The Devil And His Mistake (18+)

Part Five

  Wayne looked me over, a steady look. "Your forehead creases, your nose scrunches and you fidget when you lie. Did you know that?" He seemingly purrs. 

  My lips part to reply, but they shut a moment later. I had no reply to that. "Your nose scrunch is slight and lasts barely half a second, but it's there. It was there when you gave me that answer then." He continues. He knows me. I hate that he knows me. I hate that he can work me out so easily. 

  Like he said, it comes with the job. "I had a brother, and a sister." I admit, I hate myself for allowing myself to be vulnerable with him.  Wayne tilts his head to the side. The movement was slight and slow, but it was visible. I swallowed the memories. "My brother died and my sister is..." I looked down. 

  I didn't know how to tell him that my sister had been kidnapped as a child, and had been missing ever since. The police told us she'd be dead now, it had been years, but no body was ever found. "My sister was kidnapped. Her body was never found but she's dead." I cough, my nerves and emotions are getting the better of me. 

  I was fidgeting now, but it wasn't because I was lying. I couldn't force myself to look up at Wayne. Nine days ago he had been a stranger that I'd despised, and now, he was the man that I trusted my deepest and darkest secrets with. 

  How funny can life be sometimes? "I'm sorry." He states, and for the first time I can hear the vulnerability in his voice. My eyes snap up to his. He's already looking at me, his caramel eyes glossy and bright. "Thank you." He adds, seemingly searching my face. "For trusting me with this, Lillie Rose." He finishes. 

  Wayne's voice was deeper than the emotions I'd buried for my siblings. For me. "Hey, we're engaged, right?" I smiled, but the smile didn't reach my eyes. It was a forced smile, and I couldn't bring myself to muster up the energy to fake it any better. 

  I'd never spoken about my brother, or my sister. I'd never even mentioned them. "My brother was twelve and I was nine and he uh-" I looked down at my food. It looked so appealing just minutes ago, now It made me feel sick just looking at it. I swallowed. "He uh, he came home from school one day and our mum was passed out drunk and her boyfriend, he-" I felt my heart racing. "He was hurting me and my brother had never seen him doing that before and he tried to stop Dave-" I felt my face scrunch up in pain at the sound of his name falling from my mouth. 

  I finally found the strength to look up at Wayne. He looked every bit terrifying right now. His eyes were dark but glossy with pain - pain for me. "Malachi jumped in to stop him but Dave swung around and hit him and my brother hit his head on the corner of the bedside table as he fell back." with each word that fell from my mouth, I could feel my eyes stinging and my vision becoming blurry. 

  I'd never spoken about it. I'd only had nightmares about it, but I'd never spoken it out loud. "I am so fucking sorry. It's hard enough for an adult to witness that but for a nine-year-old little girl, fuck." His own voice cracked with that last cuss. 

  This time, as I spoke, my gaze remained fixed on him, finding comfort there now. "It happened, I'm fine now." I lied, my voice breaking with that one word. Fine. I was far from fucking fine, but no one would ever know. 

  No one did know, until now. "You don't have to lie to me, Lillie." Wayne's gaze softened some more and my heart wrenched at the sight. "I've witnessed a lot too, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst fucking enemy." He admitted and I nodded in response.