Trapped Soul

Chapter 21 - Something Left Behind

"I'm sorry" Esposito said and when I glanced up I saw both him and Ryan looking down with shame.

"No, it's okay, you didn't know" I said and I felt Rick kiss the top of my head.

There was a silent for a few minutes while they tried to process what I had just told them. Rick took my hand and intertwined our fingers. I looked up at him, looking into his blue eyes. They gave me as much comfort as his touch did. As for many times in the past few days I wish my life could've been normal so I could've had a normal life with him. A life where we didn't have to run. A life where we were safe. A life were we might have been able to be together forever.

"Did she give anything to you? Or to anyone else for that matter? If she had proof she couldn't just keep it to herself, right?" Ryan asked and I looked at him.

I shook my head in disappointment.

"I asked her collegues, no one had a clue what I was talking about and once the police wrote her murder of as a random gang violence no one even gave what I said a second thought. I wasn't even legal yet and they thought I was demented because of my loss" I said with a sad tone in my voice.

I didn't like telling them this. Not that I didn't want them to know, I had finally realized I needed their help if I was ever going to be able to be safe, plus they were in so deep that they deserved to know the whole truth or at least what they needed to know. The only reason I didn't like telling them was because of the pain I relived by only talking about it. If it wasn't for Rick's presence and his hand squeezing my hand a little now and then I would've been on the floor completely broken by now. That's how much comfort he was able to give me.

"What was the last thing she gave you before walking out for her mission?" Lanie asked and I looked down.

I raised my hand to my chest and held it over the ring that was underneath my shirt. I sighed and pulled it out.

"This was the last thing she gave to me, it's her engagement ring my dad gave her" I said and Lanie looked at me with a questioning look.

"You're dad, is he alive?" she asked and I shook my head.

"He died when I was a baby" I answered.

They all sank a little, except Esposito who kept looking at the ring I held between my fingers.

"Can I see it?" he asked and I raised my eyebrows.

I looked at Rick who shrugged but nodded. I took off the necklace and walked towards Esposito. My hand trembled as I carefully laid the ring and neckace in his open palm. He carefully examined the ring and then his face lit up a bit.

"I think she left something to you after all" he said and gave it back to me before he grabbed his phone and went out of the room.

"What?" I asked and looked after him but he was already gone.

I looked at Lanie, then Ryan and lastly at Rick. All of them looking as clueless as me.

"Maybe we should continue looking into the papers" Lanie said and Ryan nodded.

The two of them dug into the papers they had been reading before me and Rick had gotten inside. Rick pulled a little in my hand and I turned to him. He nodded towards the stairs with a small smile on his lips. I put on my necklace again and hid it under my shirt. I followed Rick up the stairs and he led me into a bedroom.

"How are you?" he asked and looked at me.

I knew there was no point in lying to him, he somehow knew me too well to see through my lies.