Julius Caesar

"Yesterday-" She choked out as I sat straighter, more alert. "Two armed men asked Zig if they knew about me. Zig- he lied. He told them he didn't know anything. They didn't believe him and searched my room." She sniffed. "I'm sure they know that I'm the one they're looking for. Then-then, they shot Zig in his leg and stomach. They messed him up bad. So, so bad, Romeo." Tears were now rolling down her red cheeks. "When I found him, he had lost a lot of blood was in a lot of pain. He told me everything. I think they wanted to warn me. To tell me that they're here. And they're there to get me."

I looked at her, trying to digest what she'd said. Father knew how she looked like and could use any of his men to trace her down.

I took in a deep breath and looked at her terrified face. "It's going to be-"

"No!" She spat hysterically, shaking her head. "No. It's not going to be okay! Because when I called Dad's best friends- because I couldn't talk to Dad of course." She paused, took in a deep breath, then looked in my eyes again. "They said, they didn't know what I was talking about. This means that I can't help you. So how can you help me? How is anything going to be okay? What if he never told anyone where those documents were? What if I couldn't find them?"

I felt my head turn. Sam was in clear danger. My chest tightened just at the thought of Father finding her. I had to do something.

"I can't sleep. I can't walk on the streets without feeling that this might be my last breath. I can't live-" She said breathlessly, removing her hand from mine and looking at it hopelessly. "It's haunting and very tiring."

"Please, listen." I tried to say sternly with a sigh as she stifled another sob. "Whoever wants you, wouldn't want to kill you. So please calm down, you are not going to die." I said and she looked at me as if hypnotized. "They want something from you. You're valuable to them. And that makes you safe. Now," I licked my lower lip. "-where are you staying?"

"At home?" She said as if it was obvious and I almost screamed at how idiotic that was of her.

"Do you have any friend who you can move in with for a while?" I asked in disbelief as she shook her head.

"I have no friends except for Zig. People don't tend to...like me." She said, sniffling as I frowned in focus. She seemed like a decent person, but I guessed she sucked at first impressions.

Anyhow.

"Well. You'll be staying with me." I blurted, not thoroughly thinking it through.

"I will?" She asked surprised, a little relieved.

"Yes. Your safety is very important until we get those documents. I-I can protect you." I said.

"Do you need anything from your apartment?" I asked, ignoring the twist in the pit of my gut as I averted my gaze.

"I might need just a few things. And I'll go get them like right now." She said with determination, getting to her feet.

"Where do you think you're possibly going?" I asked in disbelief as I too got up and stood above her. "You'll be staying in the car while I get all the things you need."

She looked hard at me. "Okay."

I was almost literally dragging her toward the car when she stopped suddenly with widened eyes.

"Something wrong?" I asked impatiently, yet a little sweetly as I too stopped to face her.

"I don't trust you." She said sharply, detaching herself from me. She stood, staring at me defiantly with her shaky hands curled into fists.

"What?" I breathed, raising my eyebrows in disbelief.

"I don't trust you. Why should I? You can be manipulating me so that you can kill me later." She stated, mustering enough strength to look straight into my eyes.

I looked at her, lips slightly parted, not knowing what to say. She had a perfectly valid point.

I sighed in defeat as I watched her shift, arms crossed across her chest. Her breathing seemed to fasten and her eyes scanned everything surrounding her in quick irregular circles.

"Look-" I started. "I know there isn't a reason for you to trust me. But let there be one."

"But that's my life we're betting on!" She whispered desperately as tears tumbled down her eyelashes, making her seem more terrified than livid.

I studied her and pursed my lips. I needed to gain her trust but it was difficult. It wasn't as affordable as Caroline's trust. It wasn't a compliment or a kiss away. It almost frustrated me.

"You are right. You have every reason not to trust me. I barged into your life out of nowhere and put it out of order. And for that, I am sorry." I tried to look as sincere as I could. "But what other option do you have? Run and pray in the darkest hours of the night that you'd get to see the sun again? Knowing deep down that they will follow you and get you. What's the point? What other choice do you have?"

She shook her head as tears streamed down her face. "I don't even know anymore-"

"Hey-" I said softly, lifting up her chin with my right hand and looking into her teary eyes with a small smile. "I am offering you a chance. By turning your back on this, you'll be eradicating any possibility you have of saving yourself."

She then sighed heavily and shuddered against a cold gust of wind. She then looked long in my eyes before, whispering a defeated 'okay' and walking with me toward the Mustang.

