Chapter 21

They lay on the bed, faces upward, still fantasizing about the times they once had. The times when love was all they wanted but hate was all they developed—or was it?

Lisa was blinded by the moment and almost forgot that she was to stand in court the following day. Thaddeus was so blinded and almost high. high on the vape that he had before.

"You know I still love you?"

"I doubt," Lisa came back from her imagination to reality.

She had feelings telling her this was a plan Thaddeus had to stop her from going to court.

"Why do you doubt?" Thaddeus faced Lisa and looked at her black hair lying on the blanket below them as she continued looking at the sophisticated engineering done to make the chandelier.

Lisa continued to look at the ceiling. She knew if she gave a stupid love-related reason, she would fall back into the trap.

"You tried to kill me," She said so, looking back at Thaddeus.

Thaddeus' eyes were so beautiful. They looked like they weren't meant to be his, like more of an angel or one of the hottest models genetically modified to sparkle at the sight.

His eyes brought Lisa so many memories. The coffee shops, the moon gazing, the love, sorry, the infatuation

There was no love; it was simply infatuation. Lisa knew it, but her heart shouted contrary.

"I didn't try to kill you; I was blinded." Thaddeus leaned closer to Lisa.

Lisa could smell his breath and cologne, although it was scented with some strawberry vape. It was seductive.

"Blinded by what?" Lisa tried not to make eye contact.

"Have you ever been in love with something so much that you'd want to get rid of it?"

"I thought if you knew the truth you would want to get rid of me," Thaddeus leaned on Lisa now. Her face blushed, almost letting out the butterflies in her stomach through her mouth.

"Thaddeus, I don't want to do this." 

Lisa cried, fighting the urge.

Her mouth was shut by Thaddeus' lips as they touched her flawless, symmetrical shape.

"Thaddeus, stop!"  Lisa tried to resist.

Thaddeus continued to think Lisa was enjoying the seduction. Not that she wasn't; it was just that she didn't want to bring back her past love for Thaddeus.

As Thaddeus continued, the love was slowly retrieving itself in a mix of reminiscence and infatuation in Lisa's head.

"I said stop." Lisa became louder, and Thaddeus knew exactly what this meant.

*********

"Sh...."    Lisa's lawyer cried on the phone, and Lisa immediately took it.

"What?"    Lisa was curious.

"I lost all the data I had on my computer; all the hard copies were stolen." "I have nothing left, no evidence."

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Lisa." "I'll do anything to help you," she continued.

Did this mean the end? Thaddeus had won this game of "get my lover back before I attempt to kill her again." This wasn't the end.

Thaddeus, on the other hand, hadn't gotten any sleep. He was busy the whole night after seeing, and he had a terrible hangover.

"Are you going to court like that?" and you expect the jury to believe you? Thaddeus' father raised his voice.

"Honey, you don't have to raise your voice." "He didn't mean to do it."  Thaddeus' mother came in from the sitting room, where Thaddeus had slept on the couch.

He was so exhausted the previous night that he couldn't make it to his bedroom.

"What do you mean, 'didn't mean to do it'?" Thaddeus snapped.

"So you would rather believe those lawless liars than your own son?" Thaddeus stood up, trying to stand straight.

"No, honey, I'm not saying that they are right; I'm saying the facts and evidence are leading to you." 

Thaddeus' father responded to that while sipping on his morning coffee:

"I took care of that,"

"What do you mean you took care?" Thaddeus' mother gave her husband the stare. The stare that he gave her husband once we heard rumours that he had a child with another woman who was older than Thaddeus.

They had been married for twenty years, and his child, Andreas, was 24 years old. They had gone on a separation at that time, and later things were fixed.

The stare was sideways, but she was staring.

Thaddeus' father took another sip before uttering:

"I said I took care of it."

"Thaddeus, I don't want you to be discreet." You make me think twice. "You are full of secrets."

Thaddeus' mother started.

"All these secrets,"

"We don't have to go there," Thaddeus put down his decaf.

"What do you mean?" Thaddeus got out of his state of intoxication.

"Have you told him yet?"

"Told me what?"

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Anna, stop!"   Thaddeus' father reached out to her, knowing if she told him anything, the words would tear him down.

"He has to know," Anna continued.

"Thaddeus honey..." 

"Stop!"   Thaddeus' father snapped at her.

"So we raise our voices now?"

"You have a brother," Anna continued.

"What do you mean?" Thaddeus asked, semi-confused.

"I know I have brothers." Thaddeus knew where this was going but didn't know who Anna was talking about.

"Have you ever met Andreas?" 

"No, mom, what are you talking about?" Thaddeus asked, realizing he wasn't the only one holding secrets.

"Your dad..."

"Anna, that's enough," Thaddeus' father said, picking up his coffee.

Thaddeus was left in a trance. He pondered a bit before getting back on track. He knew he had a brother, but not one he lived with or shared a mother with.

He went to his room to prepare, but even though he was still fixed on the issue at hand—he'd lost brother Andreas 

"What did you do?" Thaddeus' father whispered while Thaddeus left for his room.

The two continued chattering argumentatively, but the rest is not what Thaddeus wants to hear. He was so confused he was busy killing, not knowing he might have shed some of his own blood.

"Andreas, who is he and where is he?" He had all these questions unanswered, but today those weren't the questions he worried about; there were more to answer.