The Mystery Writer

Update

Darcy Wren is still at large while Leo James fights for his life at the local hospital. He is accompanied by his mother while his sisters are constant visitors. Do you you really think Darcy poisoned our favorite celebrity? Many believe that she is innocent!

-Your Mystery Writer

Darcy Wren has been found! However, the reporter was not hiding at all! With this shockingly new update, it was discovered that Darcy had been locked away by Channel 4 News' John Thomas. Evidence reveals that JT had kidn*pped Darcy on the same night as Leo James' album release event. More details will follow shortly.

-Your Mystery Writer

Breaking News! Evidence shows John Thomas had blackmailing Darcy Wren. Turns out that their so called relationship was only a sham!

-Your Mystery Writer

Darcy Wren is still unconscious at a local hospital. Meanwhile, it has been discovered that Leo James has made a full discovery. When asked if he thought that Darcy was the culprit to his attack, his response was to adamantly deny it.

-Your Mystery Writer

Channel 4 reporter, Darcy Wren, has begun her recover at a local hospital. A close source says that there are a few more days before she can be released. Hopefully we will be able to hear Darcy's side of the story soon.

-Your Mystery Writer

Darcy, after reading the news clippings, exchanged a glance with Leo. She was surprised by the releases that had been made while she was unconscious. She also found that Leo wouldn't leave her side now that she could stay conscious for more than a couple minutes.

There was no time for them to exchange any words in regards to the mystery writer as police chief Grant swept into the room. A few junior officers followed him just inside the door.

“Sorry to do this to you.” Chief Grant commented before placing a cuff around one of Darcy's wrists. The other cuff locked around the hospital bed's handlebars.

“This isn't necessary! I know she didn't poison me.” Leo stood as he defended her. Chief Grant turned bright, clear eyes on him.

“It is more than the poison, Leo. John Thomas was found dead this morning.” Silence spanned between them as Darcy and Leo were shocked to hear of the death. The last they had heard, JT had disappeared somewhere in the city. If the police hadn't been able to find him, who had?

“You can't seriously think Darcy did this? Look at her? JT starved her to the point she couldn't walk. She was so malnourished that she had to be on a feeding tube! You think she had the energy to murder JT?” Leo argued immediately, standing beside Darcy's bed.

Chief Grant raised his hands and quietly told Leo to cool off. Darcy watched as the young officers behind Grant seemed to shuffle their feet nervously.

“It is just protocol. We don't know what happened, and quite frankly neither do you Leo. Anyway, we are just preventing a flight risk until we get down to the bottom of everything. While Darcy is here, she will be under constant watch. Someone will be on guard just outside this room at all times.” Chief Grant raised his eyebrows and waited to see if there was any questions or backlash from them. He then said a quick goodbye.

Leo turned to Darcy who was inspecting the new jewelry around her wrist. She didn't want to admit it, but being locked to the bed was beginning to give her anxiety. She wanted to run so far, and hide so well that nothing or no one could chain her to anything again.

“Shh. I'm here. I'm not leaving you. I won't leave you.” Darcy glanced up just as Leo slid onto the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

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“JT took me from the hotel venue right after I witnessed Leo become incapacitated due to the poison. He had locked me in one of the back rooms where there was a TV that streamed the event. The next thing I remember is waking in a small room and my ankle was cuffed to a metal chain that was linked to a steel pipe sticking out of the floor.” Darcy closed her eyes and squeezed Leo's hand for comfort. Her mind was begging her not to replay the horrible memories. “He wouldn't come that often, although I may not have been conscious through much of my imprisonment. Once or twice a day I'd get a little something to eat and water. However, as time passed I remember that I couldn't stomach whatever they gave me and I'd puke everything back up. I couldn't stand on my own and honestly, it was hard to stay awake for long.”

“Did he say anything to you?”

Darcy lifted her eyes to the detective who was no interrogating her. She didn't want to tell him what JT tried to bargain with her. Her eyes drifted to Leo but quickly diverted away when she met his eyes.

“It's ok. You can tell them.” Leo whispered, squeezing her fingers.

“He told me that if I agreed to marry him then he would spare my life. He said he would clear my name of any murder charges against me. If I didn't marry him then he said I'd spend the rest of my life in that room. I told him I wouldn't marry him and he was so confident that no one would ever know that he had kidn*pped me. He believed L-leo to be d-dead.” She grimaced at her last words and shook her head. The emotions that had went through her when she believed Leo really was facing death had been terrible.

“Did you tell him anything?”

