BURN THE TRUTH

Episode Ninteen

Velda walked into her office only to slump into the seat like mashed potatoes begging to be saved. The memory of her encounter with Devyn the previous night was on repeat since she had woken up that morning, she felt like mourning her own death at the thought that she had initiated the kiss. Moreover, to think that Devyn had only nodded when she passed him a good night made her regret every second of her action.

Pushing the frustration off her head she sighed defeatedly leaning further into the seat before puffing out some anxiety. Immediately she sat up to the sound of the door being unlocked. "Morning, Captain" Carter offered before placing a file on her desk.

"Morning, detective" She returned reaching for the file. "You may leave" she instructed and fell back into her seat once the door shut behind him. "Oh, heaven" Velda weakly breathes out gazing at the ceiling. Her cell phone's notification went off causing her to reach for it.

"Are you alright?" The message read and painfully it was from Devyn. She hissed squeezing her eyes shut before reopening them to again go through the message and then she let the phone drop to the desk. Perhaps she might continue as though nothing had transpired.

Velda later pulled out of her office and at the patio she stood, eyes travelling from one detective to the other before it finally got fixed on Louisa. She immediately began taking the side brief stairs to the hall and then made her way to Louisa's desk. "Hey" She signalled "Go through this case and see what you can find"

"Hmm" Louisa barely nodded accepting the file and was about to say a word when her gaze went over Velda's shoulder, the action induced Velda to veer around in that direction only to glimpse Clyde with Devyn. Oh hell. She couldn't deny the fact her heart might have omitted some rhythm when her gaze came upon Devyn's.

Devyn's presence brought a few eyes to him, he was too perfect not to be admired either in respect or envy. Clyde gestured at Velda when he caught sight of her by Louisa's desk before he ushered himself to a different path.

Collectively Velda turned to Louisa "You can carry on" She told her and turned to await Devyn's presence. His gaze was fixed, cold she may define it but that was left to worry about later. "Come with me, Mr Devyn" She muttered and instantly took the route to her office.

Velda shut the door after the grey-eyed man had entered before she moved to cover the blinds. The atmosphere in Velda's office couldn't have been stuffer. Although it was her office, Velda nonetheless felt caged. It didn't change a thing that a considerable distance that she had purposefully created separated her from Devyn. Being in the same space with him at the moment seems to be a torture in itself that Velda couldn't bear.

Uncertainly, Velda moved to lean by her desk. She stared at the man whose eyes were icy though there was this longing in them, an expression she never glimpses in him before "Yes?" Devyn instantly said the moment Velda's eyes rested on him as if he has been waiting for such. In one word, Devyn had finally shattered the heavy and uncomfortable silence that had once taken over the space. Though Devyn had called out to her, Velda didn't utter a word. She vacillated between talking about the previous night or why the man had come to the building. She was reluctant to speak at all, bringing out a side of her she thought was gone.

Receiving no answer, Devyn took a few steps towards her causing her to slightly rise. He stared at the silent lady, no emotion betraying his surreal face. Velda didn't know how to bring about any of her questions, especially with Devyn staring longingly at her. She blinked, the words pushing to come off her lips, she swallowed and finally spoke.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Slightly she raised her brow, collectively returning to her detective aura. Devyn arched an eyebrow and undeniably Velda was exasperated with herself. This new anxious behaviour was becoming utterly incomprehensible to her. "What brought you here, Devyn" She reasked.

"Did you receive my message?" Devyn's voice was oddly calm and profound.

Velda sighed "I did"

"Yes?" Devyn asked, his brow slightly arched as he awaited Velda's response.

"Well, when I'm on duty I rarely reply to messages that don't involve work, Mr Devyn" Immediately after voicing these words, Velda held her breath, apprehensive about the response she might get. Devyn narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing her, looking a bit pensive.

"Well, when I send a message, I require it to be responded to. Moreover, it doesn't demand much of your time if I'm to recall"

Velda swallowed and lowered her head. In fact, she hadn't expected anything less. "Is this how you want to play it?" The sudden question brought her head up.

