Chapter 225: Sealed Lips I heard my burner phone ring. Shit! I haven’t changed the SIM yet. I picked. "Tori, you shouldn’t have called this line back..." "Are you okay?" I sniffed. "Trying to be." "You saw the article, didn’t you?" "What article?" "Don’t play dumb with me!" After all these years, she still knows me better than anyone else. "So what if I did... a news like that was surely gonna hit the screens soon." "Yeah, I guess..." "What?" I could sense something was wrong. "Nothing just—" "Tori." "Look, I didn’t wanna tell you. I mean, you had made plans for a long time. I was afraid that if I told you, then you would just go off the grid again, and you wouldn’t get the chance to see your grandparents." "Tori, talk to me. What’s wrong?" "It’s about Ares." I hated how much my insides shook whenever his name was mentioned. It was as if my entire body was designed to act on it like a switch. "He’s been coming to my pub and asking about you. It started a year ago, almost close to when we started talking. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything until now." I shook my head. "T-That has to be wrong." "No? I mean, something like this means he’s been looking for you all this time, and this is not a guess. I think he’s actually still is." I gulped. "I-It’s been five years, Tori, That’s not possible..." "I don’t think the Devil cares about that." My hands trembled, and it was difficult to keep them steady while holding the phone. "Cat?" "Y-Yeah?" "You good?" I don’t reply because saying I am was basically a lie. I don’t know how to feel right now. It was hard enough all these years. I assumed he might be searching for me, and somewhere along the line, I didn’t have to worry about it, but now... I’m shaken to the core. "Does this mean you have to cut off contact again?" Reed and I usually did this as a rotation. We changed location and identities, not staying around for long, but after I had Esme, I decided I didn’t wanna live that way anymore. I began using my name again, and we settled down in a small town so that Esme could have a normal childhood. Reed didn’t like the idea, but he understood me and worked everything out. However, leaving everything behind broke a part of me, and I couldn’t just abandon the only family I had, so I resumed contact with my grandparents. Although it was difficult, I did my best. "Cat? Please talk to me." "I’ll call you. Don’t try this line again. I’m changing it." "Wait—" I ended the call before she could say anything else and switched off the phone. I ran a hand through my hair in distress. I can’t believe he’s still searching until now. I walked up the stairs to Esme’s room, and she was fast asleep. Her fifth birthday was coming up in two months, and I hoped to celebrate it with Gramps and Granny. They were really looking forward to seeing her. When I told them the news, I dreaded many things, but I didn’t have anything to worry about because they welcomed her with open arms. I smiled at the memory. Sitting on the bed, I push some strands off her face. Esme was looking forward to this, and the thought of taking that away from her didn’t feel right. The moment I let Reed know, we were gonna have to leave town and everything else we had built here. God knows when I’d be able to talk with my family again. What am I gonna do? ~☆~ "You’re sulking." I blinked away and looked to Maria. "I’m not sulking..." "You sure about that?" "Yes, maybe I am... I mean, look..." I emphasised to my empty diner. "There’s not a soul here." "Yeah, because it’s normal, school is in session, folks are at work, and doing whatever. Just another day in our small town, Penrose. Now tell me why you are sulking...?" "I’m not—" "Is it about Reed? Tell me it is! I think it’s about time you two rip each other’s clothes and go feral. If you won’t have him, I will—" "Maria!" "What? I’m serious, though... because I don’t know how you do it. He’s a walking hot meat that needs to get clapped. How can you just have those goodies in front of you and go... nun?" "Remind me why you’re a woman and not a man? Seriously, you chase anything with a snake between the legs." She shrugged. "I’m a chick who knows the taste of meat—Ow!" I hit her with my notebook, and she jumped away. "Hey!" "The deserts won’t make themselves!" "Alright, alright! Chill!" She pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen. That girl. I took a look around the space. Of course, it was totally normal by this time of the day, and when we got to it, there were usually more people who came to hang around. However, my thoughts were somewhere else; it’s been a week since I heard from Tori, and her words still created a hole. I haven’t summoned the courage to tell Reed yet, and my lips have been sealed ever since. I wasn’t exactly panicking. Yes, Ares could still be searching for me, but he can’t find me. I got distracted when I heard the bell. "Hey, sheriff!" I pitched going back to my usual cheerful self. "Ms. Walker." He took off his hat. "Already here for your afternoon coffee, I was expecting you earlier." "Yeah, I missed the usual morning run because the fuse box got faulty." "Oh..." "Don’t worry, Reed already took care of it. Thank God for him." "That’s nice to hear. The usual?" "Yes." He dropped his hat on the table. I smiled. "Coming right up." It took a few minutes before I set the mug in front of him, and he took a sip, humming in delight. "Just what I needed." "Work tough these days?" I asked, going back to my note, finally having it in me to make accounts. "Not exactly. Someone just bought that house across the street. The one that belonged to that newlywed couple."