Althea

|𝟭𝟴| 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆

He hasn't let go of my hand since we started walking down the dirt road.

Trees surrounded us and we may have been a little bit far away from town but I could still hear the sound of faint car alarms.

The wind whooshed past us and we were in a comfortable silence although I hated silence and of course started talking.

"That was...something wasn't it?" missed opportunity on a British accent with that sentence but now is not the time.

Enzo didn't say anything, only continued to look ahead. Although his head was slightly tilted away from me as if he didn't want to look at me or me to look at him.

"I didn't know..." I looked down at my feet "I didn't know that you went through all of those horrible things when you were younger. I didn't know that Mr. Peters could be capable of hurting his own wife and you. But if you had told me, maybe I could have-"

"Could have what, Althea?" When I looked up his dark eyes were on me. They were questioning and shameful like he blamed himself. For what? I didn't know. But what could I have done? We were friends...at least I think were still friends. I wasn't upset about the park anymore it was foolish to still be upset about that after what I've just learned. But if he had told me maybe I could have helped him. I don't know. Maybe I could have comforted him.

But at the park. Why did he leave? It was so sudden without any explanation.

Then I remembered.

As soon as I had said that mysterious guys name who I had run into not once but twice, Enzo had left me. Who was that guy?

"Who's Declan?" I asked, finally.

Enzo let go of my hand and almost immediately a chill swept over me from the sudden lost of the warmth of his hand. I took my hand in my other one and kept my eyes on Enzo. His attention was once again looking out into the far distance. I could only see his side profile.

"I know that's why you left me at that park that night," I said "as soon as I said his name this look came over your face. Like you were scared or something," I paused and looked down at my goosebump covered arms "what were you scared of Enzo?"

"I'm not scared of anything," he snapped. My eyes widened, surprised at the sudden rise of his voice. He never raised his voice at me.

"Then what Enzo? I just want to help you-" I tried grabbing his hand again but he moved it out of reach by running his fingers through his dark hair, pushing it back and out of his face. It just tumbled right back into place.

"There's nothing to help me with, Althea. I'm fine. I promise, I'm okay." He looked me in the eyes this time as if to prove that he was telling the truth. Like he didn't just show up to his old foster mothers funeral to tell all of these strangers what he went through.

He's not okay. I know he's not okay. I can see it in the way his hands won't stop shaking whenever I'm not holding them and his eyes are unfocused even as he meets mine.