Chapter 6: Espressivo
Adriel squeezed the bridge of his nose and forced himself to take deep breaths. Fingers shaking, he tried to ignore the pounding headache aching to burst through his skull. He took another sip of coffee. It was either his first cup or his tenth. He couldn’t remember, every time he thought he finished one off, another one would appear. Which was probably the work of Maria, Pierce, or some intern following their orders. Keeping him plied with caffeine so he didn’t collapse onto the table.
At least he wasn’t required at the scene this time. Instead he’d been pulled out of bed before he could even fall asleep. He’d been laying in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the sinking in his stomach and the thoughts swimming around his head. The soothing passages of his bible calmed him but didn’t push him over the brink of sleep. His prayers were weak and brittle as his eyes burned, voice a low croak in the night. But something heavy laid over him. A weight that couldn’t be lifted. A dark presence sitting on top of him, like a demon.
Only to be out-classed by the much more horrifying sound of his phone ringing on his bedside table. His own personal demon shifted to his shoulders and back. Because when work came calling, it didn’t matter how tired or heavy he felt. Adriel followed what was quickly becoming his usual routine; stumbling out of bed before the sun awoke then turning around and heading out the door. With his gun strapped to his hip, a prayer under his breath, and a weight he couldn’t shake.
Which took him to where he was now. The very back conference room of the Margarite Police Station, sitting at a round table under the brightest fluorescent lights he’d ever had the displeasure of seeing. They hummed and buzzed like a swarm of flies and he had to bite back the urge to cover his ears or snap at someone to turn the damn lights off. He kept his head ducked down and fumbled for his coffee cup. Sure enough, it was filled to the brim and steaming.
He brought it to his lips and took a long, loud sip. The bitter liquid scalded his tongue, making him want to cringe back both from pain and the taste. But he didn’t bother voicing a complaint. The coffee wasn’t made for his enjoyment. It only had one purpose; to keep him awake long enough to help “solve” Genesis’ latest murder. Yet he found himself becoming more and more sluggish. Caffeine could be either a hit or miss with him. And today it seemed to be a big miss. He sighed again and took another sip anyway, telling himself it would keep him awake.
Then flinched, the Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. He shot off a quick apology and made a mental reminder to ask for forgiveness during his next prayer. God didn’t like liars in any form. Father Asaph hadn’t liked liars either. He always preferred that Adriel spoke his truth. Even if the truth wasn’t polite. It was a hard balance they had to strike, making sure he told the truth without everyone in town despising him. But Father Asaph had always put in the work. A perfect samaritan. Or as perfect as the Lord could make them.
Adriel shook himself. He couldn’t start thinking about that now. Thinking about Father Asaph beyond a passing thought would send him into a spiral. He’d get caught up in memories. Remembering them all one by one in near perfect clarity. He could spend hours remembering. Staring off into the distance, replaying and rewinding them. Catching all the details and getting swept up in the emotions.
He’d remember the particular shade Father’s hair would turn when it hit the sunlight, its usual red shifting to a goldish orange. He’d remember the way the skin around his mouth and eyes would fold when he smiled. The way he would tilt his head down at him, a cheeky grin and a palm coming up to soothe over his hair. How he would get down on both knees, even when he got old and they creaked and ached, to look at his face. (Never his eyes because he knew how he felt about that). He would clasp his hands around Adriel’s, speak to him calmly as if he wasn’t—He had to stop.
This wasn’t the time for this. It was never the time for it but especially not now. Adriel reached for the cup, pretending his fingers weren’t shaking (and if they were shaking it was from the caffeine). His fingers smacked against it, sloshing over the ledge to scald his fingers. Adriel hissed and drew his fingers to his chest, clutching them with his other hand.
“Adriel?” Someone squeezed his shoulder. He flinched and turned his head around to glare. Maria looked down at him with a concerned frown.
“What?” he snapped. Her expression hardened, lips pursing. But when she spoke it was in the same concerned tone.
