Page 41 of No Mercy
She stops a few steps in front of me, her eyes full of suspicion. “What do you want from me?” Her voice cracks, but the angerinside is clear, mixed with something else, fear… Confusion maybe.
“Why are you here? Why do you keep showing up randomly? What the hell do you want from me?”
A part of me can’t tell if she’s furious or scared, or even if it’s both. Her body is tense, her fists clenched at her side as her chest rises and falls quickly, but I can see the vulnerability hiding behind the anger in her eyes. No matter how hard she tries to hide it, I see it there, lingering.
I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words.
“I’m not here to hurt you Eva.” The words come out rougher than I intended, causing her to take a step back. “I don’t know what you think I’m here for, but I just… I like to make sure you’re okay.”
She scoffs at my words. “Make sure I’m okay? You think you can just randomly appear in my life and playhero?” Her words match the roughness of my tone as her emotions try and fight their way back to the surface.
I watch her closely, taking note of how her eyes flick around the room, as if searching for a way out. I stay rooted to the spot, giving her space, not wanting to make her feel cornered.
This isn’t how I imagined it going.
In my head, I’d walk in, and she’d run straight to me, desperate for answers about what happened to Mandy, begging me to help. But no… Here I am, stuck in a standoff with a woman whose strength is almost as intimidating as her anger, but the longer I watch her, the more I admire it. The more I admire her.
The defiance in her eyes, the way she stands her ground, even when everything around her is falling apart, she doesn’t let it show.
“I just wan-” I don’t get the chance to finish my sentence as she holds her hand up in front of my face.
“Save it, I don’t care why you’re here, I have things I need to do, so close the door on your way out.” She says before walking past me, leaving me staring after her as she walks into another room.
When she’s out of sight I pull my phone out, sending Ant a quick text.
Axel:I need Mandy to call Eva, she needs to tell her that she is okay and she will see her soon.
It doesn’t take long for the distant sound of a phone ringing to break the silence. I strain to listen, hoping to catch what Eva says, but her voice is too soft, too far away as she speaks quietly.
I take a step toward the direction she went, but she reappears, wiping fresh tears from her flushed cheeks.
Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, we’re both still, frozen in time.
She looks down at her phone, and when she looks up again, there’s a small smile, but it’s there.
The shift is so sudden, I don’t know how to react.
I tilt my head, playing it off. “Is everything okay?” I ask, trying my best to sound clueless.
Her chest falls as she exhales deeply, “It will be.”
My eyes follow her as she heads back towards the sofa, “Are you not scared of me?” I ask her, intrigued to know the answer.
She shakes her head, “Why be scared when I know you’re going to turn up no matter what? At this point I might as well embrace the company.”
I can’t help but be shocked at her response, she sounded so calm that I could actually believe the words coming out of her mouth.
“Do you trust me?” I ask, as a plan forms in my mind.
She looks me in the eyes, except this time instead of anger, her eyes are full of mystery.
She pulls herself on to her knees, leaning over the back of the sofa, “You asked me that last night didn’t you? Unless you’re planning on murdering me, my answer hasn’t changed.” She responds, giving me the slightest smile.
A small laugh escapes me at her boldness. “I’ll never hurt you, buttercup. Unless you want me to, of course.”
Her mouth opens, then closes, clearly caught off guard by my response. Deciding that I’ve waited enough to touch her, I put my plan into motion. “Get dressed and meet me outside,” I say, turning and walking towards the door.
As soon as I step into the cold breeze, I hear her shout after me. “Where are we going?”