Darcy shivered at the new question. 'You will be brought to severe justice, even if I have to kill you myself.' Those words she had spoken to JT rung clearly through her mind and she battled with herself on whether to tell the detective or not.

“I-I...” She glanced to Leo who only nodded at her as he supported her. “I did threaten to kill him, but I never thought I'd be free of that place at the time! I swear I didn't murder him and I don't know who would.”

The detective narrowed his eyes at her before jotting something into the notebook that laid in front of him. Then he stood and exited the hospital room with no more than an 'I'll be back later.'

“Why didn't you tell me any of this?” Leo paced the small area beside Darcy's bed. She stared down at her fingers, watching as they shook uncontrollably.

“I was doing my best to not think of what had happened. My thoughts were barely coherent at the time anyway. I...I was doing my best to put what I remembered behind me. I never thought JT would be murdered.” Her voice was a whisper. When Leo picked her hands up off her lap, he nodded his understanding. She knew he'd do everything in his power to protect her and prove her innocence.

“You really have no doubts about me? I'd understand, you know. If you did. I was the one to go get the drinks and then I suddenly disappeared-”

“I have no doubts, Darcy. Do not worry yourself about that. I'd trust you with my life a million times over.”

She glanced up into his eyes as she wanted willfully see doubt cloud his eyes. She couldn't name what she saw because her heartbeat started to accelerate and warmth would spread into her fingers that distracted her.

“You once told me that you thought I could never hurt anyone. You raced to the police department to prove my innocence, do you remember that? Well, let me tell you, Darcy Wren, that I feel the same way about you. I don't believe you could hurt anyone and I'm willing to put my reputation on the line as long as it keeps you safe.”

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“Slowly.” Mrs. James prompted Darcy as she made her way slowly into the James' residence. It had been several days since her interview with the detective and although she wasn't off the hook completely, she was allowed to be discharged from the hospital. Just having the freedom to get away from the hospital was a huge relief to Darcy and it turned out to be an even happier occasion when she had been invited to stay with Leo's family while she continued to recover.

The James' residence would offer a little more privacy than Leo's house which was the major reason why Darcy and Leo accepted the invitation.

“This is Antoinette's old room.” Mrs. James informed as they stepped into the bedroom. Since Darcy was still weak and easily exhausted, so the short walk from the car to the house spent all of her energy. She barely lifted her head to look around the large room. She felt the room spin around her which made her nauseous.

“Thanks mom. I think she'll need some rest now.” Leo mumbled, guiding her to the bed. He raised his gaze worriedly when he noticed that she had begun to shiver due to the effort.

“Alright. I will bring soup in a little bit. Try to rest, both of you.”

Leo walked his mother to the door before returning to Darcy's side. There was a moment of hesitation before he reached for her hand.

“Darcy, there is something I haven't told you.” She had already guessed that he was hiding something from her. He had been hesitating quite often and she had been too worried to urge the issue. Now that he was ready to tell her, she nodded weakly before dropping her head onto the pillow. Whatever it was, it would have to be explained quickly or she'd be lost in her sleep before long.

“When Johnny was alive, and after you had been admitted to the hospital, he managed to leak a lot of your personal information. There was quite a bit about your mother and father, as well as your stepmother and half brother.” Leo massaged circles against her hand. She wasn't surprised that JT had done everything in his power to hurt her. She accepted this although she hated that the world now seemed to know about her horrible childhood and home life. However, they would never know the amount of a***e she had endured. If she had the energy, she would be so angry until she was shaking. She was thankful for Leo as he became a quick distraction. In seconds they were curled together in an embrace and she let the exhaustion she felt take its course.

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Leo's father, Mr. James, was unlike any man Darcy had ever met before. At first, Darcy was weary of him as the man who ran the household. When it came to the fatherly types in her life, her father was the only example she could think of and he wasn't very fatherly at all. However, she couldn't help but to warm up to the older man due to his quick, teasing wit and the softness he had for his children.

During her stay at the James' residence, Darcy found it to be peculiar when Chloe would cling to her. Any time Leo would leave for an extended period of time, Chloe would find ways to keep her entertained. They quickly became friends and bonded over the books of all things. Mrs. James was the first to announce that Chloe was an established editor which got them both talking non-stop of books they had read and their opinions on genres.

“Mystery, especially murder mysteries, are my favorite.” Darcy announced one afternoon when Leo had stepped out of the house for some kind of schedule. Chloe's eyes twinkled at her as if she had already known that fact. They didn't have time to dive further on the subject as Mrs. James was quick to test them in the kitchen. They would both be offering their help with dinner.

