She felt her knees getting weak as she stayed at her spot after hearing those words which strikes her like a clap of thunder.

Did her mother hate her?

She doesn't know and she didn't even hear anything around her after that moment. She felt her mother hard hold on her hand as she dragged her out of the house and she stayed there not even moving a muscle.

He sighs.

He knows she must be devastated. He has seen the way she was eager to come to meet her mother and to have her warmth around her.

He removes his cap placing it over her head and then putting on the face mask when he finds people curiously looking at them. He wouldn't have cared that people realise her mother was a liar but he knows she isn't in the position to answer unnecessary questions and people don't care about the next person situation (mental health) and simply want to end (answers) their curiosity.

"If you are thinking of committing suicide from here". He said huffing as he sits beside her on the top of his house, "I must tell you that it won't be effective. At most you will have a few broken bones which will only be a hassle to you".

"Thanks for the information". She said dryly, "Why will I kill myself after living through all the tragedies and years?"

"We never know what way our thoughts work".

"But we can stop them from turning that dark".

"Perhaps. Mind is only an organ which we control unless we let it control us, it can't do a thing".

"I am not dying anytime soon. I want to see what the next few years that I have bring me".

"What if it isn't joy?"

"Why will I ever want such an unreliable, unrealistic and short-lived thing?"

"I don't know. People usually live through years with the chant that one day they will have their happy endings".

"Delusional. World isn't sunshine and rainbow". She said shaking her head, "Life isn't meant to be easy and simple. That isn't realistic believes to have because if we crave those beliefs in our mind- everything that went wrong will only seem unfair".

There was a silence as they think of their miseries.

"Don't trust people". He said breaking the silence as she looks at him, "I wanted to say that to you when you told me you wanted to visit your mother".

She sighs, "Why would you say something like that? Isn't it natural to trust people?"

"It is. It is almost as dangerous too. When we trust people with everything in us, it only breaks us apart when they betray us".

"So, you don't trust a soul?"

"Soul is meant to leave anyways. Either on their feet or in their grave".

"My God, if that is what I start to think I might as well not be with anyone".

"You want to be with someone?"

"If someone is good enough for me, why not?"

"One would think that you will not have anyone with you after everything you went through".

"Yet you have me by your side".

"What?" He said confused turning to her

She looks at him, "You don't have a single soul around you here. No employee, no servant, no gatekeeper and no-cook. You don't have a person walking on your property because you don't want anyone near you. If I am right, you don't want anyone beside yourself here yet you have me here by your side. This should mean something".

"You are doing it again". He said caught off guard at her keen observation

"What?"

"Overthinking".

She rolls her eyes bringing her knees to her chest as she looks at the moon, "The devil is out".

"What do you plan-".

His words stuck in his throat as his eyes filled with the glow radiating from her under the dim light of the moon. Sure, the devil was out and it was out for his sanity. Because he was feeling something and he was hiding from this feeling for three-two years of his life.

"Why did she do that?" Her soft voice travelled to his ear in the darkness of the night as she continued gazing at the moon in fascination or so he thought

"Human is disappointing".

"That's isn't comforting".

"Well, that's your problem. I exceeded my limits".

She laughs and that rich sounds attached the cords of his heart to it, unknowingly. This has to be the first time he manages to have her laugh at his dark humour and it felt like a treasure to him.

This isn't healthy.

He cannot do this.

He is destruction to everyone who comes near him.

He weighs down his opinion and thoughts. She turns to look at the frown on his face and his lips in a thin line. She can't make the most out of his features because of the dull light and she hasn't had the best of experiences in a while to focus on his looks.

He did look good. She just didn't focus on it.

"What have you worried?" She asked tilting her head wondering why he looks like this

He barks a short laugh, "Just thoughts".

"Well, your just thought can stop for now. I can cook for us".

"You shouldn't. I am perfectly capable of doing that".

