, please I'll call you from a hotel room. Do not call first, I'm using burner phones so he can't track me here." Amelia stops at another crosswalk, tapping her boot on the sidewalk. "Or atleast locate my actual location."
"Alright honey, please be safe." Charlie breathes out, Amelia's eyes watching the red hand on the other side of the street.
"Thank you dad, bye." With a click of her thumb she hangs up the call, looking around her.
The crosswalk signals for people to cross, at a fast pace the crowd begins to move once more. Amelia follows suit, emerald hues catching onto a trash can. Passing by, she tosses the burner phone into it. She had plenty of them, Amelia always came prepared.
If their suspicions were right, things had just gotten a lot more complicated. Dallas, her lover having an ulterior motive against her. Amelia wanted to believe he was good at heart, like he always had been. Being righteous, courageous, always being for the community. He had always sought justice for those who deserved it, put monsters away into boxes behind bars.
Yet now, his vision was becoming distorted. Amelia was unable to determine if Dallas was the knight in shining armor, or the villain of the tale. Their relationship had always been black and white, nothing but compassion and companionship. If Dallas was up against her, could she not even trust the man she slept next to every night?
It made no sense, five years together. Sharing the secrets of their lives, understanding one another. Even with the trauma, the tears, the heart ache: they were always so close together. Now, they were farther apart than ever before. Like nothing had progressed, like they had just met each other all over again. Dallas had something turning in the gears of his mind, something he hadn't spoken a word of.
A woman like her, would find out beneath all the layers what Dallas was truly thinking. Amelia hoped her intuition was wrong, or she would be truly destroyed.
Having the one she risked everything for, be the one stabbing her in the back.
6:00 A.M (GMT8)
If chaos was a virtue, she wished to rid it from her life entirely. Sitting on a hotel bed, twiddling her thumbs in silence had her more and more on edge with each passing moment. Amelia had half a mind to just turn back, go home to the comforting corners of her home. She knew she wouldn't be able to, there was nowhere to go but forward. Trying to turn back was a death sentence for those she was willing to protect.
Phones sprawled on the nightstand, the burning light of day brushing against the open curtains of the window. Hitting her skin, warming her to the point where it almost burned to sit in its gaze. Amelia wouldn't move, she deserved the scourging burn of the sun.
How could she let things get this way, how could God torture her still after all of this time? Having already been damned with the curse of blood, being forced to only deepen the pool that trailed under her feet. Amelia wanted to escape the blood, not bring more under her heels.
She felt like she was drowning, not by the tides of the ocean. By the roaring tsunami of blood, taking her under its monstrous depths. Choking, suffocating, unable to pull herself back up to the surface. Just for air, a little bit of air.
All of the effort she had put into escaping the past, gone. Shattered under the boot of a man who haunted her even with his disappearance. Jake Parker ruined her life not once, but now twice. Things had only just begun, but she knew things would end bloody. Whether it was his, hers, or another's was the unknown territory. No prayer could bring the ending she was hoping for, God had proven unkind to her pleas.
Sighing, she stands up. Walking towards the full length, taking herself in. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, bangs perfectly styled over her forehead. In her hair, a box tied around the band. A black turtleneck pulled up to her throat, covered with a Louis Vuitton jacket. Khaki pants are on her legs, with a Gucci belt holding her pants up. Finishing off her outfit with black dress shoes, albeit a bit big looking for her size four feet.
Amelia wore her usual makeup look. A smokey eye, illuminating the dark shades of green for her emerald eyes. Tan skin complimenting the dark red lipstick applied to her plump lips, while long eyelashes fluttered over winged eyeliner. The bronze nose ring and hoop earring, stick out as the only jewelry on her face.
The sight of herself had her remembering a time where she didn't dress so lavishly. No fancy belts, shadows of black over her eyes, no true effort needed to appear put together. She would stick out by the color of her hair, bright pink locks. Her look had changed since that day, she didn't want to look the same.
Each and everyday she strayed further from the image of her past self. From the way she dressed herself, to how she walked through everyday life. Amelia was trying her hardest to forget about who she was, completely erase the person from history. As if they were separated: Amelia Reston and Agent Reston. Two different people, and yet the same tragedy. If only she could tear away the pain that easily.
Amelia leans over to the chair, grabbing onto her trench coat before easily slipping it onto her body. Digging her hand into her pockets, pulling out her leather gloves. She puts them on, after sliding her fingers down the edges of her coat. Not at any fast pace, slowly examining the fabric of her clothing. There was nothing that could change her on the outside.