Page 74 of His to Possess
"She was sick, August. Really sick. And she refused treatment. I tried to help her, to save her from herself, but she wouldn't let me. She twisted everything, made it seem like I was the monster."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When August spoke again, his voice was shaky. "That's… that's not possible. I saw what you did to her. I saw…"
"You saw what she wanted you to see," I repeated, my anger deflating into exhaustion. "You never bothered to ask me, to get the whole story. You just assumed the worst about me."
August's breathing was heavy on the other end. I could almost see him, brow furrowed, trying to reconcile what he had thought he knew with what I was telling him.
"I… I don't understand," he finally said.
"No, you don't," I agreed. "And that's the problem, August. You never tried to understand. You just judged."
I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of years of misunderstanding and resentment hanging heavy between August and me. The silence stretched, palpable even through the phone line.
Finally, his voice broke through, barely above a whisper. "I… I had feelings for her, Rex. Deep feelings."
The admission hit me like a punch to the gut. Suddenly, his hatred for me made a twisted kind of sense. "Christ, August. Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Because I was a coward. Seeing her in pain, it… it twisted me. I couldn't think straight. I just wanted to protect her, to save her from what I thought you were doing."
I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. "You saw me with other women, August. Other 'collectibles,' as you call them. They were all right. Why did you think I'd suddenly decide to destroy Lola?"
There was a long pause before August responded. "I don't know. I… I guess I wasn't thinking rationally. I was blinded by my feelings for her, by what I thought I saw."
"I may be a twisted bastard, August, but I'm not the monster you've made me out to be. I'd never hurt someone like that, never make them lose their mind."
"Maybe. Or at least, I'm starting to see it. God, what a fucking mess."
I let out a bitter laugh. "You can say that again." I paused, gathering my thoughts. "Look, August, I get it now. I understand why you turned against me, why you believed Lola over me. Butyou have to know, I tried to help her. I really did. I'll send you everything the doctors gave me about her."
August sighed heavily. "I believe you, Rex. I… I'm sorry. For everything."
The apology hung in the air, years of animosity slowly beginning to crumble. It wasn't forgiveness, not yet, but it was a start.
"Yeah, well," I muttered, unsure how to respond. "Water under the bridge now. But August, we need to focus. Laurel's still missing. Do you know anything? Anything at all?"
August sighed heavily on the other end of the line. "Look, Rex, I met with Laurel about our project, and she seemed off. Troubled, you know?"
"And?" I prompted, impatience coloring my tone.
"I thought it was because of you. So, I… I told her about your collections, the albums, and about Lola. I was trying to protect her, Rex. I never meant for her to leave the city, abandon her career. I just thought she'd leave you."
"Fuck!" I cursed, slamming my fist against the wall. The pain barely registered through my anger. "You had no right, August. No fucking right!"
"I know that now," he said quietly. "But Rex, think about it. If she didn't leave because of you, it must be something bigger, more dangerous."
I paused, considering his words. "What are you getting at?"
"The only thing that could shake Laurel that much… it has to be what happened in Paris. I know you must have checked her background, but what if something from her past came back to haunt her? Or someone."
As much as I hated to admit it, August's theory made sense. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became. "It fits," I said, running a hand through my hair. "But what could be so bad that she'd just disappear?"
"I don't know," August replied. "But whatever it is, it's got to be serious. Laurel doesn't strike me as the type to run from her problems unless she has no other choice."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "You're right," I admitted grudgingly. "I'll find out what happened."
"Rex," August's voice came through the line, hesitant but sincere. "I… I want to help. If there's anything I can do to find Laurel, just let me know."
I paused, caught off guard by his offer. After years of animosity, this sudden shift felt surreal. "I appreciate that, August," I replied, my voice gruff.