“Are you feeling alright?” she asked. All eyes were on them, watching the interaction with open interest. Adriel could feel sweat budding at the back of his neck. He shrugged her hand off and turned away.
“What does that matter?” he drawled, “no one is going to be alright unless we catch Genesis.”
Pierce chose that moment to sweep into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. “Exactly right,” he said, strutting up to the front of the room, “let’s get started, everyone. No time to waste.”
Maria sent Adriel one last look before walking back to the door to turn off the lights. Once she did, the projector lit up, painting a gruesome picture onto the wall. He recognized the picture immediately.
“Genesis has been ravaging this city,” Pierce started, “right now, we have her accounted for around twenty murders in the last year.” He paced in front of the projector, his shadow obscuring the crime scene. “That’s at least twenty murders that she’s taken credit for, through the use of her calling card. Her first known murder took place around two years ago in the Smith Motel, a double murder of a young gay couple.” He stepped back to reveal the crime scene.
A cheap motel room sat as the background. Several lamps glowing a sallow yellow sat on the left side of the room, pointing towards the twin-sized bed on the opposite wall. The carpet dotted a deep brownish red. An ominous trail leading to a closed bathroom door. Both bodies were naked. One laid on its back on the bed, arms and body laying straight as a plank of wood. His eyes closed and face peaceful. Adriel could almost believe that he was sleeping.
The other victim laid draped over the other’s midsection. Chest pressed to the laying man’s stomach and arms bracing himself. One arm curled up towards his own face, fist clenched as against his cheek. The other was braced against the mattress stiffly, keeping his corpse supported. His legs hung off the side of the mattress. A crimson cloth lay draped around his hips and down his legs, leaving his feet exposed with the excess cloth pushed towards the head of the bed. A white sheet sat underneath him and across the bed, stopping above the first victim’s hips. A forest green sheet sat beneath all of them, covering the pillows and mattress from sight. While the first man’s face was still and peaceful, the second man’s was the opposite. His face was twisted in agony. Eyes bulging and lips peeled open in an unending scream. Cheeks still tacky with dried tears. It was a brutal crime scene, especially for a criminal’s first murder.
“The first to die would be our sleeping man, Presley Griffin. A 22 year old caucasian attending Benjamin community college, around ten hours from the scene of the crime. Our second victim was Antoine Rye, a 21 year old caucasian attending the same college. The two were last seen packing their things from their shared apartment off campus at the beginning of the college’s fall break. They were found like this two days later by the motel owner, who was there to kick the two out after overstaying their checkout time.”
He clicked the projector remote and the next picture came up. The two victims alive, smiling with a group of friends, their arms tossed around each other’s shoulders. The first victim’s long black mullet wasn’t greasy or stained the way it was in the first photo. And here he could see their bright green eyes. The second victim’s dark brown curls were slicked back, instead of hanging limply. And his hazel eyes almost glowed gold in the sunlight. Pierce pointed out a short blond man with long platinum hair and brown eyes.
“One of their friends, Florence Major, told police that the two had been in a committed relationship since their first semester. But both men were closeted, causing some tension between the two. They both agreed to come out to their parents over the upcoming holiday. However, both boys were outed over social media when a picture of the two kissing was posted on a joke account. Supposedly for calling out acts of PDA on campus. Florence knows that neither set of parents were supportive of the two and both were told not to come home for the holiday, unless they were coming alone.” Pierce clicked to the next slide, showing a blank screen.
“From that point on, it’s speculation on Florence’s part. He believed the men packed their things up to run away together, as the two were becoming increasingly isolated. He said that the two were skipping classes, rejecting invitations, and seemed to spend all their time together in their apartment. This train of thought is supported by the fact that their apartment was completely cleared out except for the furniture. However, this will never be confirmed due to them being caught and killed by Genesis.” He fell silent for a moment, letting the words sink in.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t gain many clues from this case. Genesis was, and still is, incredibly meticulous about not leaving any traces behind. But what we did learn from this case was interesting. We learned that this killer is incredibly sadistic. The two men had been drugged, tied up, and taken to the motel bathroom. Where Genesis waited for the two men to wake up before beginning.” The screen lit up once more, showing the bodies removed from the crime scene. Pictures taken from every angle.
