Chapter nineteen

"What exactly has gone too far? What the fuck do you even know about me, Max. I have been in this house carrying out duties upon duties. I tried talking to you about returning to the office. You gave me a cold reply.

" I tried applying for jobs here. After getting a lot of rejections, I had one. Even without it's still overwhelming. I stay with a man whom things seems to be growing at one and another moment nothing is happening between us." She was frustrated. I could see all of it.

"You don't know what I have been through. I don't want to be staying here and over time become a burden to you…"She said.

"I have done a lot for you and I don't feel you will ever become a burden to me. Why all these unnecessary arguments? What's the use of it? Will you want to go back to Paris? To the Tribe of Anastia? Or you rather stop complaining and out your fears together." I said while trying to convince her.

"When I said we've gone too far, I didn't mean a particular thing. In our survival mood, we have gone too far to be using argument as a hurdle in us trying to understand ourselves. Alysa, take this easy." I held her by the shoulders and gave her a tight hug.

"Everything is gonna be fine," I assured.

"Sure?" She asked.

"Yes, it's going to be fine." I reassured her. While trying to make her feel better, I saw the shadow of a person by the door. There were only three of us in the house. I was with Alysa. So, it clearly meant Jalie was impersonating her sister and spying on us.

Wow.

"If you think I don't know 'a fuck about you,' I want to let you know that I'm opened to know a lot about you." I tell her nicely.

She stares at me with teary eyes. The tears drop while I use my hands to wipe them. I also carefully adjusted her hair—pulled some strands to the end so it didn't enter her eyes too.

"My family, they are all good. They don't stay in New York."

"I stay here because of my work at the news company. I don't want you to ever doubt my intentions about you. They are not bad intentions. If anything bothers you, find me and tell me Aly. Ain't here for jokes cause I cherish you." I concluded. I kissed her forehead and she was crying. I realized there's more to what I think I know. I was very ready to be patient with her.

I did not finish my glass of water. I turned and handed it over to her. While she was drinking, I looked at the door and I noticed the shadow was fading away. Jalie listened to our conversation and left, I saw her.

Alysa's POV

At some point, I felt like the way I questioned Max was wrong. I started pouring out my thoughts without even thinking twice. It was really hard for me to even approach him, talk less of the results. I loved how he reassured me, the hug, touch and kiss. It was ecstatic. I loved it.

I was shy talking to him after that we didn't talk much.

I felt like a big load was taken off my shoulders after I told him about Jalie. We didn't make any decisions on it. We were just planning on taking things slowly. The truth was important.

I woke up early and prepared breakfast. It was the weekend so there was not much work. I gave Jalie some money to get something at the grocery store. I sent her to a distant one so I and Max can have a good time discussing how we would go about her.

"Hey, Malie. Take some money and go get some groceries. I don't want you to be going often so you can go to the main grocery store. The money to board a taxi is there too. So you can go and come back on time." I instructed.

"Yes, I will leave right away,"she replied.

I honestly did not know how to express how I felt still addressing her as Malie after I found out the truth. I was thinking about it. I stood dormant while I watched her open the door to leave.

"See you soon!" Jalie said.

I just waved and gave a smile that immediately switched to a smile after she left the house.

"There's no need to think too much," Max said.

"We just have to find a way to get her, to catch her while in the act." He added.

"So we're gonna be spying on her too? No, Max. To me, that's not the best idea. The simplest thing is appeachinh her and trying to reach out to Malie."

"I remembered the night I overheard her talking to an unknown person. Jalie mentioned being caught if her twin sister decides to reach out to us. The unknown person said she was taken care of. That could mean a whole lot of things…killing, capture, I don't know." I suggested. I walked around Max while talking.

"I tried to reach out to Malie yesterday through her number. It did not go through at all," he revealed.

"You see that? We got to think deeply before executing this. There's one thing I know. Malie is a smart woman. She is wise and she knows how to handle a whole lot of things. She is just the opposite of her Twin Sister."

"We are gonna do that, Aly. You are just too good at worrying too much." Max apprehended.

"I am very sorry about last night. I really want to say I don't know what came over me, but I was just trying to express how I felt within me. I am glad you handled it well and you understood me." I said while giving him a tight hug.

"Be careful next time. I won't be in such a good mood," he giggled.

"Noted!" I said while letting him go.

Staying with him has made me heal from what I went through with Jeremy. It would be so difficult to forget the man who assaulted me, and killed my only family. I felt like I was healed from all the traumatic experiences I got from him, but the healing process can be funny: One minute you are cool and clean, another minute you are soiled in your own wounds.

That was very TERRIFIC…

And then I made a huge mistake.

When Jalie returned from getting the groceries from the main grocery store, I almost called her by her real name…