Amelia had everything- family, friends, a promising future- the sky was the limit. But just like that everything was taken from her. One moment she's planning her high school graduation party the next she's laying on a therapist's couch. It was as i...
My hands curled into fists at my sides. The blood quickly returned to my cheeks as I glared deeply into the mirror in anger. I wanted to vomit, and I was almost sure that I was going to. However, something else came out. The name which haunted my very thoughts, slithered off my tongue like a bitter tasting scotch.
"Mia."
She sneered.
"My, my. Look who's finally figuring shit out. It only took you nearly six years to learn my name, while you've done nothing but play pretend. Tell me, little girl, do you like playing pretend with your toy?"
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Visions of Elijah crept through my mind. Mia knew things about him that I probably couldn't even begin to understand. From what she showed me, it appeared that their last encounter together wasn't exactly a pleasant one. In that gorgeous gown, I remember how she stormed off the dance floor, and how urgently Elijah followed after her.
"What do you know about Elijah that you're not telling me?"
"Is he a good lover? I often wondered what it would be like with him. He seems like the kind of guy that likes having his women tied to the bed. The kind that needs control, always."
"Answer me," I demanded.
"Then again, that man could never handle someone like me. He's always been more interested in women who are innocent, weak, and naive. I guess that's what makes you so perfect for him," she hissed.
"Enough!" I squared my shoulders. I inhaled sharply before choosing my words. "What do you know?"
She tilted her head to the side. The same way a puppy does when it looks curiously at its owner. With curiosity and a sense of innocence.
"Would you believe me if I did tell you?" Mia asked.
"What reason would you have to lie?" This troubled individual was a lot of things, but a liar she wasn't.
A devilish smile wiped away any trace of innocence she had left.
"Perhaps the same reasons why Elijah has been lying to you all this time." Something lethal flickered behind her eyes. "You saw it, didn't you? The fear cracking through that fake facade of his. You had him cornered, practically pinned him against the wall. And you let him twist everything onto you. Manipulate you."
"That's not what happened-"
"Don't you dare make excuses for that lying bastard!"
I felt my heart slam against my rib cage. My hands grasped my chest, frantically, trying to calm myself.
She reached her hand out to me. Her eyes narrowed into me like knives being thrown.
"That's exactly what you made him feel. Fear. The fear of being discovered for who he truly is."
"Who is he then?"
"That's a question only you know the answer to. I've never, and will never, give that man a chance to ever explain who he is to me. It's you who has gotten to know who he is." Her lips pulled back, baring her teeth like an animal. It is you who has gotten to know who he is. "It's 'what' he is that you are so naive about."
If this girl could break through the reflected glass, she would have done so with her bare hands. Part of me wondered if she had ever tried to. Would it have been possible? Being pent up for years inside a locked room with only a window to look out of would drive anyone to the brink of insanity.
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Hell, I merely had a slight taste of that kind of madness only a few hours ago. Trapped on the other side of that black door. The thought alone of that horrible locked door inside my head still caused me to tense up.
But there had been a moment in time before I was introduced to that black door. A memory she was trying to show me of him. Aside from the anger inside of me there had been words attached to it.
My eyes fell closed. I began searching back for those words, that same hatred. I should have been worried how easily I was able to pull back such horrible emotions. Nevertheless, I did. I found that memory of the ballroom within the gorgeous gown draped at my feet. Soon came the voices.
". . . you're the most beautiful woman here. . ."
" . . . I didn't know I would be seeing you again. . ."
Deeper. I needed to look deeper. My teeth began grinding to the point of pain. I took in a deep inhale of breath.
". . . I was sent to find you. . .my job. . ."
Yes, his job. That man I was dancing with had somehow given away a vital piece of information that I managed to overlook. A Tracker.
Deep down, I knew the meaning of this term. Someone whose job it is to hunt you down like an animal. Someone whose job it is to get close to you and earn your trust.
. . . Mia was right.
Over the past few weeks I had gotten to know Elijah on a personal level. We had spoken to each other in a way as co-workers, friends, and even lovers. He told me things about his past that I'm sure he would never openly speak about with anyone else. And in return I had done the same by disclosing the secrets of my mental trauma. But, what if there was more to him that I was unable to see? If all I've been seeing was the good side of Elijah, then that meant Mia knew about the dark side of him.
My nails bit into the palms of my hands in fury. His voice played like an ongoing tape recorder in my head. I wanted to scream at the name that kept falling out of his mouth as he repeatedly left the dance floor.
". . . Mia . . . Mia . . . Mia. . ."
Tears gathered in my eyes. All air seized in my lungs. I lifted my head up to the mirror where Mia looked down at me in pity. Oh my god.
All this time I knew what Elijah Broderick was. I knew it subconsciously. And, somehow I managed to keep it suppressed in the back of my mind for years. However, something more terrifying had just reached the surface of my knowledge. Another vital piece of information I had yet again pushed aside. All this time, Elijah knew about my other half.