Her hands grasped my good arm for life. She was scared.

...

I opened a pink travel bag I found under Sam's bed and dragged anything of hers that I saw into it. I also made sure to pack her books so she could study. We discussed the fact that she'd be safe in the university because no one was allowed in unless they had an ID. And I'd be dropping her every day if I could help it.

I sighed and was about to zip the bag when my phone rang. Groaning in frustration, I took it out of my back pocket. Caroline.

I answered, amused at how my rage against Father caused me to act so differently. I never answered phone calls or talked sweetly to comfort crying girls. That wasn't what I did but was what had to be done.

"Romeo?" She said tentatively.

"Caroline. How are you?" I heard her sniff at the other end and so sat on Sam's bed, waiting for an insipid, imbecilic story. I didn't know what I've signed up for by actually letting Caroline trust me.

"He's got a new girlfriend-" She choked out the words and I frowned. Who got a girlfriend?

"Pardon? Who? Oh-" I then added quickly, unpleasantly, recalling yesterday's 'conversation'. Because, hell, what was I supposed to say? Just let my non-existent advice instincts guide me?

"Well, it's obvious that he's the player type." I blurted the words and had to squeeze shut my eyes from the cringe tears. "You should've expected it to happen?" I then asked/said slowly.

She cried more, blowing her nose. I shook my head. I seriously had no time for this, but I had to act it all up. I needed to remind myself that all of this was temporary.

"How do you feel?" I queried dumbly with a slight shrug instead of the awkward, sniffling-filled silence that settled between us.

"Horrible obviously!" She almost snapped and I swallowed back a snicker. It was all ridiculously hilarious. I didn't understand what she was sad about and I needed to hang up because I had no time to listen to her blathering.

"Okay. Do you want to meet and talk?" I said suddenly with a smirk.

She hesitated for a second. "But like- won't it like, you know- be awkward?" She sniffed.

"It'll be awkward only if you want it to be," I replied boredly.

I had to be a gentleman and I detested it. I was having the most difficult time in my life, trying to appear tidy and 'warm-hearted'. And I had to be particularly careful about the words that slipped and my face expressions.

So gentleman, my arse.

"Oh, okay then. I'd love to. Where though?"

"The café right next to Sam's apartment?" I suggested.

"Okay. When?"

"In like two hours? Or three? At six." I said finally.

"Okay." She said, sighing. "I'll see you then. Bye." She hung up and I shook my head, shoving my phone in my pocket.

Boring, the kind of sacrifices I have to make- was what I thought as I got up, zipped Sam's bag, and dragged it behind me.

When I headed out, I placed the bag in the car's trunk and got into the driver's seat. I noticed Sam type furiously on her phone with shaky hands and fingers. I didn't bother her, started the engine, and headed to the motel right away.

...

Sam was quiet the whole trip when she wasn't crying silently or whispering to herself.

When we reached the motel, I carried her bag to the room and she followed lifelessly, constantly looking over her shoulder. I unlocked the door, shoved it open with my foot, and let her in first. She walked in slowly, taking in her surroundings. A bed in the centre with a TV table in front of it. A kitchen at one end and a closed door that led to the bathroom at the opposite end.

I dropped the bag and stood straight next to her.

"Is that a gun? On your bed?" She then blurted, freezing in her place. I flinched, remembering Augustus playing around with it.

"Don't worry, please. It's for self-defence." I said quickly, reaching for it, and hiding it under the pillow. I then looked up at her with a small, probably unconvincing smile. She looked around nervously before her eyes pivoted back to my pillow.

I was going to leave her to adjust anyway. I had to meet Caroline. It'd probably make Sam trust me more. Especially that I'd leave her with my gun.

"Okay. Listen. I'll leave you here for a while to buy something and I'll be back." Her eyes widened just a bit before she clenched her fists and exhaled through her nose. Noticing her obvious anxiety, I added, "Just calm down, watch some TV or something. I just want you settled when I return."

She nodded quietly as she carefully lowered herself to the bed. I studied her more, before sighing heavily and leaving her alone.

...

I was early to the cafè because I needed some privacy with my thoughts. I lit a cigarette from the pack I just bought, shielding the flame before drawing in a deep breath. I ignored the dirty looks I got from almost all the bypassers as I exhaled the smoke and played with the flame of my lighter.

It was two cups of coffee and another cigarette later when Caroline walked in looking absolutely horrible in comparison to how she normally looked. Her hair was in a simple ponytail and her eyes were red and puffy. She wore a plain, black shirt, baggy jeans, a denim jacket. No makeup.

