Stranger // [Justin Bieber]

Chapter 26

Will leans in front of the counter, "God dammit Leah, I'm telling you the truth! I wasn't allowed to tell you that I was assigned to you. If anything, you should be mad at him!"

"I trusted you Will and you betrayed me," I say coldly, looking away.

Will sighs, "Let's just forget it. I just came to say goodbye."

My eyes shoot back up, "What? Where are you going?"

"Mr. Leigh is sending me to go look for your-" he looks at my eyes widening giving him the look, "I mean he is sending me abroad to do some training."

My heart flutters knowing exactly what he was about to say. He's going to search for my parents? Has there been news that  I missed?

"When will you be back?" I sound like I'm about to cry.

"I don't know," he looks at me with a warm smile, "I'll see you around okay?"

"No wait! Will! I forgive you!" I run to him when he turns around.  I can't lose my best friend over this.

He laughs and pulls me in to a hug, "It's about high time bitch," he whispers.

I can't help but laugh and hug him tighter, "I missed you."

"Oh honey, I would miss me too," he sasses.

I roll my eyes. I can't believe he is already giving me lip seconds after he comes crawling asking for forgiveness.

He sees my face and adds, "I mean, I missed you too boo boo."

"Shall I put on the kettle for some tea?" Justin asks in a very English accent, teasing us.

"When are you going away?" I ask Will after we sat down and just chatted for a while.

"Tomorrow."

I almost spit out my tea, "What? So soon!" Okay there was definitely something going on that I wasn't aware of.

"Where are you going?" Justin asks in oblivion.

"South Africa," Will mutters before he realizes he said too much.  His eyes widens and an awkward silence fills the room.

"What's going on?" Justin asks. He knows there's something we're not telling him.

I stutter and go red in the face before standing up, "I'll explain everything to you, I promise, but right now I need to speak with Will alone," I plead, "Please?"

Justin looks like he doesn't really want to, but stands up and walks out his own living room.

"What the hell is going on?" I ask the moment we're alone.

"Leah, Mr. Leigh tracked down one of the trucks near the boarder that his son rented back in South Africa. Your parents passports were found in the truck!"

I let the words sink in, "They're alive," I whisper.

He nods and smiles, "I'm going to go help Leah, you need your parents after all you've been through."

I notice the meaning in his voice, "So he told you then? About his son?"

"Yes, I begged him to put me on the team. I wanted to make things right with you. So he needed to tell me, I read your whole file."

"Your secret is safe with me," Will says in a reassuring way after I am struck with numbness.

I nod, unable to allow myself to have a glimpse of hope that my parents might be alive. This isn't right. How is Will ending up going back to my homeland to search for loved ones and I'm living some kind of false and glorified life. 

Was I beginning to forget who I am? 

"I should come with," I say softly.

He shakes his head, "Absolutely not! Don't even think about it. You know it's not safe for you to go back," his voice is more comforting than what I've ever heard before.

---

Countless pieces of glass shatter on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night.

"Damn it!" I hiss, looking down at the mess I made. I sigh and search for a broom somewhere in Justin's kitchen.

I can't help but let a few tears drop to the floor as I think about what my life is becoming. Fame and pointless celebrity gossip is not what I want for myself. Thousands of my people are still fighting for survival in a country where blood flows on the streets everyday. My mom and dad are still fighting, Blake is still fighting.

"Leah?" I hear Justin's worried voice behind me.

I try to wipe the tears, but he already saw them.

"What the hell is going on?" he furrows his brows, opening his arms to hold me.

I stutter, "Just a st- stupid gl- glass!"

"You know I didn't refer to the glass," he mutters.

All the emotions I've been hurdling, burst in to a thousand tears at once. I break down, crying in to Justin's warm embrace. 

"Leah, talk to me," he begs, bringing my chin up to look at him.

I shake my head, "You won't love me anymore," thinking of all the secrets and lies I've told to keep safe.

"You own my heart, nothing you say can change that," he reassures me, "unless you've cheated on me, then I'd have to kick you out."

I chuckle through the tears, "I would never cheat," I say.

"I know, so why don't you start telling me what you've been keeping from me?"

"My whole life," I whisper.

"I don't understand."

I look at him, biting my tongue. I can't possibly lose anything more than what I already have. I take him by the hand, leaving the mess on the floor behind. I walk up the stairs and drag him to my favorite room - the music room. It calms me.

"You're really worrying me Leah," he admits as he brings my hand up to kiss it, not letting go.

I take a deep breathe, "For starters, my real name is Calista."

- - -

Guuuuys! We find out everything about Leah/Calista in the next chapter! I've been working really hard on it!

Please vote and comment if you're just as excited and nervous to know what her story is.

-euodiadem