Julius Caesar

It had been almost two days of me trying to reach Augustus and finding it impossible. Guilt took its toll on me, yet here I was, standing in front of Samara's door, waiting for her to come out as Amanda glared away at me.

A big part of me kept wishing that Augustus would call and come back. I know I acted like I didn't care; like I was an iceberg, despite my heart's furnace that could burn hearts with the care it carried. I didn't deserve him.

I shifted in place, feeling my heart sink at my last thought. But I mean, why would anyone deserve me? God forbid having anyone who'd deserve me. I mean how bad could they be?

Samara appeared at the doorway in a breath-taking smile, a simple, white shirt topped with a brown jacket, faded jeans, and boots. Her hair was held high in a messy bun and her lips glistened with light-pink lipgloss in the sun. And I simply forgot. Forgot who I was and how bad I could hurt her.

I smiled.

"You ready?" I asked, reaching for her hand and bringing her to my side. She nodded enthusiastically as Amanda slammed the door shut.

"I'm so full of adrenaline! I think I'm scared or excited! My feelings are so confused-" She blurted, smiling as I chuckled.

"Don't worry Samara. It'll go by fast."

Her hold around my hand tightened and my smile widened as we started walking.

I stood in the room's corner, watching the doctors and nurses ready Samara for the operation. Her head snapped in all directions as she frowned, her milky-white eyes desperately trying to look for something.

She sat on a bed while the doctors surrounded her. Her calm demeanour was gone. She looked frantic, terrified even.

"Alright. She's ready." One of the nurses announced and I stood straighter, alert for any instructions. Another nurse started wheeling her bed away.

"Wait!" Samara said, putting out her hands and clutching one of the nurse's arms frantically. "Caesar?" She then called out urgently, surprising me.

All the nurses turned toward me and I straightened up, raising my eyebrows. I pushed myself off the wall, walked to her bed, and asked the nurses for a few moments of privacy. They left and I sighed as I sat next to Samara on the bed.

"I thought you left-" She breathed as her hands found mine and squeezed hard.

"I would never-" I said, caressing her fingers. I watched her take deep breaths and smiled. She couldn't even help being adorable when she was nervous. If only she could see what I could see, she'd understand why I'd never leave.

She squeezed her eyes shut and started muttered something. I think she was praying.

She then opened her empty eyes and smiled warmly. "I prayed that God unites us again."

I smiled, resting my right palm on her cheek. "He will. Don't worry-"

"No, it's-" I reached for her hands again with raised eyebrows but she backed off.

"I have absolutely no romance history. I don't know if I'm acting right-" She blurted honestly, looking away and I grinned.

"I mean-"

"Also, I just have to get it off my chest, Caesar, before the operation. In case you want to run for your life before I know how you look like, do it! I wouldn't know you. I will be okay-" I chuckled, taking her hands back into mine. She didn't resist this time before she broke into a magnificent, heart-melting smile.

"I like you, Samara," I found myself saying. "I wouldn't leave that easily."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "I think I like you too."

I grinned. "That's great-"

"Yup, feelings are mutual-" She said in a psychologist-like manner and I couldn't help grinning.

"They are-" I whispered. "I think it's time to go-" I then said softly, glancing at a nurse who opened the door and pointed at her watch.

She clutched my hands, scared and I gently removed them.

"Be brave," I finally told her before planting a kiss on her nose tip. The nurse then came in and wheeled her away.

I took a deep breath. It was Amanda time.

I jumped in from Samara's room's window, careful that I didn't hit the shelf that carried her frames. I stealthily moved around the piano and out of her neat room into a hall that branched into two with a staircase right in front of me.

Not knowing where Amanda could be, I searched the whole floor. I entered a room where the little kid -Bianca- was sleeping peacefully, smiled satisfied, and slowly closed her room's door.

This should be easy.

I carefully went down the fancy, spiralling stairs and was about to proceed to the dining room when I stopped dead in my tracks.

And maybe the old songs,

Will bring back the old times,

Maybe the old lines will sound new.