“First, she stabbed Griffin in the back ten times before slitting his lower midsection horizontally. She left him to bleed out in the bathtub, waiting for him to die before moving onto Rye. Once Griffin was dead, she took Rye and stabbed him in the back of his legs anywhere between fifty and seventy times, completely mutilating his legs. He was then also moved into the bathtub and left to bleed out.”
“We know that some of the items were from offsite, such as the red and green sheets and two of the lamps. And that the white sheets, third lamp, and the murder weapon were from the crime scene. It is also speculated that the specific posing of both bodies is supposed to reference a specific painting, Achilles and the Body of Patroclus by Nikolai Ge, suggesting an interest in art. This is the first murder to feature Genesis’ calling card and also the first to have a message. Simply stating, “Young love is so pure. Wouldn’t you rather die than lose it? Isn’t it better to die than to let a passionate flame burn down to a low ember? A God’s mercy often looks cruel to an outsider.”
Adriel’s lips curled into a snarl at the last line, offense making his hair stand on end.
Pierce gave him a sharp look, as if telling him not to interrupt.
He wouldn’t but he couldn’t blame Pierce for assuming he would. He did go on a ten minute rant on-site when he saw the card himself.
“But from this point on, we haven’t seen a crime scene that comes close to this level of meticulousness and forethought. Until now.” He clicked to the next slide.
Adriel’s eyes darted across the scene, trying to take in every detail.
The victims were two women, one with earthenware clay skin and the other with porcelain skin. The first woman had shoulder-length dark brown curls, her eyes shut, and lips parted slightly. Much like the first man, she looked at peace or like she was sleeping. She was propped up on a red, leather couch, her arms spread with hands open and resting palm up. The only thing covering her was a sheer, golden cloth wrapped around the back of her head and drifting down her back. A long shimmering veil. On the floor was the second woman, who kneeled between the first woman’s spread legs. She ‘looked’ up at her, arms reached out and up towards her, as if she was begging her. A disciple worshiping her chosen deity.
Adriel shivered at the blasphemous thought.
The second woman was completely naked and she appeared to be scalped. From the angle of the photo he could only see her from behind. She was on her knees, sitting on her heels. With her pale back straight and head tilted up.
“These two women were found in the Winesap Gallery, an art gallery no more than thirty minutes away from this very station. They died sometime around 7pm and 3pm respectively and displayed early this morning” he explained, “the couch was taken from a supply closet but the fabric was from off-site, we’re currently looking into where it could be from.”
“Our first victim is a 30 year old African American woman, Sasha Harper. She was the head organizer for Winesap Gallery, who was most likely attacked and captured when she left work that night. Our second victim is believed to be a 20 year old caucasian woman by the name of Gemma Farran, a new local artist who was working with the gallery. But until the forensics report is completed, that is speculation. If so, she was also most likely attacked when she left work this afternoon and kept at an unknown location.” He took a deep breath in, visibly steeling himself before continuing.
“Harper’s murder is the most merciful out of all of Genesis’ killings. She was drugged into a very deep sleep before being pumped full of a cocktail of drugs that we’re still trying to discern. Harper went to sleep and simply never woke up. Farran wasn’t as lucky.” He clicked to the next slide and the room gasped.
“Farran was also drugged but Genesis waited until she was awake and aware before beginning to skin her. They scalped her and pulled open the entire front of her body, exposing her ribs and skeletal structure. She let her bleed out and removed all her organs. Which weren’t found at the scene of the crime. Except for the heart”
It was just as Pierce described. Farran had been flayed. Her pale skin had been forced back, showing bleach-white bones, like a gory flower beginning to bloom. Not one part of her front was spared. From her face with its gaping eye holes, down her neck to her collarbone. From her chest with her ribs, so empty without its heart, to her thighs. Even the inside of her palms had been skinned. Though he could barely see it due to the bloodied heart sitting in them.
