NIRELLE - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, and by the time Theo was back home, I had already fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. He shakes me awake, and with a smile on his face, he looks at me. I wonder why he had a scowl on when he came to get me from the party the other day.
"How was your day?" he asked me as if I had something important to tell him. I sit up and let out a long yawn before turning off the volume of the television. I had been watching it before I fell asleep.
"Oh, it was filled with me falling asleep in the most random places and having nothing to do," I say. I was already running out of my mind. Lucien was strange; after getting me down for lunch, all he did was sit there and eat gently before disappearing, and the only time I saw him again was at dinner. I thought he would at least want to strike up a conversation with me, but he sat there as if he did not know any words.
"What does he do, lock up here all day every day?" I ask, and Theo shakes his head. I know it's kind of a hypocritical question for me to ask since I was always locked up at the Thamore mansion, but over there, I was not subjected to doing anything; Yvette always found something for me to wash or scrub.
"Work," he says, patting the briefcase he was carrying. My eyes moved to it and I realised what it was. He comes and sits beside me. "Lucien is not what you think; it might take a while, but I think he might be just the person you need by your side."
"Because he wants to take advantage of me to take revenge on my father?" I ask, and I see his smile falter and his body shift uncomfortably. "He told me, "I clarify, even though I am sure that an ordinary staff member in the building would not know anything about this.
"Of course he did," he said, and with a sorry expression, he added, "I told him that this was a terrible idea, but he wants to do it anyway."
"You'd think I'd be open to the idea after everything I have been through with them," I confess. I don't know why, but I want to bare my heart to Theo. It feels like he is the only one I can trust truly. "They tortured me real good, but why do I still want to protect them?" I ask as if I expect him to actually have an answer to the question.
"Because family," he murmurs, and I nod. He seems to know what to say. "But if you ever want to take revenge on them, then Lucien's offer is the right way to go." he pats the chair awkwardly and stands up at once. "He might be weird, but still, he is the most powerful man in the city, so I assure you that you'd be safe no matter what you chose to do."
"Are you saying that he would be okay if I refused to help him?"
"Of course, he just thought you'd be an easier route," Theo confesses. I wonder if these men trust me or if they aren't as smart as they call themselves to be, because how can they tell them all of their plans so easily?
"What if I relay the message to my family?" I ask because I am curious.
"If you do that, we will have no choice but to find another way." he clears his throat and turns to the door before walking out and then stops at the frame and turns to me slowly. "Don't be pressured to do anything anyway; just live a life you've always wanted to live."
I watch him go as I think of what comfort feels like. I realise that I do not know, but it seems like what I am currently feeling is very close to comfort. I wonder why his words would do that to me. I lay back on the couch. I know I had been bold and asked Lucien to come to the room, but now that night was here, I was afraid that he would actually come and I would have to sleep with him. Maybe if I slept on the couch, I would not need to face it.
I snuggle in my sleep, and by the time I open my eyes, I am no longer in the living room; I am on my bed. I stand up, scared for my life as I look around. I sigh in relief as I realise that I am alone, but still, how did I get here? I try to think of how I got up here because I do not remember standing up, and my conclusion was that I must have been carried, but by whom?
My eyes catch the clock on the wall, and it is already past midnight. I sigh as I sit in bed, unable to sleep more. I had spent the entire day drifting in and out of naps, so now I can't seem to sleep more. I walk to the table and pull out a chair. I take out a book and pen and begin to write down as many things as I can remember, things I wanted to do before Enoch locked me up, if I could do them now, then why not?
As I write, her mind drifts, trying to find a ground for everything I feel, and my pen suddenly scribbles something I do not think of writing
“You have to help him.”
I stare at it in shock, but I can't bring myself to ask why I want it. The doorknob rattles and I turn to it; it slightly opens, and Lucien peeks through.
"I knew you were awake." I stare at him in shock, and as if I need to confirm, my eyes glance at the clock once again.
"What are you doing here?"