Maybe she'll lay her head on my shoulder,

Maybe old feelings will come through

I smirked and took out my gun, carefully entering the huge kitchen where she stood over the oven, mixing something and singing. I smiled, clenched my jaws, took one big step, and forcefully brought my hand to her mouth and my beautiful gun to her bulky head.

"You will not scream. You will not be stupid. We have a kid sleeping and trust me when I say that she wouldn't want to see that," I whispered harshly in her ears as she dug her fingernails in my hands. "Now let's leave the rice to stew and have a nice talk. What do you say?" I said, pushing the gun harder.

I felt tears and mucus from the bitch's nose wet my hands as I harshly directed the plump, short woman out of the stifling kitchen into the air-conditioned corridors. I took her to the living room and pushed her roughly to a chair on which she collapsed.

I tilted my head, watching her adjust herself as my gun faced her. "Look, love-" I started with a cold smirk. "My ways are difficult because I don't believe in killing as much as I believe in torture. I want my answers straight to the point. Lie, and you get a bullet in one of those beautiful legs of yours. I'm quite sure you can tell I'm not the type who jokes around. And when I say don't lie," I said, looking straight into her eyes. "I would advise you not to. Like my terms?"

She looked at me, terrified, her eyes firing darts in my direction. I raised a leg and rested it on the coffee table. She glared but said nothing.

"Who are you?"

She looked around the room, but I was quick to lean in and push her face toward mine with my gun. "I don't have time, so the faster you answer the easier it is for both of us. Okay?"

Her green eyes swam in silent tears as she looked away, her double chin prominent and her eyebrows thin and precise.

"Dan-Dan-" She trailed off and I pursed my lips.

"Dan, what, bitch?" I said harshly and her face screwed in anger.

"Danielle. And please refrain from using profanities. I'm your mother's age-"

At that, I laughed.

"And my mother would do that?" I asked scornfully. "Look, I'm not here to do small talk, so how about getting to the point? What the hell do you want from Samara?"

"I could ask you the same." She said, glancing at my gun and I grimaced.

"Don't test my non-existent patience," I demanded menacingly.

"You can't do anything to me!" She burst suddenly and I raised my eyebrows. "Samara would know-"

I laughed humorlessly. "Uh-uh. You got that wrong. Actually, Danielle-" I said, pausing and glancing at a beautiful glass vase hugging some wildflowers in the room's corner. "-actually, Samara will return here tomorrow-"

"If you harm her-" She started suddenly, threateningly and I smirked.

"She'll return tomorrow. Not blind," I continued, smiling and waiting for a reaction.

Her eyes filled with fear. "What do you mean?"

"I don't repeat myself and you're not deaf so...question two?" I said, tilting my head and she gulped.

"Can you please back away? I'm claustrophobic-"

"Then that's another reason for why you should talk faster-" I retorted and she looked away, taking a deep breath.

"Ricardo-" She blurted out, paused, and pursed her lips as if in pain. "-was my husband and I can show you all the papers to prove that." She added sincerely and I raised my eyebrows. She continued. "When I heard he died and that I was officially a widow with Bianca to raise, I had to do something-" She said with difficulty and I stared at her to continue.

"All I knew is that Ricardo loved Bianca so much and I was sure he'd want her to live like her sister -Mara- lived." She looked at me, unsure if she should continue and I nodded with a grimace.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to provide for Bianca to keep up with the standard she was living in when he was alive. Especially when he left nothing for her in his will." She said, looking down, and shaking her head. "He donated all his wealth for charity. Ironically. Samara's mother provides well for her-"

"You meant ′us'," I said sharply and she nodded sadly.

"But I swear I haven't used a penny on myself. It was all for Bianca and Samara. And Samara is a very nice young woman. I loved her immediately and knew that she's of no threat."

"Obviously," I said scornfully. "-the girl's blind. Permanently blind, eh? That was what you told her?"

"Well, what would you have done in my position?" She said, looking angry all of a sudden.

"It surprises me how selfish you are-" I said hatefully. "Selfish enough to destroy the dreams of a young woman for the future of your daughter," I said, my voice laced with venom.

