Cillian was staring at the white ceiling of Arlo's room as she laid next to him with her hand over his heart and a face covered in uneasiness. No words were being exchanged and her father hadn't knocked her door to pry in and see what had become of them.

The blind trust embedded within numerous persons reveals itself at random times in spontaneous amounts. That was the only way Arlo could think of explaining the unnatural phenomenal of her father, Harrison Kie August, allowing Cillian James Anthony into her room under these circumstances. She sighed, breathing in his scent, for whatever weird reason, it seemed to calm her racing heart... or accelerate it, whichever one it was... it worked for her.

No one said falling for a guy would be this terrifying, especially since he was a prime suspect in a big missing persons case. Maybe it was something to do with those cold blue eyes, or maybe the way his lips spoke sweet nothings to her, whether be it lies or the whole truth; maybe it was the tattoos that made her curiosity grow, or maybe it was his style of dressing, he looked like a man ready to do a serious black market deal with a handful of shady men. Well, whatever it was, it had successfully wrapped itself around her wrists and pulled her in with no promise of release.

Arlo's soft eyes glanced up to take in his beautiful face, his plump pink lips, his steely blue eyes, and his tattoos that painted her a story worth reading. Would she ever get to read them all in such a short time? Cillian's eyes looked down then a hand touched her cheek and wiped away a lone tear that had just began to race down the bridge of her nose. She hadn't realized. "Are you okay?"

"I... this is all just... so weird... did my dad tell you anything?" he shook his head.

"He just stepped aside and told me where your room was. I—I didn't expect him to do that. I thought he'd want to send me away as soon as he saw me, but he didn't look worried." Arlo didn't believe him, someone had gone fishing because the smell was growing stronger with each word he spoke.

"Cillian shut up."

"What—."

"I said shut up." she took away his arm from around her waist and sat up. She reached into her pockets trying to find her phone. "My phone where is it?"

"Am I allowed to speak?"

"Quit being an ass. Where is it?" she pressed. He chuckled then turned and grabbed it off the dresser behind him. "Here, but what—." she took the phone

"Shush. Don't speak." she said cutting him off mid-sentence. He sat up besides her and waited on her to tell him what she was going on about. She opened her browser and typed in one of the blogs she found. *"Behind the News"* this man never showed his face or used his real voice, he hid behind a black silhouette and a voice changer, he wrote a blog on criminals or suspected criminals—things the police didn't want me he public to know and topics the media weren't speaking on. Her eyes widened at an update on his blog which was the most viewed blog on The Bick Woods Mystery:

***"The Lover of The Bick Woods Killer Revealed."**

***Check in for later tonight for updates and photos...**

Her blood froze over and her eyes looked to Cillian in a confusion of everything she knew and didn't know. "Arlo, what is it?"

"Are you The Bick Woods Killer?"

His jaw set and his eyes hardened with hurt. "I said—."

"I didn't ask you to censor yourself. I asked you to tell me if you're The Bick Woods Killer? Answer me now or—."

"Or what? What are you gonna say? Are you gonna threaten me, Arlo?"

Her eyes prickled with tears. "I asked you a question—," her voice was broken. His hand reached out to hers but she yanked it away, "don't touch me. I asked you a question, and I expect you to answer it."

"Why? Why should I? What good would it do you?" his features were soft and patient.

"I'd finally know the truth Cillian!" she yelled as he stood up.

"The truth," he asked coming closer to her, "the truth is that I can't tell the truth to the one person that I actually care about." he swore under his breath. "Do you trust me Arlo, or do you drink in the lies and rumors that everyone around us has said about me? I'm not a bad person, and I thought you knew that."

"I don't know what I believe... no one is telling me anything—and you're withholding information from me!"

"I'm not withholding anything! It does not concern you, Arlo!"

"And how the hell not?" she shot up from the bed and challenged him with her eyes.

He scoffed. "Ha, there's a target on my back, Arlo... this case doesn't involve you, yet you're still pushing at a door that won't budge." he ran his hands down his face. "Gosh, the only person that I speak to after losing Owen, and she doesn't trust me, no one in this judgmental town wants anything to do with me, but here you are making me feel something again. Here you are just reviving things inside me that I didn't know could be saved. You're—you're so confused Arlo, but it's not just that. You don't think I'm guilty like everyone else, and that, Arlo that is why you're still holding onto me, with every tread of hope you have left."

She didn't say anything, her mouth not daring to form any words against his. The tension stayed in the air like a nosy onlooker as it separated them like the two ends of a pool—the end that dares to pull you under and the end that allows you just enough height so that you don't slip and drown. "So... I guess this qualifies as our first fight." A meek smile pulled at the edges of her lips and his followed suit. "I don't know what to believe Cillian, but I know if I were in your shoes that I'd crack under the pressure. With everything that's going on... I don't know how you do it, and I don't want to, but I do respect you for being so strong."

He sniffled, his face becoming content with her words. "It's so hard sometimes... my parents are on the run, my sister is suspended from work on some false allegations about her doing shady work with drug lords and I'm on trial for the alleged murder of the only person I called a friend." his shoulders fell and his cheeks grew red. Arlo shook her head and dropped the pillow she was holding on to the bed as she advanced towards Cillian. She didn't hesitant at what she was going to do. She cupped his face in her hands and tiptoed until her lips met his. A small gasp escaped his lips as she kissed him. She broke away, then smiled at him. "I trust that you aren't lying to me." she kissed him again then wrapped her arms around his neck.

He hugged her close, praying that this wouldn't be the last time he saw her.