He heard Noel getting sick at the back of the room. They really shouldn’t have invited her, it wasn’t like she could use her abilities while evidence was being processed. It was nothing but a true act of cruelty to force her to be here. But even the others weren’t taking the picture well. Silas’ skin went ashy with its paleness and Mica stared determinedly down at the table, trembling. Maria was doing her best to hold herself together but her hands shook, even pinned between her arms and sides as they were. Adriel himself felt his stomach twist and curdle but forced himself to push the nausea down. A cold sweat covered his back but he reminded himself that he’d seen scenes just as bad. And that he would most likely see worse later on in his career.
That thought wasn’t a comfort like it was supposed to be.
“She left her calling card, per usual, but left the longest note to date on the back of it,” the crime scene disappeared to reveal a front and a back picture of the calling card. Adriel sat forward on his elbows and tried to read along with the script as Pierce spoke.
You have woken something deep within me. You’ve woken me from my slumber, a slumber I was too ignorant of to recognize. You brought me my first breath, a baby’s first cry after being birthed from the womb. You’ve delivered me, bathed me anew, filled me with such inspiration that it’s practically dripping from my pores. I cannot contain it. For so long, I’ve been merely slaking my hunger, eating without savoring. You’ve reminded me to indulge, brought me back to reality when I’ve been drifting. Allow me to raise the scales from your eyes as you’ve done for me, without even trying. But I will put in the work. I will put in the effort. Every hour, every drop of sweat, blood, and tears, I will dedicate to you. I will leave them at your altar, a self-made god bowing before a natural deity. Praying for your attention, for your mercy, for your judgment.
Each line was incredibly dense, practically pressed together into one great blob. Every letter capital, like they’d been printed on by a letter press. Most likely to stop them from getting a proper handwriting match. He physically cringed at the blasphemous language. Not that that was particularly strange for Genesis. As if her cruelty and the sheer amount of victims wasn’t enough, she had to constantly assault his senses with her sacrilege. The icing on the murder cake.
“This is the longest note left behind by far and doesn’t seem to be referencing the police, like the previous messages. This is also the quickest cool-down period between murders in Genesis’ known history,” Pierce said, “Not even a full 3 days has passed since the last murder, which land-marked their largest pool of victims. Genesis usually waits weeks if not months to commit another murder, yet she has been spurred to commit one of her most elaborate sets yet at this time.”
Pierce clasped his hands behind his back, unintentionally puffing his chest out. A loud sigh escaped him and he seemed to age years in that very moment, “This is most likely due to our newest link, Shiloh Carmane.”
The calling card disappeared to reveal a professional headshot of the woman he’d met days ago.
Adriel sat up fully.
“Carmane is a data entry clerk who mostly works remotely at Holstein Corporation, a financial organization that mostly works with companies in and around Margarite. She was raised in a small town called Jasper Falls, located in the south, more than 24 hours from here. Carmane earned her certificate at Crossvine Community College before being offered a job here. Other than that, we’ve found nothing significant about her. She comes from a traditional family, a mother, a father, and a younger sister. And, as far as we know, she has nothing to do with Genesis’s murders.”
Adriel couldn’t help but glare at Pierce for the doubt in his voice. He also had to push down the guilt welling up in him. Trickling like a leaky faucet. It didn’t feel right to talk about her this way, to learn more about her this way. It almost felt like he was betraying her in some way. But he pushed those useless thoughts away. She was technically a clue, a puzzle piece in Genesis’ crime, and they had to put those pieces together. Still, something inside him squirmed in discomfort.
“We believe that this newest note may be directed towards Carmane. She was the only person spared in the entire complex, despite being noticed by Genesis. Which we know from the calling card she left behind in her apartment.” He looked up at the photo of Shiloh. “The similarities between her and the last victim cannot be disregarded either.” Adriel took a closer look at the photo.