"Don't you dare use this accusing tone with me!" She said, her voice quavering. "I always felt guilty and did my best to compensate-"

"What?" I said, controlling my voice that was about to rise. "What could you possibly do to compensate for sight? A sense."

"She could've done the surgery when she was bloody twenty!" She said, ignoring my question. "Why don't you go and ask her dead father why he didn't let her have the surgery then? She's twenty-four now, bless her, and I've only been with her for a few months after her father died. So you can't totally blame me! The girl's been played around by everyone!" She said, her eyes wide open.

"Bullshit! You're making all that shit up! Where is the real Amanda?!" I exploded, irritated at what she said.

This just couldn't be right.

"Oh, her-" She said, forcing out a cold, hard laugh. "She didn't give two shits when I insisted that I took care of Mara. Told her that I was a widow with no kids and needed some company. Told me that it was okay as long as I pretended to be her so that Samara wouldn't feel unbelonging."

She shook her head. "It was funny how Amanda easily called her mom and told her to pay me for taking care of her daughter! Amanda didn't even check who I was. Only my name and she was ready to throw the responsibility off her shoulders. The girl was disowned by her family!"

"Bullshit-"

"Oh yeah, Mr Caesar? Then let me ask you a question! Why the hell didn't her mother let her stay with her in France after her father died, huh? How do you explain, her mother only calling to make sure I received the money without even talking to her kid?! How do you explain that?! This is one messed up family I had to keep up with for Bianca!" Her outburst shocked me to the extent that I lowered my gun to my side.

"That can't be-"

"Oh, it sure as hell is-" She said. "The girl is blind! Anything can be played on her! What people say don't match their facial expressions- which she can't see! Even Ricardo was lying to her all that time! That girl is a blind cat living in a cage packed with bloody lions-"

"Ricardo? Why would he do that? I thought he cared about her-" I said, my eyes sharp and focused.

"Ha! You don't even know him, do you? I married that man, thinking I was in love with him. He's ruthless. His work is dirty. He fishes for trouble. Definitely as sharp as a tack. Greatest lawyer of his time. I'm not surprised he was killed. He sure deserved it. Was an abusive son of a bitch. I discovered that I only lived with him for his money and for Bianca. So did he really care about Samara?" She snorted, shaking her head and pouting scornfully.

"Then why were you warning me about it the first day we met?" I asked and she smirked.

"I guess I should've warned you harder. Should've scared the shit out of you. Because look what my situation is right now. You've jeopardized my life-" She said, her green eyes glancing at my gun.

"That's not enough reason. You drove away any friends she had-" I said, my brain a mess.

"Nope, that's actually the only reason. Imagine what would happen to the girl if she knew all what I just told you. I wouldn't have stayed quiet. I'd tell her the whole ugly truth about her family. I'd say anything to protect myself and Bianca." She said, looking into my eyes. "Samara's soft. She would probably kill herself, blaming it on herself and her disability. I know this girl like I know my daughter. And I pity her that everyone is using her disability, including myself."

"Why would Ricardo use her?" I asked shocked.

"I wouldn't want my daughter to know the shit I do if I was a bad person. He got blood on his hands, you know? He must've thought that it's better to leave the girl in the dark." She tsked and I stared at her, hoping she'd show any sign of lying.

But she wasn't. I was excellent in kinesics- body language- and could easily tell a lie from a truth.

"Do you know what's become of Ricardo's possessions?" I then asked, throwing caution in the wind and she raised her eyebrows

"Possessions? What do you mean?"

"Documents. Papers-?" I started and she stopped me.

"Why?" She asked, biting her lip once in apprehension. "I'm not quite sure where-"

"Are you?" I snapped and she winced.

"I don't think I can tell you-" She said and I cocked my head, raising my gun again.

"Oh? I think you can," I breathed, aiming my gun at her leg.

She quickly scooted away. "Look, I promised him-"

"Why are you contradictory? Why would you want to keep the promise of a man you hated?" I asked and she gulped.

"Those documents-" She uttered, grimacing and looking down. She then looked up again in my eyes and shuddered. "-they are bad, bad documents."