CHAPTER 23: Stay Behind Me
1911 Words
The footsteps stopped outside the room.
I couldn't breathe.
Dave stood in front of me instinctively.
Mama was still holding the doorway.
“Who else knows we're here?” Dave asked.
Mama didn't answer.
“Ma.”
She looked at him.
“I don't know.”
The doorknob moved.
Slowly.
Once.
Twice.
Dave reached for my hand.
“Stay behind me.”
I nodded.
The door opened.
A man stepped inside.
Not my father.
Not Victor.
Not anyone I recognized.
He was wearing a dark jacket, rainwater dripping from his hair.
He looked at Mama.
Then at Dave.
Then at me.
His eyes stopped on the notebook.
“You shouldn't have read that.”
I stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
He didn't answer.
Dave moved between us.
“Back up.”
The man smiled.
“You're just like your father.”
Dave's expression hardened.
“Don't mention him.”
The man laughed quietly.
“You really don't know anything, do you?”
“Know what?”
“That your father didn't leave you.”
Dave froze.
“What?”
“He was forced to.”
“By who?”
The man looked at me.
“Ask her.”
I turned toward Mama.
“Ma?”
She looked terrified.
The man continued.
“Ask her what happened the night Elena disappeared.”
Dave stared at Mama.
“What happened?”
Mama's lips trembled.
“I…”
“Tell him.”
The man stepped closer.
“You've lied to them long enough.”
Dave looked at me.
I could see the anger building in his eyes.
“Ma.”
She finally whispered—
“Your father didn't abandon Elena.”
Dave swallowed.
“Then what happened?”
“He chose.”
“Chose what?”
Mama looked at him.
“Between you and the company.”
Silence.
“And he chose you.”
Dave looked away.
The man laughed.
“That's what she told you?”
Mama glared at him.
“You weren't there.”
“I was.”
Everyone froze.
The man looked at Dave.
“I was there when your father made the choice.”
Dave stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled.
“My name is Adrian.”
He looked at me.
“And I've been watching your family for years.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because your father asked me to.”
I frowned.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Adrian smiled.
“Closer than you think.”
---
We followed Adrian downstairs.
I didn't trust him.
Neither did Dave.
But somehow—
we followed him anyway.
He stopped in the living room.
There was an old painting hanging above the fireplace.
He removed it.
Behind it was a small safe.
My eyes widened.
“What is that?”
“Your father's last message.”
He entered a combination.
The safe opened.
Inside was a single envelope.
My name was written on it.
Again.
ALTHEA.
I stared at it.
“Why does everyone keep writing my name?”
Dave looked at me.
“Because apparently you're the main character.”
I glared at him.
“Not now.”
“Sorry.”
Adrian handed me the envelope.
“Open it.”
I did.
Inside was a letter.
I recognized the handwriting from the old photographs.
My father's.
«Thea,
If you're reading this, then you've already met Dave.
And if you've met Dave, then I'm sorry.
Because I know what he means to you.»
My hands trembled.
I continued reading.
«I knew you would hate me.
I knew you would blame me.
But there was one thing I couldn't control.
Who you would choose to trust.»
I looked at Dave.
He was staring at me.
I continued.
«Dave was never supposed to be part of your life.
I tried to keep him away.
I failed.
And perhaps that failure was the best thing I ever did.»
My heart tightened.
I read the next line.
«Because you need someone who will challenge you.
Someone who will annoy you.
Someone who will refuse to let you carry everything alone.
Someone who will stay without asking you to become someone else.»
I stopped.
My eyes burned.
Dave quietly looked away.
I kept reading.
«I don't know if you will love him.
I don't know if he will love you.
But I know this:
He is your exception.»
My fingers tightened around the paper.
I couldn't continue.
I folded the letter.
Dave looked at me.
“You okay?”
I nodded.
“Yeah.”
He knew I was lying.
He didn't call me out.
He simply sat beside me.
Adrian watched us.
“You should know something.”
Dave looked at him.
“What?”
“Your father didn't write that letter because he wanted you together.”
I frowned.
“Then why?”
Adrian's expression became serious.
“Because he knew what would happen if you weren't.”
I felt cold.
“What would happen?”
“He knew someone would eventually try to use you.”
“Who?”
Adrian looked at Dave.
“And he knew Dave would be the only person stubborn enough to get in the way.”
Dave frowned.
“Why me?”
Adrian smiled.
“Because your father trusted your father.”
Dave stared.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“The two men worked together.”
“Against Victor?”
“No.”
Adrian paused.
“Against someone much worse.”
---
We left the house before sunrise.
Adrian refused to tell us more.
