Page 52 of The Cleaner

I sit on the couch, my mind racing with everything Travis just told me. The weight of the situation feels like it's crushing me. Maverick is the Cleaner. He's investigating Leon's death. And I'm the one who killed Leon.

My phone buzzes, and I jump. It's a text from Maverick.

Maverick: You've ruined me, babe. You’re all I can think about. I’ll see you soon.

I stare at the message, my heart pounding. How can something so simple make me feel so conflicted? On one hand, I'm thrilled that he's thinking about me. On the other hand, I'm terrified of what might happen if he discovers the truth.

I type out a response, delete it, and type again. Finally, I type something simple, hoping I can get my head on straight before he gets here.

Me: Can’t wait. See you soon.

As soon as I hit send, I toss the phone aside and bury my face in my hands. What am I going to do? I can't lie to Maverick, but I can't tell him the truth either. The weight of my secrets feel like it's crushing me.

I force myself to take a deep breath. I need to pull myself together before Maverick arrives. I can't let him see how rattled I am. I head to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face and staring at my reflection in the mirror.

"You can do this," I tell myself firmly. "He’ll never have to know.”

But as I look into my own eyes, I see the doubt there. The fear. The guilt. I've never felt this conflicted about my job before. Then again, I've never fallen for someone either. Maverick makes me feel alive, makes me feel wanted and beautiful. Something I’ve never felt before.

I hear a knock at the door and my heart leaps into my throat. He's here. Earlier than I expected. I take one last deep breath and dry my face and hands.

I pull the front door open with a bright smile. But that smile soon fades when I see who’s standing on my doorstep. “What the hell are you doing here?” I snarl.

“Lisa,” he says, his voice low and filled with regret. “I’ve missed you.”

I stare at the man I once called my dad. He’s changed, gotten older since I last saw him. His hair is now more grey than brown, and there are deep lines etched around his eyes and mouth. But he’s still the same man. He broke me and I hate him.

"You can't be here," I finally manage to say, my voice trembling slightly. "You need to leave. Now." I can’t deal with him, not now, probably not ever.

He takes a step forward, and I instinctively back away. "Please, Lisa," he pleads. "Just give me a chance to explain. I know I've made mistakes?—"

"Mistakes?" I laugh bitterly. "Is that what you call abandoning me, leaving me lying on that hospital bed—a mistake?" I shake my head, my anger bubbling to the surface. “I don’t know what the hell happened to you. We were happy and you ruined it. That whore of yours hated me so much that she gave me that rope and you left me for her.”

His face crumples at my words, but I can't bring myself to care. Years of anger and hurt are pouring out of me now. I can’t stop it. It’s been built up for so long, and now I finally have the outlet to let it all out.

"Lisa, please," he begs, his voice breaking. "I know I can never make up for what I did, but I know what I did. I just... I needed to see you, to tell you how sorry I am."

I shake my head, fighting back tears. "Sorry doesn't cut it,Ben. You left me when I needed you most. Do you have any idea what I've been through? What I've had to do to survive?"

He flinches at my words, and I see genuine pain in his eyes. But it's not enough. It will never be enough.

"I don't want your apologies," I say, my voice cold. "I want you to leave. Now."

“Please,” he pleads. “Just give me a chance to explain.”

Is he for real? "You left me for dead," I spit out. "Do you have any idea what that did to me? How long it took me to recover, physically and mentally?" I shake my head, tears forming in my eyes. Why does he always hurt me? “I needed you. I laid in that hospital bed, my throat burning. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move, and all I wanted was my dad.”

I hear footsteps but ignore them. I need to get rid of this man in front of me.

“Because of you, I have no parents. Not biological ones anyway. I hate you for what you did.”

He shakes his head, his eyes filled with tears. “Please,” he whispers. “Please, Lisa, give me a chance.”

“Is she still with you?” I ask, needing to know if he stayed with that bitch.

He looks down at his hand, and I see the wedding ring nestled on his finger. I guess that answers my question. “Leave,” I hiss. “Go. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

He reaches out for me, but before he can touch me, Maverick’s there, his hand gripping Ben’s wrist and twisting it away from me. "I believe the lady asked you to leave," Maverick says, his voice low and dangerous.

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