ISLA~
I walked out of the restroom after washing away the scent from my mouth.
I didn't know she had asthma. That wasn't a small detail. That was the kind of detail that got people killed.
And it wasn't in her file.
She say on the bed now, a glass of warm milk in hand, both hands wrapped around it while she still shook from her earlier flare up. I stood by the door, studying her.
She looked restless although her breathing had steadied a bit. Her head tilted back slowly resting against the headboard.
I was going to say something but then Richard's call came in. I stepped out on picking.
"The lawyer said he hasn't been contacted yet"
"Yeah, did you know she had asthma?"
"Is she okay?"
"You all treat this girl like an egg. And what if she really is the killer" It didn't matter if she was or not anyway. I always got my clients out, evidence wasn't hard to fabricate.
"Does she look like one?"
"No one wears the tag killer. Come on now, no one is telling me anything. Being in the dark wouldn't help this case."
"I'll get people on it, in the meantime, do what you can. She's a lot of money to us"
Of course she is.
"And never mind that, none of you thought to include a medical condition that could eventually kill her.
"I'm busy Isla, let's talk someother time" I ended the call annoyed already.
When I walked back in, she looked up at me immediately then at her glass of milk. I closed the door behind me.
" I didn't know you were asthmatic, my bad"
"I'm sorry," she said her voice barely audible. "I'm such a mess. You probably think I'm just another broken star you have to sweep up."
"I don't think that, and you're not broken. At least you don't look it" her brows came together. Yeah that didn't sound right.
"What I'm saying is... You don't have to be Elara Jones in here, no one is perfect. And I can tell you were trying to be one by not telling me about your asthma when I took out the vape"
"Honestly, I didn't know what that was" she chuckled "and you can stop trying to make me feel better, You're bad at it."
Right.
She cleared her throat and sipped the remaining milk in her glass.
" I'll be leaving now, do rest well"
"Hmmmm..." She hummed in response already drifting to sleep.
I walked out her room, was that awkward?. Yes, definently. Did I give two fucks?, NO.
She was like the biggest problem I had to tackle in this freaking scandal.
And am I just being on edge?, NO. Just tell me the fuck about a dead girl and you turn yourself into something I need to worry about.
The second I got to my car, I exhaled sharply. "Fuck!!!"
I gripped the door for a second before pulling it open.
This case was already messier than I liked.
A dead girl, a leaked video, a lawsuit.
And now, an unstable client with a history she won't talk about.
Perfect.
---
For the next three days that followed, when I brought up the topic of Angela. I added she'd tell me only when she was comfortable to do so but then again, time wasn't a luxury she had.
I didn't have time for her delay, I barely had time for anything.
Jelly, peanut butter, what else? I was in the mall shopping. After patrolling round for about an hour. I took the things back to the car where she was waiting.
"Why come with me, when you're so afraid to leave the car?"
"You're the one who said I could get attacked by an enraged person."
"Exactly, but still here you are"
"Are you forgetting you're the one who asked I tagged along" I pulled out of the drive way.
"Well you looked bored out of your mind. You know you're the only person I've seen who can't elevate herself with a gadget"
"You forget that there's barely ever network in that hideout you put me in"
A chuckle escaped my lips as I came to a stop at a red light. I leaned back on the chair.
I only ever had normal conversations like this with my best friend. I never even spoke to any of my clients this way.
I looked at her laying in the back seat from the rare view mirror then leaned on the door.
Ahhh! I get the difference now. My other clients still had their managers with them and I was just a step in. THE FIXER.
The one who steps in and fixes the problem. I heaved a sigh.
After this I'd be back home, probably happy too. I just have to suck it all up for now. One more time.
"Honestly why do the world pull up unnecessay conclusion to things not even proven yet?"
She kept going, her voice edged with frustration. I didn't answer. People assumed. That wasn't changing anytime soon.
She just happened to be one of their victims.
My leg left the brakes and I moved forward, only to stop abruptly by the sound of a loud horn.
"The hell, do you have a death wish? Jesus, not when I'm in the car with you, please" I glanced at her from the rare view mirror. She looked frightened.
"People who are in such a situation as yours would normally think of ending things" I tried to stay as calm as possible. Where was my mind?
"As far as I'm concerned I'm pretty much innocent, and you said to trust you which is what I'm doing so please" she clasped her hands together "take me back home in one piece".
I looked back at her and continued on. I should really shut my mind up. Over thinking never solved anything.
We got back to the penth house and I got down before she did.
"Sorry for shouting back there " I opened the trunk and began sorting things she had asked for.
"No,that was all on me. I should've been more focused."
"You should really take your own advice". She leaned on the car.
" What advice?" I asked gesturing for Ben and the other guard with him to help me out.
'You don't have to be Elara Jones in here' You said" I was confused now. Ben took most of the bags inside.
"I don't get it" I closed the trunk.
"You don't have to be Isla Matthews with me. I won't know what wrong with you if you don't say" she began walking inside " after all 'No one wears the tag killer' on their foreheads."
"You heard that?"
"The door was half open when you stepped out so yes" she paused. "I can't be real with you when-" she sniffed.
"Are you... crying?" I took a step closer to her then stopped.
I was a piece of shit I knew, I saw everyone as a burden, tools that just needed to be fixed. And I was no different.
"I didn't mean that" I added.
"I didn't kill her, I'm not a killer. I loved her. I-"
She placed her hand on the car to balance herself. Her chest rising and falling fast.
Was it this bad? I held her up.
"Not this again" she shut her eyes.
"You need to calm down Elara, breathe"