Wolf in sheep's clothing || There was a girl, and there was a wolf ~

12. Tristan

The lights to Sheila's apartment are off.
There's no sound.
No movement.
It's late, everybody must have went to sleep.

I checked the recordings with Simone over and over until we realised we were the only ones from our sector, to not have left.
I sit on my couch, leaning back and sighing deeply as I close my eyes to take a moment for myself.
I don't know who the two people that went after my case's victim are.
I've been overthinking all day about the possibilities of their escape, or how they could hide anywhere, and time is passing without any clues coming up.

Just when I stand up, about to go shower, a faint knock comes from the door.
I stop right where I am, my muscles tense up and I patiently wait until there's a second knock.
Looking up at the clock on the wall, it's past midnight.
Nobody comes to visit me at this time of night. Nobody ever comes to visit me at all.
I walk to the door slowly, unlock it and ready my hand on the gun I have at the back of my belt, before opening it.
"Betty?" I ask confused when the first thing I notice is her shiny ginger hair.
"Tristan, can we talk?" She's almost whispering, she only speaks like that when she's about to cry.

"Why are you here?" I ask her with the deep, cold tone that she knows too well.
"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"
I see that she's stubborn and won't let it go, even when I clench my jaw as a response to the sight of her.
"Please, Tristan. It's important."
I notice her pleading eyes, her freckles bring memories that I promised myself to never think about.
"Make it quick." I finally give in and step aside, letting her come in my apartment for the first time after a year and a half.
"You still like to keep your lights off, I see." She glances at me and smiles softly but I don't budge.
I cross my arms up to my chest and watch her from the same position I had before, close to the door so I could open it and send her away as soon as she's done talking.

"Speak." I demand strictly.
"I want to apologise." Betty sighs, sitting on my couch like she still lives here.
"You already did."
"I didn't do it properly." She speaks with more seriousness, like she means it.
"Can you please turn the lights on? I need to see you." At her request I fight against my disapproval and turn the lights on, finally able to distinguish the furniture in the living room.
"What do you want?" I ask her annoyed and she stands up, walking right in front of me.
"I want our relationship back," her fingers touch my hand and trace over my arm, slowly.

"No." I take a step back from her.
"Tristan, I love you." She's sincere, I know it.
But my answer stays no.
"Go away, Betty. I don't have time for this." I walk towards the door but she grabs my arm and runs in front of me, stopping me from reaching the handle.
"Yes, you do. You just came from work, you have nowhere else to be but here, with me." Her grip on my arm tightens, tears shine in her eyes.
"Mason told you I went to see him, didn't he?" I look down at her, she's shorter than me.
Her height is just like blondie's.

"Yes, but I wanted to come sooner and I couldn't." I can only imagine why she didn't come before.
"You shouldn't have come." I comment through gritted teeth, the realisation that she's probably been busy with Ethan gives me an infuriating feeling.
"I love you." She says again and I sigh, exhausted.
"Go away."
"No, I want you to take me back." Her statement makes me laugh.
"Take you back!? After you cheated on me with my best friend!?" I'm getting mad.
All I wanted to do was sleep, literally.
Why did she have to come? Why did I let her in?

"I love you! Only you!"
"Say that to Ethan!" I say angrily, moving her aside with a hand and grabbing the door handle.
"I broke up with him!" Betty hurries to stop me and I slam my hands on each side of her, trapping her with her back to the only way out of there, where I actually wanted her to be.
"You're a fucking liar!" I shout and she finally shuts up.
"You lied to me five months, straight! You slept with Ethan in my bed! In my apartment! The apartment you lived in, with me!" My breath is heavy, given how much energy she takes from me.

She drains me of my very own soul, in the most painful and torturous ways.
"I'm not lying..." tears fall down her face.
Guilt washes over me and I step away from her, going to the sliding glass door showing on my balcony.
"I was an idiot, Tristan. I don't know why I did it, I swear." Betty's voice is as gentle as ever but deep down she's a careless, selfish woman.
Her arms wrap around me from behind, I clench my fists to not let myself fall for her tricks.
"I love you, not Ethan." She keeps lying, that's probably all she's good at.

"I want you to go away." This time, I speak softly.
"Don't send me away." She's begging me, I turn to face her.
"You know what you did."
"You still love me." She's trying to manipulate me. Her hands caress my cheeks and she leans in for a kiss but I grab her wrists and push her away gently.
"Tristan, please..."
I ignore her pleas and still holding one of her wrists, I lead her to the door.
"Please! Don't send me away!" Her voice raises, she fights me and tries to pull away but I pretend not to notice.
"Why are you acting like this!? This is not you!"

I stop and open the door.
"People change, Betty. They do it all the time."
"No. Not you. You don't change, you can't." She frowns, angry at me for refusing her advances.
"Bye." I tell her dryly before lightly pushing her out of my apartment and closing the door on her.
"I'll come back!" She yells from the outside and leaves angrily, her steps echo through the door.