"I want to. You have done so much so a meal wouldn't hurt me".

"I wanted you to rest for some time".

"Rest can wait. And rest won't even come to me for now".

He frowns, "Right. You said you will visit the doctor. Should we head over now?"

"It's 9 PM".

"And? I think my influence can get you a doctor at this time".

She rolls her eyes standing, "Sure. But I don't need you to abuse your power when we can wait another day. Plus, I have to retrieve my card, phone and car keys which reminds me that my car was in the grocery store parking area".

"We can decide your next steps after we eat. I want food". He grumbled at her running words

Maybe she talks too much. Just like when he first saw her in that cafe, she just wouldn't stop talking and her lips moved so fast with those fierce eyes. She has lost that shine and he wasn't even surprised. Disappointed but not surprised because the world sure knows it's ways to snatch anyone charms.

It's just too hard to hold it all in and together.

He stands in the kitchen doorway because she has banned him from his own house kitchen very strictly if he might add and she almost threw a spatula at him for merely suggesting helping.

He rolls his eyes when he finds her struggling with the ingredients he did manage to place at the counter for her just for the sake of generosity, nothing much.

She frowns looking at the food and in her three-two years of life, she only learned how to cook an egg which she  also burned countless times. She did get punished by her mother for years for it. She wasn't the ideal candidate for marriage if she didn't know all the ways to the kitchen yet she failed at that part big time.

She just can't put her heart and hand in it, no matter how hard she tries. Something is just not for everyone.

She sighs.

She promised him a meal and there was nothing more she could do for him for all that he had done for her. What will she do now?

"You know it's not late to say you want my help". His voice snapped her out of her thoughts

She huffed not wanting to admit defeat, "I don't need your help".

"We might not get to eat for years if you keep standing there like that".

"Go away".

"I will after I know that I will have food tonight and not some other day if you manage to cook something that is".

"I will throw something at you again if you don't stop".

"Your threats don't scare me, sweetheart. Try something else".

He shouldn't have said that because the next moment a flying tomato landed on him, squashing. His mouth opens wide looking at her wide eyes with her hands on her mouth.

"I-It was a mistake". He could hear the laughter she was miserably failing to hide at his expense

In normal circumstances, he would have gotten back at the person who dares to do something like this and honestly, it's childish. But, he couldn't move himself to do anything, not even speak about it. Because of who? Her.

She stood there with her eyes twinkling as she tries to hide the laughter while biting on her lips hard enough yet failing and her cheeks turning pink from the heat of all of it.

Until, she finally breaks into laughter while he stood there mesmerized by her.

"Your face". She said laughing at the tomato that was covering all of his left side of the face, "It's so funny".

He rolls his eyes cleaning the juice off his face, "Haha! So funny. I would have thought you are a comedian".

She shakes her head with a small smile, "Don't be a spoilsport. You can clean yourself and I will do-".

"Oh, no way". He said walking towards her picking a knife pointing it at her, "I am not allowing you in my kitchen to destroy it further".

"I haven't even done anything yet".

"Exactly".

She rolls her eyes, "You are being possessive over a kitchen".

"I am not sorry to say this but I am possessive over my things. Now that we are clear". He hissed, "Get out of my kitchen, Sarah".

"Ugh".

She grumbles walking away from there. She could care less about his kitchen and his food. She can simply sit and wait for him to cook. But, what was she supposed to be doing?

She was still in his hoodie from the morning. She has spent hours in his room overthinking and crying as usual. Crying wasn't a part of her life before and somehow it is becoming a part of her life now.

If she gets the cards tomorrow hopefully if the bank works in her favour and not have her wait for days for it, she can buy some stuff for herself. She has to look for an apartment and not impose herself more on him.

But, the thing is, she is scared to be alone now. She had her mother for the most part before. But now, she was scared to be anywhere on her own. What if someone else takes her? What if something bad happens? Will she be safe in an apartment all alone? What could she possibly do?

