Ares snatched my wrist before I could turn, and I was hauled to his body.
The clothes were my lifesaver, and his gloves too. But his face inches away from mine, I didn’t know how to survive that. Because I knew deep down, the instant he sealed his lips on mine, my body would betray .
"Let go..." I murmured, but Ares didn’t budge.
However, I could sense the internal turmoil; his eyes were sharper and pierced through mine like a blade. He’s struggling, and I don’t fucking care about his struggles.
"Haven’t you taken enough? Would you prefer I go insane until you decide you’re bored?"
I successfully yanked away from his hold, rubbing my wrist. My heated glare was as if I was on the verge of setting him on fire.
In silence, I turned on my heel, walking, feeling my entire body hurt, from head to toe.
I slowed down and threw a look over my shoulder. Ares stood so impossibly still like a statue, yet for so reason, I could tell he was on the verge of coming at .
I didn’t let him.
I went back inside the apartnt.
~☆~
I opened the curtains, eyeing the spot his car was last night. Every trace of him was gone. I internally fought whatever magnet had made do sothing as stupid as going down to him.
I should have stayed back and flipped a middle finger.
I heard my phone vibrate and I sniffed, looking towards the counter. The screen was blinking before turning off.
I lazily walked to it and grabbed it. I got a text from soone.
Unknown: I heard you were looking for .
Wait, is that...!
~☆~
I got out of the cab and shut the door, eyeing the five-story apartnt building.
I walked towards it, taking the stairs. It took a while before I made it to the door with the number sent to . I pressed the doorbell, waiting a few minutes before I heard a voice.
"Who’s there?"
"Um..." I neared the device. "It’s , Catherine. Catherine Lane."
There was a mont of silence before I heard the door unlock multiple tis. When the door opened, I saw a woman with shoulder-length hair and white streaks on the front.
"I’ll be damned..." She eyed from head to toe. "You look so much like Hannah."
I forced a smile. "H-Hi"
Lena gave a soft look before embracing . It was brief before she pulled back.
There was an awkward silence before she spoke. "Co in."
"T-Thank you." I stepped in, and the door closed behind , and I heard the locks.
I certainly wasn’t hearing things. She had multiple deadbolts and chain locks on that thing.
I cleared my throat, looking towards her living room. It was big and cozy, with every piece of furniture you could need and more. It had an amazing view, too.
I heard a bark, and I flinched, a Golden Retriever coming towards and wagging its tail.
"Don’t mind old Frankie there, that’s his welco bark."
Frankie ca close to , and I smiled, giving him a little head scratch.
"When I got a call from my forr precinct, I was wondering who still even rembers ."
"So I was at the right precinct then?"
"95th, the mories. Please sit."
"Thank you," I said, and got comfortable.
"You live alone?" I asked, passing a swift look around.
"Oh yes, the best. Don’t you agree?"
"Y-Yeah!"
"Do you want anything to drink or..."
"No, no, I’m fine, really."
She sat opposite , and Frankie ca and lay next to her leg.
"You got sothing on your glasses, I think a little bit of snow there." Lena pointed out.
"Oh? Is there?" I took it off and used my scarf to wipe it off. I don’t see anything, so I guess it must have been fog or sothing.
"I’ll be damned again...."
"What?"
"Mrs. King."
My smile slowly faded.
"At first, I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe it was a coincidence that you looked like her."
"T-That’s um..."
"You married Ares King." There was a shift in her tone.
"That’s a long story."
"Really?"
"Yes," I forced a smile. "I actually ca to see you because..." I paused. "Actually, I just found out that my mom was in the force and that you were her partner, so... She ntioned you in her diary, and that’s how I know."
"And here you are..."
"Here I am..." I nodded slowly. "Honestly, I don’t know what to say or how to feel. I thought I knew my mom all these years growing up, but one discovery was all it took to find out I never did."
"And?"
"I’m not mad, or about the fact that it was kept from all the ti. I figured I learned about it at the right ti."
Lena dipped her gaze. "I’m guessing you didn’t just co for a get-together with mommy’s old partner."
"I did wanna et who my mom talked about in her diary."
She smiled sadly. "We weren’t just partners, you know. We were best friends. I was there at her funeral. You probably don’t rember , but I gave you a rose to drop on the casket. She loved roses."
"T-That was you?"
She nodded. "Yes. How long has it been? Twenty?"
"Eighteen..."
"Ah.... I stopped counting." She took a photo fra from the table and turned it to .
It was a picture of her and my mom together. They smile so bright that the picture lit up in a way.
"Her death broke . I couldn’t get into work anymore or even last with any other partner that wasn’t her. Hannah was strong, and that kind of strength was hard to see in anyone else. She had this spirit that pulls anyone in. That was how she t Vincent."
"Dad..." I said, feeling heavy hearing his na.
"He was the complete opposite of her but they blended well. I recall urging her to take that shot."
I smiled.
Lena set the picture down. "After her death... I just, I don’t know. It wasn’t like it used to. I stayed for a while but then... I turned in my badge and never looked back."
"Lena..." I gulped. "What case was my mom working on before she died?"
"You sure you wanna know that, kiddo?"
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