Siding With The Killer

5) You Really Know How To Break A Girl's Heart

FIVE

            I slid the thin brush, covered in Magenta Mirage Maybelline nail polish, over my nails as the newscaster’s voice sounded from the TV. The digital clock on my side table read 7:49 pm, Monday. I had absolutely no plans. My photo shoot had ended at three in afternoon and I’d done nothing since then. I was terribly bored and it was killing me. I blew on the top coat of nail polish I had just applied as I turned to the TV.

            “…Isabella Bowman, age twenty six, was found dead in her car at around 7:30 on March fourth. At first, police officers thought it was just a fatal car accident, but as ambulances arrived to take the victim to the hospital, they realized the victim had been stabbed to death, which mostly likely caused her to spin off the road. The murder weapon, a kitchen knife, was found in the backseat of the car in later investigation. The New York Police Department does not want to release too much information but-” I grabbed my remote, quickly hitting the off button. If I wanted to sleep tonight, I couldn’t watch this. We all know the details, why do they repeat it on the news every day for us to have watch over and over.

            I threw the remote in a random direction. It skid across the floor until it hit the wall. I grabbed the pillow next to me and hugged it to my chest. I couldn’t turn on the TV without the Isabella Bowman case being shoved into my face. If there was anything I hated more than crying, it was being comforted. Looking weak was my weakness. I refused to cry, even if I was alone, and I refused to let someone make me feel better out of pity. I looked down at the pillow I was clutching. In the process of throwing the remote I’d smudged my purple nail polish. Ugh.

            My phone let out a loud ring that made me jump. Since my nails were already smudged, I casually scooped up my phone, not caring what happened to the polish. The Caller ID read Gabriel Soriano. What did Sherlock Holmes want this time? I rolled my eyes, plopping back on my couch. I slid the slide to answer arrow on the lock screen as I picked up Gabriel’s call.

            “Hey Gabriel,”

            “Skye, could we meet up at McMilligan’s?”

            “We met three days ago, isn’t it a little quick to be asking me on a date?” I laughed. If he had another idea about the whole Isabella thing, why didn’t he just send a group message? Why did Gabriel only want to talk to me?

            “It’s about Isabella, Skye,” He said. I rolled my eyes. God, take a joke.

            “Aww, and here I was thinking you were ready to confess your inevitable love for me,” I said sarcastically. “You, Gabriel Soriano, really know how to break a girl’s heart,”

_ _ _ _

            I sauntered into McMilligan’s once again, for the third time since Isabella’s funeral. The stench was starting to become familiar to me- sad but true. I spotted Gabriel in no time, the top of his head sticking out from a booth at the side of the restaurant. I walked over to join him, sliding into the seat opposite to him.

            “I’m here. What are your other two wishes?” I smirked, unwrapping my Alexander McQueen skull-print silk scarf from around my neck and tossing it beside me.

            “To talk to you, and for you to talk back,” He replied.

            “Oh, my middle school teachers always told me I was great at talking back, unless you’re talking about that other magical thing called having a conversation,” I said, resting my elbows on the thick, wood table and leaning forwards. Gabriel laughed as he took a long sip from his water, glancing at something behind me. I ignored it.