Bloody hands

Lily looks at me with wide confused eyes as if just realising something, "But where did you get the money from, Genny?"

My pupils blow wide

I answer trying to look as blunt and unbothered as I could, "I have.....my sources"

I turn to glance at something else breaking eye contact. My thoughts trace back to that smug little bastard. What could he possible want?

She seems skeptical at first but takes it well like the emotional character she was meant to be, "You didn't have to do that Genny. Thankyou, I really appreciate it .....and I'll pay you back as soon as I get a job!"

Sure. I don't think you'll have any problem with that as long as that smug little Lucien stays by you.

I take a deep breath, and give a subtle nod

She takes a step closer to me, "As much I'm happy that mama will live, I couldn't be more grateful to get my best friend back"

Confusion flickers in my eyes as I tilt my head slightly, "What best friend? Who?"

Aiden flicks my forehead suddenly catching me off guard. I step back defensively ready to attack if necessary, while Aiden giggles simultaneously and unbidden, "You really are stupid, aren't you?"

I just stare at him with a blank expression clearly unable to understand where this was going..

He flicks my forehead again, "She means you stupid!", he bursts out laughing, pulling both me and Lily into a big group hug, our heads touching to make a tiny circle.

Our little world

He announces loud and clear, "This trio's tight, sets every wrong right!"

Lily follows , giggling with an amused glint in her eyes, "This trio's tight, sets every wrong right!"

I feel a warm tinge in my heart despite myself. My heart starts beating slightly a bit faster. 

This trio's tight, sets every wrong right!

It was their own little catchphrase, wasn't it. I guess this might have just been the one thing I didn't entirely hate about the novel.

But still doesn't change the fact that they're still puppets right?

Still interlocked in our little hug, they look at me expectantly, like little kids who've just been promised five boxes of chocolate. 

I play along not entirely just for the likes of it this time, "This trio's tight, sets every wrong right!"

It feels like big problems melting away, as we stay like that for a few long moments. 

Then, Lily pulls back as if she remembered something important, she thrusts one hand into her side pocket of her pink skirt, and removes a phone.

"Here!", she hands it out to me,"Your phone, you forgot to take it earlier this morning"

I reach out slowly to take the phone with the purple diamond studded cover. 

Oh how Genny

"Thank you", I nod

"Now if you'll excuse us, I think we should leave now, right Aiden?"

"Yeah, right", he says with a smile still painted on his face.

As we start walking toward the exit side by side, the sound of exploding notifications breaks the silence

Both mine and Aiden's phone beeps at the same. 

We stare at each other for a second, mirroring each other's confusion. I unlock my phone with my fingerprint and there is it

Dad

I'll be reaching home this morning . Found out you two were at the hospital. I sent a car, get home quick my kids

Aiden sighs, "Guess we'll have to hurry then sissy"

I barely nod as we both make it out toward a sleek back car waiting for us outside. The chauffeur standing near the backseat door expectantly and stiff. 

As we strut down, he opens the door like a really kind gentleman and let's us in, ready to escort us

Aiden mock salutes him. 

I nuzzle into the plush seat more comfortable. The sweet refreshing scent of the interiors, luxury and the AC hit me all at once. 

I've never felt this relaxed until I landed here.

Hmmm.... This is actually not bad

The car takes off swift and quiet.

Mid-way through the ride as I start to finally relax and doze off, Aiden's panicked yelp jolts me awake, "Genny!"

"W-What What happened?", I say suddenly alert, all my daze from earlier evaporating into thin air

"Your hands!", he yells

I look down at where he was pointing and..... Blood. 

My hands were covered with pure red dried up ugly blood from the accident earlier. I had totally forgotten to wash them earlier between all the hospital chaos.

"Relax", I say, "Its not my blood"

"I never asked you whose blood it was", he looked at me deadpan 

"What now?", I sigh

"You need to wash that now. I don't you need me to tell you how dad gets around blood, especially your blood'

My blood?

I didn't know exactly what that meant, guess this detail was too insignificant to include it in the novel. 

"I can just wash it after we reach home though....", I whisper

"No Genny, you need to get rid of that now, Dad is coming home after 6 whole months, bet he'll be extra sensitive"

I think to contradict him, but think better of it again. "Okay fine, pull up the car when you catch a fountain or a tap"

Aiden repeats the same to the driver, and the driver just nods choosing past the trees like a breeze

The car ends up halting at a park, the streets were dimly lit, barely enough to see clearly, so I carry my phone with me figuring I could make good use on it as a flashlight.

"Do you want me to come along?", Aiden asks

"No, I'll manage"

I step out of the car finding the street to be completely empty, I quickly walk over to the nearest tap I could find in the park. 

It was hidden off behind a thicket. 

I place my phone on the tiny marble platform above the tap. I remove my ring as well and place it on my phone and swiftly proceed to turn on the tap.

I flinch sharply as the cold water hits my skin, and start scrubbing away immediately 

The bloodstains seem shockingly hard to come off, despite intensely scrubbing, not much progress really happened. Maybe because they dried a long time back. 

Afterall, old stains do take time to come off

Just as I was about to get the last bit of the blood to come off, I hear a low, loud and very ugly retching sound. 

The retching grows worse and worse as seconds pass by. It grows closer and closer and my pulse spikes up too in tandem

I bristle. That was not Aiden...