Chapter 16: Confusions
1955 Words
Chapter 16: Confusions
3rd person's POV
Arriving in front of her unit's door, there she saw no traces of Mae. Rushing in, she opened the door hastily, gasping for air as she looked around her unit, hoping to see Mae inside. But, as expected, Mae isn't anywhere to be found.
"Mae…" Alice uttered, afraid of what could have happened to Mae, remembering Mae was on the run from an unknown danger.
Recalling the faces of the men, she found them banging on Mae's apartment door. She clenches her jaw, thinking of the danger Mae is running from.
"Alice, what's happening?" Lennox asked, who still seemed to be clueless.
Right then, Alice snapped back to her senses. Realizing how she was too caught up with the circumstances, she looked back at Lennox, who was just standing in her living area. Fixing her composure, she brushes her fingers through her messed hair into a ponytail.
Things didn't go the way I wanted them to be—ugh, seeing how things got out of hand, crap! I didn't see this coming—f**k, Mae, what were you up to exactly? Who are they?! Why are they after you?! Damn, if only I asked—
"Alice?" Lennox approached, touching Alice's cheeks with freezing bottled water in his hands.
Startled, Alice just understood that she hadn't been paying enough attention to him. Stepping back, she grabbed the bottle out of Lennox's hand, which he took out of her fridge.
"Thank you." She said, trying to calm her nerves, sitting back on the sofa.
"What have you been doing all these times? Running out in a hurry and going back in a panic? What were you doing? Also, what's with Mae?" Lennox asked, which didn't surprise Alice.
Considering the deal we made, he's now starting to be familiar with my affairs. And even if he dragged me into his car, I, on the other hand, voluntarily let him be too emerged in this issue—ugh, might as well tell him the damn things that happened.
Alice thought, staring at him, who was in the pure puzzle with intense speculation in her eyes. In the end, she eventually decided to share every bit of information she has on her hands.
And after telling everything to Lennox from the time he left her last night, Alice didn't miss out on any details except with the part she witnessed him having some sort of confrontation with Mae in the elevator from the CCTV footage. Nonetheless, Alice included the plan and conclusion she had formed after spending the whole time since she received the images from an unknown person.
Lennox, who now sits comfortably on the sofa beside Alice, smirks right after she's done talking. Right then, a short span of time passed in silence, making Alice a bit anxious about her choice.
The only thing that could be heard at that moment was the clock ticking as they intensely looked at each other's eyes.
Because of that, tension grew between them. Alice is now feeling on edge against Lennox, whose intention behind his smirks and silence is still unknown.
Have I made a mistake and gone insane by blurting everything all out to him tsk? Anyways, who knows? Maybe this time I need a mad man to think with. Alice thought at the back of her suspicious stare, examining Lennox.
But then, the seemingly curious yet intrigued Lennox scoffs, looking at the tired, sleepy Alice, which makes her put up her guard mentally. Lennox noticed her reaction and sighed. Shaking his head, he leans forward on his seat, putting elbows on his legs, eyes still pinning at Alice as the cool breeze from the windows blows through.
"So, at the end of the long and critical thinking whole midnight, you're convinced that Mae was the one stalking and taking pictures of your stuff? Especially when you recognize a familiar hand showing in one of the pictures while holding one of your IDs?" Lennox asked, clarifying what he understood.
"…yes," Alice responded, still remembering the shock that took her when she recognized Mae's hands.
"And based on what happened last two weeks ago, when you couldn't contact her despite how many times you tried, somehow led you to conclude that?" Lenox asked, digging through the details Alice told him.
"…yes," Alice hesitantly said, still couldn't believe she was suspecting her best friend.
"Exactly how? May I see the pictures?" With what Lennox uttered, the troubled eyes Alice had turned into a glaring pair already set to pierce Lennox. Then, he flinched when he knew he had struck a nerve.
"Duh? Didn't I just say that those pictures contain personal information?" Alice said, trying not to lose her cool, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"But aren't we in a relationship where—"The instant Alice heard Lennox mention 'relationship' she couldn't longer control her facial expression and directly expressed disgust.
Eyebrows lowering, wrinkles on the side of the nose, upper lips rising, she cut him off.
"No. Bear in mind that this 'relationship' was just formed in some sort of deal without feelings attached—"
"But, mine's—"
"Stop, I'm getting goosebumps." She cut him off, out of strength to argue more on a futile but pressing issue, when Lennox seemed to want to go further on that romantic route.
Her hands flew on her face. Catching her head pounding, she asked herself how long she could keep up with his questionable obsession.
Ugh, what else can I call this if not an obsession?! First, he lured me into his firm. Next, he follows me around. Next, he popped up at the most convenient times. Tsk. If not only with his creepiness and two-faced attitude, I would indeed celebrate this now for finally breaking my single since birth record.-Alice thought, crying inside.