When she first arrived, Darcy found the warm home strange and awkward. There were many moments that she was afraid to leave the bedroom in fear that she would somehow destroy the ease with which the family worked. Thanks to Leo, though, she began to feel as if she belonged in the household all along.

As each day passed, Darcy found that she was getting stronger. The first day had been the hardest as it felt as though anything she tried to do made her exhausted. Even resting in her borrowed bedroom and working on a new blog seemed to tire her within minutes. Then, one day she was so amused by what she was writing that it must have been hours before she took a break. Leo was sitting on the end of the bed, watching her and she wondered how long he had been there. Her head c****d to the side before a slow smile spread across her face. Realizing that he had been content enough to let her work made her want to tackle him. So she did.

“I got you something.” Leo sat up after a moment. From his pocket he pulled a small box and handed it to her. She stared at it for a moment before glancing up at Leo. Whatever it was, she felt as though she didn't deserve it. He finally urged her on with a nod of his head.

When she unwrapped the box, she found that it was a cell phone. It was the latest model which she knew was expensive. Her eyes wondered up to Leo's face, doubt and insecurity tickling her senses.

“We haven't been able to recover your old phone, so I thought you may need one. I had to switch your number, though. This model is popular for its advanced camera technology. It will help you to do what you do best.” Leo grinned at her, but she could only stare back at him. She was certain she didn't deserve any kind of gift and one of this magnitude felt overwhelming. What could she possibly offer him in return?

“Don't feel burdened, please. I knew your close proximity to me could get you in trouble, but I was too hardheaded and prideful to let you leave. You would have been safer if I had let you go.” Darcy climbed slowly into his lap, thankful to feel his warmth envelope her. Although she still felt uneasy with taking the gift, she was too thankful to the point of tears which kept her speechless. “There is something else we should discuss.”

Leo was now rubbing soothing circles against her back, but she pulled back so they could see each other's faces. It was an important part of their communication, she found.

“How do you feel about a mutual agreement to end the reality show? I think we have more than proved that I am innocent. We don't need this show to dictate our lives anymore.” There was a gap where she tried to decipher what Leo was saying. She couldn't disagree with him. It was well past time that they cancel the reality series. She was even looking forward to it being over. However, she was scared what this meant. Would she still be welcome in the James' household? Would Leo ever want to see her again? Where would she go? How could she provide for herself?

These questions rushed to her brain until it was hard for her to breathe. She lost vision of what was in front of her as worries pressed in and threatened to send her into a panic attack. Only when she felt Leo's warm hands cup over her ears did she begin to relax until she could relax once more. She was thankful that he saved her from the dreadful thoughts and questions and reassured her with a simple look.

“I'm confident in our relationship and the feelings we have for each other. I know it hasn't been long since we met, but you've captured me in a way that no one else has even come close to. I want you to be my girlfriend and not only in the darkness. I want the world to know how I feel about you, about the woman who has changed my outlook on life. I want to provide a place of comfort for you, so if you are willing, I hope that you will continue to stay in my home. Our home. As much as I don't want our relationship to be aired for the world to see, I want the world to know how far in love I have fallen with you, Darcy Wren.”

Darcy felt her heart swell with the love Leo was giving her and then swell in return for the love she felt for him. No one had cared for her in the way that he professed he did. The thought made her tears overflow helplessly, but she laughed when she saw fear momentarily cross his face. Did he think she'd reject him? It was obvious that he was unsure what to do about her reaction.

“I'm terrified that I'll never be able to return the love you have given me. I'm dirt poor and have no real prospects ahead of me, and I'm worried that will be draining on you and our relationship. However, I know that every moment without you hurts so I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you. I'll do whatever you need me to do and try my best to be whoever you need me to be.” She crushed him in a hug, pressing her face against his exposed neck.

“You love me?” The question was puzzling which forced Darcy to draw back and glance into his face. She hadn't actually said the words, but she could never deny the emotion she felt for Leo James. She raised his hands to cup his cheeks and made sure she had his full attention.

“I love you, Leo James.”

The man she held was frozen for only another moment before he was kissing her hungrily. Darcy responded back with a heated fervor. Only when there was a loud knock on the bedroom door did they untangle themselves from each other and distance themselves respectfully across the room.

“Oh! Leo, I didn't know you were home. Sneaky boy.” Mrs. James smiled from the doorway. Darcy and Leo glanced for a split second at each other, their eyes meeting from across the room. The silence that spanned the room spurred Darcy into motion.

  “Mrs. James, look what Leo bought me!” Darcy plucked the new phone from the bed before entwining her arm around Mrs. James'.