Of course the obvious similarities were there. Their skin color was nearly the same, with the victim’s being tinted slightly warmer, and the hair type, length, and color was almost identical as well. However, there were smaller, more insidious similarities between the two. They both shared the same rounded nose, though the victim’s bridge wasn’t crooked. Both had tiny scars littering their hands, all around their fingertips. They were about the same height and weight, and shared the same body shape. Lean, rectangular in a way, short and compact.
It suggested that either Genesis was so struck by Shiloh that she remembered such details intimately. Or that she’d been in contact with her recently. Adriel looked back to Pierce and knew that he’d come to the same conclusion. And decided that the second one was much more likely.
“We’ve already brought Shiloh in for her own safety, where she confirmed that she’s had no run-ins with any suspicious individuals. But we’ll be moving her to a more secure location, for her own safety.” Before Adriel could even fully comprehend that, the projector shut off and the lights turned back on. The unprepared occupants of the room hissed. Adriel turned his head down and rubbed at teary eyes. The returning buzz of fluorescent lights brought the lingering headache back to the forefront of his mind. His fingers moved back to his throbbing temples but he forced himself to look back up.
“That concludes the overview today, but now that you’re all caught up, we’re going to head to Evidence. Some of the items from the scene have been processed or are currently being processed, so we’ll see what you all can get from that.” He held an arm and dipped his head towards the door. “Maria, if you’ll lead the way.”
She nodded her head and opened the door, waiting for everyone to stiffly get up from their seats.
Silas looked back to his normally elusive self and Mica stood and stretched, bracing their arms above their head and twisting side to side. Noel, on the other hand, was all hunched. Her hands clutched to her chest and head down, a fine tremor moving through her entire body.
Adriel frowned. He should really shoot a message towards the larceny department and see if they had any big cases going on. It was her usual department anyhow and their head was much more understanding of her limits than Pierce was. Maybe they would make up an excuse if he told them how poorly she was doing on the Genesis case.
He let the thought bounce around in his head as he moved towards the door, only to be distracted by Pierce clicking his tongue towards him.
Adriel stopped mid step and looked towards him, raising a brow.
The detective jerked his head over towards him, moving his finger in a come hither motion.
Adriel didn’t bother suppressing his sigh. The others moved past him as he headed where he was directed. Only to be stopped by Mica as they headed to the door. They didn’t say a word, only squeezing his wrist, giving him a look, and their eyes flickering towards Noel. Adriel furrowed his brows in confusion. His mirror could only pick up staunch determination, soft reassurance, and the fact that they were trying to communicate something.
They rolled their eyes and moved closer, “I’ll make sure they don’t push her too hard,” they whispered, the quietest he’s ever heard them.
Adriel’s eyes lit up with understanding and he gave them a thankful nod in return.
Mica squeezed his wrist once more and left, leaving him alone with Pierce. Who was giving him a curious look.
Adriel didn’t meet that gaze, instead shoving his hands in his pockets and keeping his head down. They stood in silence.
Pierce eventually relented with an overly loud sigh. “We won’t need your insight today,” he said, “I’ve got a different task for you.” With that he stepped around Adriel and left the room. Who couldn’t help but to roll his eyes at the dramatics, but followed the detective without a word. Pierce moved in the opposite direction of the crew, leading him back towards the front. They stopped in front of one of the interrogation rooms, Pierce stepping aside so Adriel could look inside.
Shiloh sat at one of the tables, a cardboard box and a plastic cup of water sat in front of her. She squeezed the bridge of her nose before rubbing a palm down her face. When she looked up the lights brought out the dark purple bags below her eyes. She stayed slumped over, her shoulders hunched. Her curls were a mess, her wrinkly clothes sitting haphazardly on her body. She’d obviously been retrieved and moved in a hurry. His heart ached at her apparent exhaustion. Shiloh was just a citizen dragged into a situation much bigger than her. She didn’t deserve this.
“We’re moving her into your place,” Pierce said suddenly. He looked up at the detective, who was watching Shiloh.
Adriel huffed and looked away, “fine. I’ll move my stuff out as soon as I get back.”