He said we needed to reach another location first.
Dave drove.
I sat beside him.
For the first time since we met, neither of us talked.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
It was heavy.
I looked at the road.
Then at him.
“Dave.”
“Hmm?”
“Did you read the letter?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it was yours.”
I looked at him.
“You weren't curious?”
“Of course.”
“Then why?”
He smiled.
“Because you deserve one thing in your life that belongs only to you.”
My chest tightened.
“You're weird.”
“I know.”
I looked out the window.
“Dave?”
“Yeah?”
“Does it scare you?”
“What?”
“Knowing our fathers planned things before we even knew each other?”
He thought about it.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't want to be someone's plan.”
I looked at him.
“Me neither.”
He nodded.
“I want to choose.”
“Choose what?”
He glanced at me.
“Who I trust.”
I swallowed.
“And?”
“And who I stay for.”
I looked away.
The silence returned.
But this time—
it felt different.
---
We stopped at a small roadside store.
Dave got out.
I stayed in the car.
Five minutes later, he returned with two bottled drinks.
He handed me one.
“You haven't eaten.”
“I ate.”
“You had half a sandwich.”
“That counts.”
“No.”
I smiled.
“You're becoming like my mother.”
“Your mother scares me.”
“She scares everyone.”
He opened his drink.
Then looked at me.
“You're thinking again.”
“I always think.”
“Too much.”
“Maybe.”
He leaned back.
“What are you thinking about?”
I hesitated.
“You.”
He almost choked on his drink.
“What?”
I laughed.
“Not like that.”
“Okay.”
“I mean…”
I sighed.
“I've been thinking about how you came into my life.”
He smiled.
“Unfortunately?”
“Definitely.”
“Wow.”
“But…”
I looked at him.
“You stayed.”
He became quiet.
“I didn't ask you to.”
“I know.”
“You could've left.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you?”
He looked at me for a long moment.
“Because every time I thought about leaving…”
He smiled faintly.
“…I imagined you trying to carry everything alone again.”
My heart hurt.
“That's not your responsibility.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because I care.”
Simple.
No dramatic confession.
No grand speech.
Just—
“I care.”
I looked down.
“Thank you.”
He reached over and tapped my forehead.
“Don't cry.”
“I'm not.”
“You are.”
“It's allergies.”
He laughed.
“Sure.”
I wiped my eyes.
“Shut up.”
---
That afternoon, we reached a small beach house.
Adrian told us to wait there.
The others had gone into town.
It was just me and Dave.
Again.
I sat outside.
The sea was calm.
Dave came out carrying two cups of coffee.
He sat beside me.
“Peace?”
I nodded.
“Finally.”
We watched the waves.
No secrets.
No family.
No danger.
Just silence.
After a while, I said—
“Dave?”
“Hmm?”
“If everything goes back to normal…”
He looked at me.
“What would you do?”
“Normal?”
“Yeah.”
He smiled.
“I don't think we'll ever be normal.”
“True.”
He thought.
“I'd probably go back to annoying you.”
I laughed.
“That's your dream?”
“Pretty much.”
“And me?”
“You?”
“Yeah.”
He looked at me.
“You'd probably pretend you don't miss me.”
I smiled.
“Maybe I wouldn't.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“Maybe.”
He smiled.
“Progress.”
I shook my head.
“You're impossible.”
“Yet…”
He waited.
I sighed.
“Yet I still keep you around.”
He smiled.
“That's enough.”
The wind blew softly.
I looked at the sea.
Then felt something warm touch my hand.
Dave's fingers.
He didn't grab my hand.
He simply left his beside mine.
Giving me the choice.
I looked down.
Then—
I placed my hand over his.
He looked at me.
Neither of us spoke.
It wasn't a confession.
It wasn't love.
Not yet.
It was simply trust.
A small choice.
My choice.
And for someone who had spent her whole life having other people make choices for her—
that meant everything.
---
That night, I woke up to the sound of my phone.
Unknown number.
One message.
«You trust Dave now.»
My heart stopped.
Another message appeared.
«Good.»
Then—
«Because tomorrow, he'll be the reason you finally learn what your father did.»
I stared at the screen.
A final message appeared.
«And when you find out, you'll have to choose between your family… and him.»
I looked across the room.
Dave was asleep on the couch.
Peaceful.
Unaware.
I watched him for a long moment.
Then whispered—
“I choose me.”
But deep down—
I already knew.
If tomorrow forced me to choose between the people who had spent years lying to me…
and the boy who had never asked me to trust him blindly—
I was terrified of what my heart would choose.
And that scared me more than any family secret ever had.
- Writer
