"I wanted pain to feel something."

Midnight rolled around quicker than it should have. Any sources of fatigue disappeared when Antonio offered to help find answers. He could be lying. He could be trying to win me over for something greater.

He could be genuine and that terrifies me more.

The laptop screen glinted, the edges of it had light leaks so various shades of green and blue were there. The information on it though made me vomit. Even though I knew my mother and how she was innocent, nothing could have prepared me for what was on the USB.

My mother worked for the leader.

She helped him until something happened.

A file called 'Note from Leader' was last modified on the Doomsday my mother was killed.

Everyone will know Pat Deni as a murderer. She does not deserve to stay in this position. She has betrayed me. And so, her and her family will pay the price for destroying our reputation with other competitors.

A light emerged from outside, as an engine tumbled and then died. The window revealed Antonio in the darkness, with a white T-shirt on in the snow.

One thing for sure is Antonio is crazy.

The other thing is that he wasn't bluffing. He's serious about what he said. He wants to get answers.

My boots clicked against the marble until I made it onto the cobblestone path, and stopped in front of Antonio.

His green eyes met mine.

"We're retracing your mothers footsteps." He muttered before opening the car door for me.

"Okay. I don't understand why you're doing this." I said.

His eyebrows furrowed, "I don't know either. To ease my guilt maybe? Or because I feel bad. You know for killing your mother."

"Shut up." I said, "I won't ask you again."

He sighed, "Don't ask questions when you know you won't like the answer, darling."

Sophie's bronze skin was illuminated by the street lights. Every so often, I'd catch her looking at me. Her brown eyes, which were almond shaped, were just like her mother's. The same eyes my father hated and I still have to figure out why.

The accelerator dug into my boots, every part of me wanted to press down as hard as possible, every aspect of what I thought my life was has dismantled. Everything that I thought was true turns out to be a lie.

The files stated how Pat Deni was on an assignment in South Dakota. She had a long drive to go from here and the files stated that she took a detour. The reasoning was simple, there was someone tailgating her.

Back in the day, there were no GPS systems integrated into cars. She could have gone anywhere. 

Sophie's bloodshot eyes were fixated on her fingers which drummed out a tune. Music might be my worst enemy.

"My mum used to come around here. I don't know why I'm telling you this since I'm not supposed to trust you. There's a couple of places I can think of she went to." She muttered.

Her words stung like a knife. Even if she tells this information, what an I supposed to do with it?

Because her we are, in the middle of no where, going against everything we have ever known. We barely know eachother, all we know is to hate eachother because of the circumstance we were in.

Yet, Sophie, seems to handle this well. She hates me to no end. I'm struggling and I don't know why.

She pointed to a side road called Hunningan and the tyres jolted from the unevenness beneath us.

"Not many people lived here for us to take notice." I said.

Sophie glared, "I lived here. Away from all this."

She bit the bottom of her pink lips, which were already chapped from the bitter cold air. She looked outside, at the cornfields and the occasional barn we passed.

"Must've been nice." I said to receive a scoff in return.

"No, no it wasn't." She whispered more to herself than to me.

The private investigator, never got back to me, about the search for information. Now, I doubt he would have ever found out this without talking to Sophie himself. Even so, in my own searches, I found more rumours than facts.

Then it hit me. I didn't know Sophie at all and yet it seemed like she knew everything about me.

Maybe because there isn't much else for me to do than to fit in the box my father gave me.

And maybe, Sophie is right. Maybe, my choice wouldn't have been so different after all.

Rain pattered against the windshield, as I pulled the handbreak to the car which settled in the middle of the snowy road. Sophie finally faced my direction, she scanned my face, taking it all in, and then tried to go for the door.

But I had locked out already.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She pounded her fists against my chest.

Her touch lingered.

"Why did you mum leave you here?" I said and she froze.

My guess was right. She grabbed my throat and squeezed hard.

"You don't know a thing about my mother." She snapped.

For some bizarre reason, my body acted on its own when I pulled her closer to me. Her mint breath fanned against my face.

I held her, because for some reason, it felt as though if I didn't, she would be blown away by the wind never to be seen again. And that would haunt me for a lifetime.

"Then tell me, Sophie. Is there something I need to know which will help you get the answers you need?" My voice cracked at the end, never has the source of desperation left my lips.

Never was I allowed to express it. Not until Sophie came along.

"My mother wanted revenge." She muttered.

Tears flowed down her cheeks and I wiped them off as she sat on my lap.

"My mum died because of me. If only I hadn't said anything she would still be here now." She grabbed the fabric of my shirt and stained it with her tears.

And it felt as though my heart ripped into a million pieces to even attempt to put hers back together.