Thoughts run through her mind devouring the little peace she managed to have after speaking and playing around with him.

"Food is served". He called her and she moves to the dining room where he was sitting in the middle of it waiting for her, "What overthinking did you do this time to look like that?".

She sits on his right side, "How do you know that I was overthinking?"

He shrugged, "You make that face whenever you do it".

"You met me for what a day and you know what face I make when I overthink? If I didn't know better I would call you a creep. Or you are one?"

"I am one and unfortunately for you, you are stuck with me".

She tilts her head, "I am stuck with you?"

He nodded, "First thing first, we are going to the doctor tomorrow morning and before you ask, I did use my influence and set an appointment. And before you say more, I am sorry I didn't discuss it with you and let you do it by yourself. It's just- I know how hard it is to walk in the hospital to get yourself treated in our society especially if it's a psychiatrist you are to visit".

"Because people think you are some crazy person?"

"That and more. I guess we are forced into believing that there is no such thing as mental illness and that we have to somehow magically deal with it by ourselves and not trouble others for it. And if by some chance, we do try a psychiatrist, people frown upon us and burden us to the point we step back".

"You say it as you experienced it"

"Maybe".

"I believe it is even harder for men". She said honestly, "My late husband had some issues with crowds. He wanted to visit the doctor but people just-".

"Didn't let him saying he was a man who shouldn't do things which make him seem less like a man".

"Exactly! I told him, no, I explained to him how if that's what he needs, he needs to go for it. But, the society, his friends, family and everyone just crushed him. God, it makes me mad all over".

He shakes his head, "Probably he is in a better place".

"You must be the first person who said probably".

"I mean I don't know if he is so". He said shrugging

"Your ways of comforting people is twisted".

"Please don't cry in front of me. It's just awkward and you might find me smiling sympathetically".

She chuckles, "You are unique".

"I have heard weird before. This is the first time someone called me unique".

"Don't let it get to your head".

She silently eats her food watching him play around with his food.

"Um, what about those m-men?" She asked hesitating

A sinful smirk appears on his lips as he looks at her, "They are dead. You can trust me on that".

She gulped nodding, "They deserved to die".

He laughs naughty, "Guess we all a little pyscho on the inside".

"Guess we are".

The next day she prepares herself after spending all night chanting that she needs to do this. She was grateful he was by her side because she was ready to hideaway. She just thought right that moment that maybe if she just stays in and give herself time, she will be back.

But she knows, the trauma and the effects were appearing. Because she wasn't sleeping, eating, doing chores and she was hiding. She was hiding her demons trying to push them down. But for long?

She took a deep breath walking towards him when he turns around on his call placing a finger on his lips asking her to be quiet and she nodded.

After a few more minutes of merely saying a word to the person, he cancelled the call.

"People talks so much".

"You never complained when I did it".

"Because it doesn't annoy me".

"Why is that?"

"Because it is you". And she frowns at his words, "Can't believe you are three two and dumb".

She narrows her eyes, "Don't make me murder you in the morning".

"My little pyscho is fantasizing about killings". He cooed, "Don't worry! I will help you hide the bodies as long as it's not mine".

She huffed, "Can't we leave?"

"Here". She said throwing an envelope at her and she frowns opening it to find her cards, credit card, keys and stuff, "How did you do it?".

"Influence as you call it". He shrugged

She shakes her head, "Thank you for everything".

"It feels like I am dying or something"

"Don't say stupid things". She hissed

"If I didn't know better I would think you are caring for me".

She shakes her head marching out of the house to his car tapping her feet when he appears a few moments later. But his face pale and he halts in his way as his eyes focused on something behind her.

She didn't even realise until he pushed her behind him and the sound of the shooting appeared and after a couple of moment and his body falling on the ground with the blood pouring out of him, she realised he was shot in his heart.

She gasped and he smiles slightly, "We all pay for the sins we do". And he was gone

****