Pierce shook his head, which Adriel caught in the reflection of the glass. “No. You’ll be staying there as well,” Pierce elaborated, “with her, to keep an eye on her…and to keep her safe.”
Adriel’s head snapped back towards the detective. A low hiss escaped his mouth.
“Is that,” Adriel took a moment to think, “…appropriate?”
Pierce shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “not entirely,” he answered, honestly enough, “but we don’t have anywhere safer to put her unless we move her out of the city.” He stopped talking, visibly thinking for a moment. “That crime scene was less than five minutes from that hotel room. Genesis knows where we’ve been keeping her.” He shuffled in place. “But if we move her, we risk spurring them into a rage—”
“And losing the only connection we have to her,” Adriel interrupted.
Pierce briefly met his glare before nodding in acknowledgment. “That as well. We’re running low on options either way. And honestly, you’re the only person I can imagine would keep her safe without getting overly close.”
Adriel’s face briefly scrunched but smoothed as he thought it over. Silas was too solitary and tended to mind his own business, not the kind of person you’d put in charge of tracking another person’s movements. Mica was too friendly and would get attached to quickly. Noel was too shy and easily flustered, not likely to be an apt protector in an emergency scenario either. But Maria wouldn’t be a bad choice.
“Maria?” Adriel pushed, the option making more and more sense as he thought about it. They were both women so Shiloh would probably be more comfortable living with her. Maria was friendly, much more friendly than him, but knew how to keep a respectable distance. She even knew some self defense and wasn’t afraid to use it. It made the most sense. Out of their group anyway. But Pierce was already shaking his head.
“She doesn’t have much free time—”
“And I do?”
Pierce shot him a sharp look.
“—between her other responsibilities.” The glare fell as a more hesitant, wary look appeared on his face. He let out an uncharacteristic, nervous cough. “And Shiloh asked for you.”
Adriel blinked, “She did?”
“I know, a shocker,” Pierce muttered, shaking his head. “She said something along the lines of Maria making her feel uncomfortable. Judged.”
Adriel tilted his head. Shiloh seemed intelligent and could probably see through Maria’s facade. And being interrogated by someone wasn’t the greatest bonding experience.
“You can say no, of course,” Pierce continued, “but we’ll have no choice but to move her, which she said she’d like to avoid.”
“And you’ll be losing your golden ticket,” Adriel said under his breath. Though he was sure Pierce heard with the way he twitched. He took in a deep breath before letting it out. “If she’s fine with it, then I won’t say no,” Adriel muttered, “but if she ever gets uncomfortable or feels unsafe, we move her.” He forced himself to meet Pierce’s eyes. “Clues or not, right?”
“Of course,” Pierce said gruffly, “a citizen’s safety comes first, always. And I know you’ll keep that as your priority.” He let out a huff of his own. “I wouldn’t suggest this if I didn’t trust you to do that.”
Adriel remained unmoved by Pierce’s attempt at emotional manipulation, sensing only cool blankness beneath his words. A thin layer of snow on thick concrete. He merely nodded.
“I’ll do my best,” he responded.
Pierce nodded and opened the door.
As soon as it clicked open, Shiloh looked up. Pierce stepped aside and let Adriel move into the room. A sudden wave of awkwardness washed over him. He shoved his hands back into his pockets.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
Shiloh looked up at him blankly.
He shuffled his feet self-consciously, avoiding her eyes.
“Can I know your name?” she asked with an irritated tinge.
Adriel’s face filled with heat and he couldn’t help but shoot an accusing look back towards Pierce, “yeah! Of course! I’m so sorry! My name is Adriel.” He held out a hand for her to shake, hoping it wasn’t too sweaty. “Adriel Ezra.” She took his hand and gave it a polite shake.
“I’m Shiloh Carmane. Though I’m sure you knew that,” she said, second part coming out as a sarcastic mutter.
Adriel burned hotter, dropping her hand and shoving it back in his pocket.
Shiloh picked up the box and stood, “let’s get out of her then,” she said. “We have to pick up Cosmo and his things from the hotel before we go to your place though.”
