Page 104 of I see you Beauty

“Tell me about your mother now, and what do you want to talk to me about?” I pick up the conversation, still confused.

I wonder if June knows about us. Did you say something? But then she would probably act differently toward me if she knew I had something with her mother. Fuck, Beauty, what are you doing to me again?

This lack of understanding makes me increasingly restless. When I get restless, I inevitably become angry, but I’m no longer the kind of person who flips out and hurts someone. I can’t be like that anymore!

“My mother doesn’t know I’m here, and I’m supposed to stay away from you.”

“Why is that?” I ask and almost laugh because what your daughter tells me sounds so far-fetched. What’s going on here, Beauty?

“Because supposedly you hurt a lot of girls from your past. And that’s why I’m here. I want to know if it’s true because… I can’t believe it. Ezra? You don’t hurt women, do you?” June asks, her voice much more reserved and meek. She nervously fiddles with her fingers, which are lying on the table in front of her as we sit opposite each other.

At first, I’m so shocked by these new developments that I need a moment before I can answer. You… you know? How do you know? JENNY! That little bitch is dead!

Struggling to control my unbridled rage and not take it out on your daughter, I inhale and exhale several times. You left me and would rather believe a little junkie bitch than me? Instead of talking to me? FUCK! That makes me angry, Beauty! So angry that I could lay the entire world to waste right now. This betrayal runs deep, baby; I hope you realize that!

“Do you believe that? That I did something to some girls when I was younger? Hey, June. It’s me. Ezra. Your neighbor. The nice guy you’ve been chasing around his whole house, texting him with ideas for his decor. Do you remember?” I reply, trying to reassure her with a grin.

June’s serious features, which have been present since she got out of her car, gradually smooth out, and she returns my smile as she shakes her head. Can you see that, Beauty? Even your daughter believes me, but you don’t? Don’t you love me at all? Was it all a lie? Fuck!

The smile on June’s full lips—your lips—widens. Shit, she is the spitting image of you. Why aren’t you here with me now? Why don’t you trust me? Why does your image have to sit before me and not you?

“What about your mom? Is she all right?” I then ask her.

She bites her lower lip and avoids my gaze.

“I don’t know. She… fell down the stairs, and then all those weird things she said about you. I don’t know if she’s okay. I’m worried,” she says, giving me an uncertain look.

June leans over the table and grabs my hand, which shocks me because I almost imagine it’s your hand. Fuck! That’s not good! I miss you so much I could practically imagine your daughter is you…

“I’m sure everything will be fine. But you… should leave now if your mom doesn’t want you to be here.” I try to do the right thing.

I mustn’t covet your daughter. Everything will clear up. I just have to take care of that little bitch Jenny first and shut her up. Then there will be no one between us, Beauty. I promise you. After that, you’ll quell the darkness inside me forever…

“Does that mean… I can’t work for you anymore?” she asks, visibly unhappy.

I don’t want to make your daughter unhappy. I want her to smile and show you she’s important to me too because she’s important to you, but you… you baby, you mean everything to me!

Chapter Seventy

I’m doing all this for you!

“Hello, Jenny. It took me quite a while to find you,” I greet the traitor as she exits the bathroom of her rancid motel room.

She stands frozen in place, her gaze locked on me. I lean against her door in the dim light, my eyes fixed on her silhouette. The only illumination comes from the bathroom light, casting faint shadows across the room.

“Ezra… what? I… I’m sorry,” she stammers and tries to run past me to fight her way somehow out.

But I quickly stop her by wrapping my arm around her stomach and the other around her neck and pressing her back against me. I immobilize her and use my arm around her petite neck to make sure she doesn’t scream all over the place.

“Shh,” I murmur in her ear as I try to restrain her, as she fights me with her hands and feet. But it won’t do her any good.

“Ezra… p-please don’t do this,” she stutters.

“Don’t do what? Kill you, like I promised? That wouldn’t be very consistent of me, don’t you think, Jenny?”

Sobs fill the room, but I don’t care. That little bitch dared to go to you and tell you garbage about me, and you… you believed her instead of talking to me. That hurts, Beauty. I don’t know if I can forgive you so quickly. But we’ll see…

“What did you tell her, huh? Did you tell her about your little whore girlfriend? How she cheated on me with my best friend and lied to me? Just fucked him behind my back as if I didn’t exist? As if our love had never existed? Did you tell her about that?” My voice gets darker and darker toward the end and shakes uncontrollably.

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