PECULIAR (✓)

25. Old Friends

It's been a week after our conversation in the Cafe, Cassius still was uncomfortable with my involvement, and I don't blame him. I wanted both of us to be away from this dark shadow but in order to push through it we have to work together. After meeting with a police officer working on the investigation, we came to the conclusion that I would work best as a distraction for Victor. Take him away from his house, maybe find out a bit of information, but be careful.

Victor was a killer now, not just a drug pusher, as we all assumed.

Cassius and I agreed not to talk about the investigation and just enjoy being together. It had been a week and things were going great. We both ate together, slept together and did other mundane things together. I had been apprehensive about eating again, but my energy levels are better but I know mentally I'm not doing well. Cassius helps me by always sitting with me, or preparing me meals I like after work or for breakfast. We don't touch on the topic of eating a lot, but I can see he's worried still.

Other than that, life has been quite peaceful, but I've read many books to know that this is the quiet before the storm. I just want to live in the good moments for as long as I can. I want to hold onto Cassius for as long as I can, but I do worry I'm coming off needy sometimes. I steal as many kisses and hugs as possible, but I do worry about my growing attachment to him. We sleep together every night because he can only stop his nightmares if I'm there, so maybe he's getting attached to me as well.

Perhaps our relationship was still quite unhealthy, but we both needed each other, too vulnerable to be alone right now.

While at Rosa's Cafe after work, I wait for Cassius to come giddy so that we can spend more time together. Suddenly, I look up to see Nicole run into the Cafe and put her arms around me sobbing slightly. Something to do with Victor and their breakup, but I just hold her, reminiscing about how we used to do this when we were young. Me comforting her after a boy hurts her. We used to be so close, but now everything feels so odd.

Discreetly, I text Cassius to not come to the Cafe as Nicole was here. I didn't want her to blow his cover. He sends a simple reply a second later making me relax.

"Victor broke up with me, Alettra. I thought we were a sure thing."

I hold back the smirk on my face from the familiarity of the phrase she would often use to describe her past relationships. I shake my head and tell her I already knew and that he showed up to my workplace. I don't need to hide it from her.

She looks down and laughs, "So that's why he was asking so many questions about you, he likes you now." Feeling uneasy I shrug, but assure her I'm not interested, not telling the whole truth.

"Alettra what if we do what we use to do?", perplexed I ask her to elaborate. Rolling her teary red eyes she continues, "Agree to go on a date with him but you know speak highly of me, he might take me back." I narrow my eyes, the old ruse we use to run discomforting me. Nicole would often assume I was never into a guy so on the off chance a guy she liked asked me out, I would go out with him just to set up a date for him and her instead. It had always annoyed me then and even now.

But sticking to the plan, I agree to do this. I mean I already have to go on a date with him anyway.

"Don't be suckered by him though, he is good at turning on the charm with people," she warns but I just roll my eyes. Only one charming man has ever won me over, and I know no one will measure up to him in the slightest. My heart was completely his and no one else could have it. Especially not someone like Victor.

My smile from my thoughts of Cassius quickly drops when Nicole carries on, "He's good at manipulating people." I look at her in confusion. Why would you use that adjective for someone you like. It's not necessarily a redeeming quality.

She starts to rant about Victor and how much she wants him back, and the toxicity of their relationship makes me tense. How he disliked her long hair so much, he would make her cut it. If it had grown out too long he wouldn't speak to her until she cut it to her shoulder. She called it cute, but I refrained from calling it what it actually was.

Abusive.

It sounds like they weren't apart for even a second, she even laughs about how many fights he would cause because some guy would just look at Nicole, God forbid speak to her.

People find this cute?

Trying to use this as an opportunity to learn more about Victor I question with caution. "So Victor owns the nightclub, is that his only job?"

She shakes her head and laughs, "No my friends actually introduced us through other lines of work..."

Emphasis on 'lines' I guess.

I looked at her blankly, hoping she would carry on. She scoots closer to me and whispers in my ear the answer I already knew, "Drugs."

I look at her and question if she takes them, worried for her. She vehemently shakes her head saying she used to but not only more. "My only drug now is Victor." The cheesy line may have been sweet in any other circumstance, but in this one it makes me feel ill.

She wasn't this bad with her other boyfriends, she bounced back quite quickly actually, but it had been two weeks since they had broken up, and she is still obsessing over him.

Victor definitely seems like a problematic boyfriend and an even worse person. None of this was making me feel better about spending time with him, but I want to help Cassius and also help Nicole. She wants back a monster, a killer.

Victor deserves to be locked up. Cassius deserves to have this taken off his conscience and grieve for his brother.