βi donβt care about any of those things,β she says, meaning it. the relevance is lost on her. even if she had witnessed nino haines commit the crime then she still wouldnβt of cared a little. it was impossible. even though that man was meant to be dark and twisted, that he was meant to be capable of such a crime, she had only ever seen him as a stubborn and rejected little boy. he had not made her feel like there was anything more to him. he was nothing. he had let his self pity swallow him like the sea and even his attempts to claim back some power in his life was futile. had he been trying to kill virginia then why would he have cut the lights? the thought taunted her like a rabbit in the distance that a wolf could never tear the head off of, she saw nino haines as some small piteous creature and she knew that he had never wanted anyone to suffer except for his own father.Β βhe didnβt do it alone though, you must know,β she divulges, her voice gentle as she leans across the bar to grab a bottle from behind knowing that nobody would dare to confront her. she is the beast that nobody wishes to prod,Β βhe never would of wanted to KILL your mother. he probably just wanted to play with his father.β
her dark hair tumbles across her shoulders easily, a glance and a smile at the bar man who seems to decide to stay at the other side. she has brought tension wherever she goes, even those who claim to love and care for her quaker. even those who do neither tire of her relentless energy but she cannot change. she looks at nathaniel and his lifeless eyes and she does what she has done for her brother many times, what she has done for december, what she had done for her siblings when they needed it most even if they never needed her.Β βbeing ignored means that you matter. the word on the street changes every week, nathaniel,β she says, her voice quieting as she moves to press her palms atop of his knees on the stool, slotting in between them.Β βdoes it really matter what others think? you are one of the only good things left in vertmoor untouched by greed,β she tells him, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders,Β βyouβll never have to be afraid. whatever people sayβ¦ they donβt know anything about any of us.β
howΒ doesΒ oneΒ beginΒ toΒ describeΒ theΒ enigmaΒ thatΒ isΒ emilioΒ athanas?Β sheΒ wasΒ erratic,Β explosive,Β uncontrollable.Β peopleΒ wereΒ scaredΒ ofΒ herΒ andΒ theΒ thingsΒ sheΒ wasΒ capableΒ of.Β butΒ nathanielΒ canβtΒ everΒ thinkΒ ofΒ aΒ timeΒ heΒ wasΒ afraid.Β sheΒ leftΒ himΒ exasperatedΒ inΒ theΒ momentsΒ sheΒ wasΒ determinedΒ toΒ doΒ herΒ ownΒ thing,Β butΒ heΒ wouldΒ neverΒ letΒ herΒ doΒ themΒ alone.Β sheΒ didnβtΒ needΒ anyoneΒ toΒ beΒ softΒ towardsΒ her,Β sheΒ didnβtΒ needΒ orΒ expectΒ theΒ kindnessΒ andΒ affectionΒ thatΒ nathanΒ gave,Β butΒ heΒ foundΒ itΒ soΒ painfullyΒ easy.Β thereΒ wasΒ anΒ easeΒ inΒ theΒ wayΒ heΒ couldΒ wrapΒ hisΒ armsΒ aroundΒ herΒ andΒ anΒ easeΒ inΒ theΒ wayΒ heΒ couldΒ pressΒ aΒ kissΒ toΒ herΒ templeΒ theΒ sameΒ wayΒ heΒ couldΒ blanketΒ herΒ handΒ withΒ hisΒ jacketΒ beforeΒ sheΒ punchesΒ aΒ glassΒ wall.Β beyondΒ that,Β heΒ trustsΒ her,Β whichΒ isΒ whyΒ heΒ knowsΒ sheβsΒ rightΒ aboutΒ ninoβsΒ motivesΒ beingΒ hisΒ father.Β Β
heβsΒ sittingΒ thereΒ lookingΒ atΒ herΒ andΒ theΒ hardΒ lineΒ hisΒ mouthΒ hadΒ formedΒ softens.Β heβsΒ neverΒ neededΒ herΒ likeΒ thisΒ before,Β butΒ inΒ thatΒ momentΒ sheΒ wasΒ theΒ onlyΒ personΒ capableΒ ofΒ trulyΒ makingΒ himΒ feelΒ better.Β nathanielΒ reachesΒ aΒ handΒ upΒ toΒ grabΒ herβsΒ restingΒ onΒ hisΒ shoulder,Β turningΒ hisΒ headΒ justΒ slightlyΒ toΒ placeΒ aΒ lightΒ kissΒ toΒ theΒ insideΒ ofΒ herΒ wristΒ beforeΒ restingΒ hisΒ armΒ onΒ theΒ bar.Β Β βiΒ guessΒ itβsΒ aΒ goodΒ thingΒ someΒ ofΒ usΒ knowΒ howΒ toΒ keepΒ secrets.βΒ hisΒ eyesΒ areΒ searchingΒ hers,Β theΒ hintΒ ofΒ mischiefΒ slowlyΒ ebbingΒ itsΒ wayΒ backΒ intoΒ hisΒ gazeΒ asΒ heΒ silentlyΒ tellsΒ herΒ thankΒ you.Β Β βgrabΒ yourΒ bottleΒ andΒ letβsΒ getΒ outΒ ofΒ here?β