She looked overdramatically sad.

She noticed me and then sat on the chair that faced mine. "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this. I just don't know what's wrong with me-" She started rambling and I cut her off.

"It's okay. I'm here to help." I dictated, remembering those lines from some movie or book. And even though I knew they were overused, the warm smile on her face told me it was a successful attempt.

"Want something?" I asked, hooking my thumb at the waitress.

"No. No appetite." She said with a shrug and a slight smile.

"However, there's always space for a hot chocolate with marshmallows, don't you think?" I said with a raised brow and was honestly awed at my ability to be utterly cheesy.

Like Julius was cringing from Romeo. Does it make any sense? But I guess that was my mission at that time.

She smiled widely and nodded silently. I ordered it for her.

"Tell me what you feel. Of course, only if it'll make you feel any better." I added quickly.

Be a gentleman, I chanted in my head, a part me of me hoping that she would be generous enough and not agree to my offer.

She took a deep breath, then looked into my eyes. "I want to get over him. I really want to let him go. I want to hurt him. I want to make him feel like he's missing out. But-" She paused, looked down then up with tears in her eyes. "-every time I see his Instagram posts with her or go through our old pictures. My heart. Crumples. He looks at her like he looked at me. Like I was never special. Like I was just a phase-"

I actually hated this type of guys. Those and rapists. I mean, I killed and all, but I didn't break hearts.

Or, maybe I did- I probably did-

Whatever.

"You deserve better," I said and immediately felt that my reply was so insufficient. "You know? That guy-?"

"Tom."

"Tom doesn't know what he's missing on. Do you know why?" I took her silence as a 'no'. "Because what you can provide, of love, passion, and care, isn't what he's looking for. He's looking for a body, not a soul. You should feel thankful that God rid you of a shallow git." I said, feeling angry. I told you I hated this type of guys.

Anger issues, it's okay, you can chill- I told myself as Caroline looked at me lost in thought.

The waitress came with her hot chocolate. Caroline engulfed the cup in her hands and nodded slowly. "You are right. Whenever we met or talked, it always had to divert to sex. He would change subjects and not answer questions. He never took me out for a date after our first one. He said it was a waste of time. I guess, he got bored of me."

"Wrong," I said, looking at her and raising my index finger. "-he got bored of your body."

And at that moment, I felt like getting up and probably give the two of us a standing ovation.

Caroline sighed and sipped on her hot chocolate. Her shoulders relaxed as she leaned back in the chair. She then noticed me watch her. "I'm going to be okay, you know that right?"

I chuckled lightly. "Judging by how you look, it wouldn't be any time soon."

"I've gone through worse. Trust me."

I shook my head, smiling.

She drank more and I felt myself zone out, remembering Sam and how Father knew how to get to her. I would expect him to know where I was- which meant I had to change the motel. I wouldn't risk having both of us as easy targets since we were both together.

"Shit!" Caroline's voice snapped me out of my daydream. "I have to go and meet Benji in the library or he'll kill me. I'm already like ten minutes late." She said, getting up, leaving her hot chocolate untouched.

I raised my eyebrows. Amazing. The torture was over. She then thanked me quickly and profusely before leaving me alone. I was still smirking at her naivety when I came out of the cafè shortly after her.

It was around twenty hundred hours. A few people littered the streets, either going back home or heading to a pub where they could de-stress. The icy darkness of the night was sharply pierced by the bright streetlights that I walked under to get to Augustus' car and by the white puffs my warm breaths left behind.

I hopped into the car and decided to head to the park for some 'alone' time before I returned to the motel where I was going to be confined with Sam. Besides, I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable by my presence until I changed to a spacious hotel suite where we'd have our own rooms.

I didn't know why, but I liked this park. Its quietness was undone by occasional car honks and the distant laughter of kids, reminding me of childhood. To me, childhood was the epitome of innocence, purity, and freedom. It reminded me that I was once free. It reminded me of my mother.

I sat on an empty bench, looked around, and found none other than Samara talking to a child on the bench next to mine. Her gloved hand reached for the child's head gingerly before she patted it twice smiling.

The child then ran away towards the playground grinning. I got up hesitantly and reached in my denim's pocket for her mp3 player that had been crammed there ever since I last saw her. I then sat next to her.

I felt her smile before I took her hand and placed her mp3 player there. She grinned. "I knew I'd see you again, Julius. Well, not see you literally-" She chuckled at herself. "But come across you again. You know what I mean."