Looking back at him, she flinched the second she saw Lennox's pleading eyes gawking at her.
"Don't gawk so lovingly at me. I'll f*cking kick you out." She said, threatening to kick him out of her place. Because of that, Lennox cleared his throat and giggled gawkily.
"Anyway, I'm giving you time to ask whatever questions you have in mind now or you won't get a chance to ask later," Alice said, after thinking that it'd better to answer Lennox's questions now or else he'd keep pestering her until she snapped.
For more than anything, she hates it when she's bursting in anger. Because she knew better that once she snapped, it wouldn't do her any good, especially since she was aware of her self-destructive side.
"But—"Lennox was about to argue, but Alice immediately stopped him, slamming her hands on the table in between them.
"It's now or never, Lennox," Alice said, as if moving her turn in a chess game against him. He was quite startled because of Alice's tenacity. Lennox grinned wider, resting his back against his seat.
"Heh~ this is making me regret putting down my act, now that you know everything you're speaking so bluntly and sharply now~ Ahh, this is hurting me," Lennox said teasingly, pertaining to his gentleman acting, but it didn't slip through Alice's nerves.
Alice stares colder and sharper that, for the rarest time, sends shivers to her spine.
"Hehe, sorry! Alright, I'll ask while I still have the chance." He said, regretting teasing her the second he realized he might be kicked out for real.
"So, after thinking through the odd things that happened involving your friend, from staying in suddenly to your wallet incident, you thought she being the prime suspect…" Lennox uttered, glancing sharply at her, sounding to continue more. Alice waits for what he says next.
"…besides me?" Lennox continued when his eyes piqued the intrigued eyes of Alice, striking undeniable gravity at the end.
On the other hand, Alice stared straight at Lennox's calm yet smiling face for a moment. Contrasting what aura he was giving off—with the ominous steaming air from him, she instantly felt the tension become heavier.
She felt it as if Lennox was pushing her to eat the pawn. Lennox had just moved on to the chessboard. Imaging them playing chess, she leans back, examining him in her mind.
After examining him, she knew Lennox was ready to attack her—not physically but mentally. Using chess as an analogy, she felt torn and struck by the reality—
No matter what I do, this man is hard to read. With that smile on his face, it's even trickier to know what he's up to.- Alice thought.
"Oh, you finally caught the smell of clear suspicion, huh?" Alice uttered, sarcastically sneering.
-Yet, I'm here in front of him. I'm probably the most transparent one and easy to read here. As a naked one, he can see through me. Crap, this is unfair. Alice thought behind her sneering confident face she was putting up with, digging her nails into her skin.
"Well, as a matter of fact, the smell's so obvious that I no longer find it appealing," Lennox said, smiling calmly, but his words said otherwise. Because of that, her anxious feeling began to settle down. Struck with guilt, she began to put her feet on his shoes consciously. Thinking of 'what-if she's being too hard on him.
Alice sighed and looked at him.
Okay, he has the right to be offended—I may have gone overboard and suspected him unjustly because he kept on hitting on me—my nerves. Fine, I'll just take the risk and take the pawn you're willing to give me.
I'll take a gamble, after all…
It's too f*cking late to back down now.
Damn, why does this always happen since I moved here?!
"Honestly, you can't blame me for suspecting you first. Since you approached me in a way that's too good to be true, I thought you had an ulterior motive—"She paused and looked at his smiling face.
"Which obviously, you still have in between those teeth." She continued, frantically blurting out her thought at Lennox's face.
Amused, Lennox unconsciously parted his lips.
"But, thankfully, I looked at the bigger picture. Considering the first stalker has been murdered just when I discovered his existence, and at the same time, another one arises. It leaves me no choice but to think that there's someone behind them… pulling strings to keep the dead man silent and to keep a keen eye on me." Alice stated her conclusion thoughtfully, which made Lennox grins in excitement, bearing witness of how indulged Alice was.
"Hmm, so your goal all along was to ask Mae, who is it?" He asked.
"Yes," Alice responded, trying to be natural in front of Lennox's grinning face, accepting the fact that she had to be used to it.
"Hmm, but now she's nowhere to be found. Do you have any person in mind?" Lennox asked.
"…yes," Alice responded, already thinking of the person.
"Interesting… I'm glad my girlfriend's so quick-witted. So, who's this person you have in mind?" Lennox said, smirking devilishly, which almost stunned her.
"Well, Alice… I'm a very jealous and possessive man. Letting me in the same boat, you're in is the right decision." Lennox added, smiling gently with the subtle smirk he just had.
Is it?...
Or, are you just luring me in again in some sort of game?
Is this a helping hand? Or despite letting me take this hand or pawn, you have a rook there ahead waiting for me to get devoured?
Anyway, why don't I ask him directly?
After all, aren't we in a relationship where nothing is to be hidden?
She thought, looking straight at him.
- Writer
