All Of You

Chapter Fourteen | Be My Lawyer

MARIA

"How long has this been going on?" Calix demanded to know as I sat on the couch infront of him after I had changed into more appropriate clothes.

"First of all, we are not dating and there is nothing like that. Secondly, I met him coincidentally here and--"

He cut me off. "How long, Maria?"

"A few...weeks."

"Weeks?! And you didn't tell me? You didn't tell anyone about his location?!"

"No, I didn't! I didn't want him to be arrested, okay?!" I finally shouted back.

He took a deep breath and sat beside me, cupping my cheeks, his tone softening, "He could have hurt you, Maria. He is dangerous."

"I have known him all my life, Calix. He won't hurt me."

He removed his hands from my face, his eyes glistening with tears. "And he was my best friend for twenty years yet he hurt me, betrayed me. What makes you so special?"

"Calix, you are not telling his location to anyone, please. Leave him alone."

"How long do you think he will live like a coward? He has to be punished for what he did."

"I will not let you have him arrested!" I don't care if he killed Carsten or not, he is not going anywhere. If I have to fight for him, I will.

Calix and I stared at each other until Calix broke the silence by saying, "You love him." It was not a question rather a statement.

My heart skipped a beat and I said instead, "Please, for my sake, leave him alone. I know you still care for him, please."

He ignored whatever I said and asked instead, "Do you love him?"

"Yes, I do!" I confessed.

His eyes widened slowly and clutching his head with his fingers, he threw back his head upon the couch. "Maria, how could you love him? Out of all the men in the world, you fell for a criminal?"

"No, you tell me, did you decide that you will fall for Althea? Could you control your feelings for her?"

His jaw clenched and he titled his head towards me. "Don't bring my wife into this. This is different, at least she isn't a fucking criminal."

"For me, he is not a criminal either! I fell for him when I was much younger."

"When?"

"Does it matter?"

"When, Maria?" He asked more firmly.

"When I was a teenager, okay? And I even confessed my feelings to him on my eighteenth birthday but he rejected me."

He cursed underneath his breath and rubbed his temples. "You are not going to see him again."

"Yes, I will. You can't keep me away from him, Calix.

"Maria." He warned. "Stop this madness right now."

"No, you need to leave, Calix. Just leave me alone, go back home. And don't you dare tell anyone about him or else I will fight you all if I have to." I stated, shooting him a glare.

"You are wasting your time on him. That man doesn't know how to love. You will be disappointed and hurt when it all comes to an end."

"I know what I am getting myself into. I am twenty two years old and not a kid, if you really care about me, just leave me alone."

He stared at me for a long moment, breathing heavily before getting up and walking to the door. "Don't come to me crying in the end."

"I won't. And you better keep your mouth shut and leave from here."