Beautiful Disaster

Chapter 18: Suspicion

Suspicion

"Chloe..." I stopped dead in my traps - something that seemed to happen a lot lately - when I heard Cap's voice when Bonnie and I hobbled out of Meghan's apartment.

"Cap... what, what are you doing here?"

"Yeah, Cap?" Bonnie emphasized.

Worry and guilt flashed in his eyes briefly before saying, "I, I came when I saw your car drive so franticly -"

"You were following me?"

"Yeah. I know it's dorky and verging on stalker-like, but I had to make sure you were okay. You seem... on edge lately." I gulped in guilt. He's been acting weird lately so I was on edge but I still warmed at his concern.

"Humph," Bonnie sounded.

"What's going on?"

"You don't know?" I said too quickly.

"Uhm, no."

"Meghan's dead..."

"What?"

"Yeah, we found her body with a lot of slashes on and a message was carved on her body."

"I warned you..." He said as if enlightened, my pulse increased. How could Cap have known?

"How do you know?" Bonnie asked.

"Uh, lucky guess." He said too quickly.

"Hmmm..."

"Chloe, you look awful. Come home with me?" He said, outstretching his hand out. "Please?" He said as the look of hesitance was shown clearly in my face. I didn't know if I wanted to be alone with Cap.

"Okay... Bonnie?"

"Okay... Bonnie can come, too."

I took his hand, shivering at its coldness. Cap led us both to his Jeep and we reluctantly got in.

Bonnie gasped as she saw Cap's hillside mansion. "Wow! You live in this?" She asked as she got out, rain pelting her as she got out. Cap laughed softly.

"Coat?" He asked me and before I could even think about protesting, his Lanvin coat covered me, leaving only my head exposed to the harsh climate.

"Thanks." I whispered and we walked into the home.

As I entered the home I was once again engulfed by familiarity which immediately comforted me.

"Where's Christiana?" I asked.

"On a date with some rich aristocrat." Cap lips twitched on its edges as if laughing at some inside joke. I couldn't help but warm at the beauty of his face.

"Sounds like a lucky girl." Bonnie said.

"Sure does," Cap agreed. "But not as lucky as me," he said as he looked into my eyes with such warmth and love with his black eyes that I couldn't help but flush.

"Aw, you're just too sweet." I said to him. "Goodnight, Bon." I said to Bonnie as she walked into one of the spare bedrooms.

"Use protection!" She yelled. I cried behind my laugh. Meghan use to say that...

Cap led me to his room and sat me on his bed.

"You need new clothes," he said, kissing my forehead lightly. I looked down at my blouse and winced. It was blood-stained beyond what a Laundromat could fix. Sighing, I took off my blouse before I dialed 911 telling them all I found out.

I walked over to the mirror in Cap's room and stared at my reflection. Blood had seeped through my blouse so my now half-naked abdomen was stained with Meghan's dried blood. Trying to wipe it off, I gasped at the sight of my face. My hair was in a mess, face stained with dried blood and eyes bloodshot. A tear escaped my eyes as I ran a finger down my face scarred with maroon. I jumped when I turned around, seeing Cap staring at me intensely. I wiped my eyes and inhaled, trying to smile reassuringly.