He went silent for a few seconds as if analyzing what he was about to say. "Unbelievable as it may seem, detective, you kissed me last night. And you know what? You can't just kiss me and then flout my text and now you act like I'm the bad one here"

"Oh, I'm impressed you thought of it like that, but I don't have time to entertain you right now"

Devyn looked at Velda with a look that gave the impression that he was dazzled by her words. A barely visible smirk appeared on the man's terrific face. "Is that what you truly wanted to say, detective?"

The question came out calm and controlled that it turned out tricky when she replayed it in her mind. The two stared at each other as silence entered the conversation. No longer able to hold Devyn's piercing gaze at her, she slightly looked down. She wanted to focus somewhere else but her body refused, bringing her back to meet Devyn's incomprehensible gaze.

Gradually, Devyn began taking a few steps closer to her "Velda" He said sternly, his voice low. Hearing her name come off his lips in such stone sent a spark down her spine. She watched as Devyn's imposing body continued to move toward her, without withdrawing his gaze from her. Everything was going both in slow motion and in acceleration and Velda stopped breathing. Devyn left no distance between them, their noses interfering with each other and their faces parting barely away.

Devyn rested his arm on the desk she leaned on and then placed the other hand gently against her cheek. Velda breathed again, inhaling Devyn's exquisite smell, gazing at him without blinking. No word, no sound, not even the ticking of the clock as they looked longingly at each other while Devyn's thumb gently stroked Velda's flushed cheek.

The detective didn't seem to realize how much the position she was in with Devyn couldn't be more intimate. It was so close that their lips threatened to collide if one of them engaged in the slightest movement.

Velda's heart was beating so fast, so fast like this wasn't the same man she had kissed the previous night without much thought. This closeness to Devyn where his large arm rested gently on her cheek and his burning eyes on her produced inexplicable and indescribable emotions. She felt her heart manifest aggressively, except it wasn't due to nervousness or fear. It was something else.

"Sometimes, I wonder what goes in your mind" Devyn finally spoke, puncturing the uncomfortable quietness which compelled Velda to eventually blink for the first time since the movement Devyn had used to eliminate any possible distance between them. And then he gratified Velda with a slight smile.

"Same goes for yours" Velda returned softly, no hesitation showed.

Devyn raised a brow, seeming to be doing most of his talking with his brows. His feeble smile remained. With Devyn's expression, Velda regretted her words. It is one thing to uphold with pretentious confidence.

"You desire to know my thinking?"

"Is that a bad idea?" Velda asked.

Once again, Devyn's impulsiveness resurfaced and Velda wished she could stop him from spitting out another word. She had no idea where she had fetched that courage from, more like she was being controlled by something other than herself. In a way, she felt their conversation was about to take a turn she wasn't ready to handle.

Devyn was silent for a moment, scrutinizing Velda as if he were trying to read her. The distinctive look that Devyn gave her troubled Velda who could only back down and slightly lower her eyes. Devyn withdrew his hand from her face before reaching to lift her chin carefully with his index. The two now stare intently at each other.

"Which of my thinking do you wish to know first?" Devyn's voice was low, like a whisper and deep that Velda's felt her throat instantly dry which caused her to swallow nervously, shivers taking hold of her body.

"I will like to hear the louder one"

Devyn himself was astonished and impressed by her straight honesty. It must have been the air in the room that had stimulated such words to break out of her slightly parted lips. His gaze on her lips caused her to unconsciously moist her lower lips, swallowing the saliva only to again dry out her dehydrated throat.

" You should be careful, what you desire can become quite dangerous" Devyn let out with a groan.

Though Velda never uttered any other words as she stared unblinking at Devyn, an imposing silence intensifying the atmosphere. Their traditional gaze seemed to have returned. None of them moved as they gaze at each other's lips. Devyn had already returned his hand to its perfect position on Velda's cheek, gently caressing the skin, the finger going a little too close to Velda's lips.

For several seconds, the two contemplated each other in silence. The more time passed, the more she felt that gesture was imminent. Devyn's eyes descended on Velda's parted lips and she squeezed them, licking them quickly, her throat tightening and her anxious heart animating with violent beating. His steamy eyes moved up to encounter hers, and his thumb brushed Velda's lower lip, caressing it gently. An indecipherable glow appeared in Devyn's eyes and the man slightly touched Velda's lips with his before-