Chapter 12

After was all said and done, it didn't matter what I wanted, when in reality it was up to both of us to make something out of nothing.

Quietly we ate our dinner, without delving any further into what had happened between me and Mason.

Laira heaved out a heavy sigh " So, what's next?"She curiously asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, looking a bit lost.

Letting out a shaky sigh, " I need your help with something. It has been bothering me for quite some time now and I haven't been able to make heads or tails of it," I said as I pushed myself up to stand.

" What is it?" Laira asked with furrowed brows. As of late Lara had become an abundant source of knowledge and I was going to make the most of it.

" Come, I'll show you," I said as I walked towards the door, with Laira on my tail.

Mason was nowhere to be seen, as if he wasn't even there. A mere shadow, an entity that you hope it exists, but you don't know for sure it does. I didn't know whether he was keeping his distance because Laira was there or because of the little spat we had earlier. Nevertheless, for whatever reason he chose to stay hidden, it didn't matter. Was I brokenhearted? Yes, I was. Was I angry with him? I was, but I was more angry at myself. I had lied and tricked myself into believing, fantasizing about a life with someone that didn't want me. Not the same way, I wanted him.

When my eyes fell on the boxes piled up in the corner. A reminder of an early resolution that I had made with myself, and all the hope I had put into it, was nothing more than another stab into my already bleeding heart. He was right about one thing, though. I had allowed things to run their course in the hopes of more when there wasn't room for more.

Silently, Laira plopped herself on the bed watching me with a keen eye, waiting for me to say anything. All the while, I welcomed with open arms, two very old friends, misery and grief.

" So," Laira quietly broke the silence " What do you need my help with?" She asked in the same quiet voice while looking around the room. There wasn't much to be fair. I've been living in that room for over two years and I hadn't put my personal touch on it. It was never mine, to begin with. I looked around the room disheartened and realized that I had nothing. It wasn't my home. My home was in Lamport. Northenhay was a temporary outpost, before stepping into the next stage of my life.

After several moments of silence, I finally gathered my wits " Things have gone missing. Small things nothing important," I said, as I made my way toward the corner, to the pile of boxes, " I didn't think much of it at first, but this is getting ridiculous. So, I need your help to go through things. Some fresh eyes on it, if you like," I finished my thoughts, as I emptied the boxes onto the floor.

" Alright," Laira said, as she joined me on the floor," Let's see what you have," She picked up a pen, and began scribbling down, as she threw things into the box one by one.

It wasn't an ideal way to spend the afternoon, but at least it was one less mystery at the end. And for me, that was good enough.

After a good forty minutes of going through everything that was on the floor, my wardrobe, and my drawers. She finally itemized every single thing that I owned, and I then realized I didn't own much.

Taking the notebook out of her hand, I began perusing the list, one by one, and realized that half my things were missing and I hadn't even noticed.

The only valuable thing that was missing where my parent's wedding bands. It was the strangest assortment. Tennis shoes, jeans jacket, wedding bands, a cheap necklace, a cat collar, hair bands, socks, one earring, hair pins, and other bits and bobs. Whoever took those things wasn't very good at being a thief. Because it had left behind the necklace that Mason gave me, the night I turned eighteen.

" That is the most random list of things," Laira quietly said over my shoulder. She was right, it was random and strange. And after all that trouble, I wasn't any closer to solving the mystery.

" Are you sure you didn't lose or misplaced them?" Laira questioned, as she took, the notebook out of my hand to have a closer look.

" No I'm sure of it," I sighed," I don't go to many places, and I spend most of the time either here or at the soup kitchen. So all the things that have gone missing should be here or at the soup kitchen," That was the only logical explanation, or a thief with poor taste, and poor skills had decided to steal from me.

Laira hummed in agreement, " Who has access to this room?" Laira put her detecting skills to work. Tough, one.

" Enid, Harriet, Mason, and myself," I truthfully answered, even though it had crossed my mind that Mason might be my thief but I had brushed it off on the account that he would stoop to something so childish.

Lairs hummed, " Interesting," Laira threw a glance around the room, and began checking the French doors, and all the windows. I had already done that before, but the problem was I never locked them, so if someone was to use them, he or she wouldn't need to pick the lock.

" That complicates things," Laira went the check the actual door, " You don't lock things, so it could be anyone who has a vague idea of the layout of this house, and I promise you that the majority of Moston inhabitants know this place like the back of their hand. Have you considered involving the authorities?" Laira asked as she plopped herself back on the bed, and threw the notebook on the nightstand. It briefly crossed my mind, but it was nothing of value. It was more to satisfy my curiosity.

" I will drop by on Monday to report the wedding bands, the rest has no value." I didn't want to waste any more time on it.

" We should get ready," I made my way towards the french door to watch the sun sink into the sea. The view was breathtaking, and it reminded me of the last night I had spent with Mason. The pit in my stomach was still very much there, I swallowed my tears when I felt my eyes sting again. The feeling of emptiness and abandonment was quick to bloom within my heart.

When I turned to look at the bed, Laira was gone, and dusk had fully set in. With a heavy heart, I turned on my heels to change into a clean change of clothes.