Adriel nodded and hurried towards the door to hold it open for her. He shot another glare towards Pierce, who dared to look somewhat amused, before following her out into the parking lot. Where he unlocked the car and opened the door for her, putting the box in the back seat. They drove together in a stiff silence.
The sun sat below the horizon, lighting the world up a soft blue. Street lights flickered as they passed, not quite sure whether it was time to go to sleep or to keep their guard. Adriel vaguely remembered the address of the hotel. It was one of the places they put officers and the like when they stayed for shorter trips. Or when they needed to go undercover. He supposed it was the best place to put her on short notice. Not that it mattered.
He purposely ignored the glimpse of yellow police tape and the flash of blue and red lights as he got closer. Shiloh turned her head and nearly pressed her face to the glass. But she didn’t ask any questions and he didn’t offer any answers. Soon enough, he was parked in front of the building. They headed up together, but Adriel stood back and watched as she gathered up her pets’ things.
“His name is Cosmo, he’s a leopard gecko,” Shiloh offered, “he mostly stays in his terrarium. Unless I’m taking him out to pet him.” She kept her eyes down. “He won’t make a mess.”
Adriel huffed and shrugged. “It’s not my house, it’s just where I’m staying while I’m working the case,” he said, “and I doubt they’ll have me stick around long enough to clean up any messes.”
Shiloh paused, lips turning down into a frown, “then…where do you live?”
Adriel shrugged again, “I don’t really settle down,” he said before muttering under his breath, “no point paying bills for somewhere I won’t spend more than a week in it.”
Shiloh stared at him, face unreadable, until he started shuffling uncomfortably. She turned away without a word and continued packing. When she finished she took the terrarium and Cosmo while Adriel took the box filled with pet supplies. They left without a second glance, stopping briefly to drop the keys off at the front desk. Then they were back on the road and heading towards Adriel’s place.
He parked in the driveway, removing the key and rubbing the back of his neck.
“There should be a guest room upstairs, first room on the left,” he said, “sorry that I’m not more prepared. I wasn’t expecting it to be used.”
Shiloh shrugged, “it’s fine. It’s better than a hotel room or an apartment that a serial killer has been in.”
Adriel snorted and opened his car door.
“Home sweet home,” he grunted as he nudged the front door open. Both of Shiloh’s boxes were leaning against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. He led the way up the stairs with Shiloh on his heels. The guest room was opened for the first time since he’d moved in. He cringed at the thin layer of dust sitting across the furniture and sheets. Setting the boxes down he turned to Shiloh, who was carefully setting the terrarium on a nearby dresser.
“There should be some blankets and sheets in the hall closet, if you want to use those instead. I’ll also find some uh, cleaner, and a duster. The bathroom is right next door and my room is at the end of the hall if you need anything…” He stopped his rambling, twisting his fingers together nervously. “…would you like a cup of tea?” Adriel cringed at himself. Thankfully, Shiloh didn’t seem to mind his hovering. She looked around the room before letting out a sigh and nodding.
“A cup of tea would be great, thank you,” she said, sounding equally grateful and exhausted.
Adriel perked up, quickly moving towards the door, “I’ll get started on that while you,”—he was at the door now, fingers lingering on the frame—“get settled in.” With that, he took a swift retreat down the stairs and to the kitchen. Once there he buried his face in his hands and let out a long sigh. He’d never been so mortified in his life. When was the last time he shared a conversation with an actual, normal human being? And not someone who was insistent on tugging on his strings or someone estranged from regular society? Scratch that, when was the last time he shared an actual conversation with someone? Anyone? A conversation that wasn’t pre-planned or pre-determined? Childhood?
Adriel rubbed his palms down and all over his face, as if he could wipe away his shame. He let himself linger in it for a second longer before forcing himself to look back up. Turning to the sink, he pulled out a basically unused teapot and started filling it. He would make them some tea and then try to make Shiloh feel comfortable. He would answer her questions and when she was settled in, asleep in her bed, he would go to his own room. Where he wouldn’t risk dragging someone else into his endless spiral.
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