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Chapter 3 – The Truth
Something grabbed Mai and pulled her into an embrace. She didn't resist, her shaking form collapsing into the man's chest as sobs ran through her. Whoever was holding her gently stroked her hair as Mai tried to calm herself. Finally, she was able to pull away.
"Monk, I…" but she stopped talking as Naru released her.
"What did you see?" asked Monk and Mai, happy to have the distraction, cast her gaze onto Takigawa. Then, her momentary composure slipped and Naru gathered her back into his arms as she began to hyperventilate again.
"What happened?" whispered Naru.
"Th-this m-m-man—h-he had th-this wo-wom-man on a b-b-bed. Her whole b-body w-was c-cu-cut o-open. The b-blood w-w-was everywhere and…"but Mai couldn't finish. She shut her eyes and focused on relaxing every muscle in her body.
"Naru, the case…you don't think she saw..." murmured Monk. Naru didn't make a reply as he held Mai as if he never thought he would see her again. Maybe he thought so.
"Wh-what c-case?" Mai asked tearfully, trying to get her mind into the conversation and out of the dream.
Naru was quiet for several moments, but he eventually replied, "The case the man brought to us earlier. It's very likely your dream reflected one of the recent or, perhaps, past murders."
Mai wasn't entirely sure how she felt about this. In fact, she wasn't even sure about how she felt being in Naru's arms. Perhaps it was too much to comprehend at once.
"Takigawa, give us a moment," commanded Naru, his voice as stoic as ever. What was he up to?
"Sure, sure," chimed Monk, happy to have an excuse to escape from the tense atmosphere. As soon as they heard the click of the door, Mai pushed against Naru's chest which signaled she wanted to be let go. Naru obliged and stood, giving her room.
"You really are Oliver Davis aren't you," whispered Mai. Naru took a deep breath to keep his unsteady inner thoughts from affecting his steady outer demeanor.
"Yes." Mai shut her eyes tightly as the emotion she had felt that whole time threatened to tear her apart once again.
"Why?" she muttered inaudibly.
"Excuse me?" asked Naru. Mai shot a watery glare his direction.
"Why did you never tell me? Why didn't you trust me?" she began, her voice raising as she brought her fisted hands up next to her head. "I thought I had shown you how much I love you. Why could you never tell me? Why? Why! WHY!" Naru shot across to her, grabbing Mai's arms as she began to sob again.
"I-I don't u-understand," she wailed. "Why? I thought you loved m-me."
"I do!"
Mai gasped, taken aback by the forcefulness of his voice. Her head shot up and he captured her eyes with his own. For once she could see all the way through him. All of his pain, all his anger…all his love. It was all plain before her as if his eyes were windows into the very depths of his soul.
"Mai, you don't understand," he voiced with such deep sincerity that Mai believed him now like she never had before. "You are my whole world. I love you more than I have loved anything else. There were no expectations around you. I didn't have responsibilities to be great—to be the Oliver Davis the world expected. I came here to escape being that man because of all the pain that name held for me. Being your Naru gave me the new start I needed and I feared that you would get caught up in the drama if you knew who I was. That you might leave. But I know now that you would have loved me for me no matter what name I went by."
Never before had he been straighter with her. No lies, no hiding. Naru's heart was hers entirly to examine.
"I was going to tell you this coming Saturday," he muttered quietly, dropping his eyes to where Mai's hands were enclosed in his on her lap. They sat there for an immeasurable amount of time.
"Naru, I—I need some time to think about this. Alone—please."
And then Naru's face closed up, his eyes reverting back to unreadable as he stood and dropped Mai's hands. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye as he leaned down and his hand caressed the side of her face. For an almost unbearable amount of time, his lips pressed against her forehead. Once released, Mai waited for him to shut the door on the way out before she collapsed.
Naru paused outside of the door, listening as Mai returned to crying. It was all he could do to not go back in.
"Everything okay?" asked the tentative voice of Takigawa. Naru turned and adjusted his posture.
"Allow her to stay here for a few days," said Naru, pulling out his phone and pressing a speed dial.
"Of course, should I…"
"Leave her alone. I'll send Lin with some of her things." With that, Naru left the apartment.
Two Days Later…
The chiming announced someone entering the office and Naru looked up hopefully, however, it was only Lin returning from lunch. Disappointed, Naru looked back to the file.
"Has she called?" asked Lin quietly. Naru made no reply.
"We leave tonight, Naru, you may want to make an effort to visit her."
"Lin, it's better you stay out of it." Lin stared at his irritable boss for a while longer before turning to open the door.
"You're in luck," he said as he pulled on the handle.
Mai, who had been unsure if she was quite ready to come in, fell through the door with a shriek. Bewildered and red faced with chagrin, Mai straightened quickly to try and conserve what little dignity she had left. Naru stood, a million emotions flashing through his eyes in a matter of milliseconds.
"Ma-may I speak with you?"she asked, biting her lip and shifting her weight awkwardly from foot to foot.
"Of course." Naru led the way into his office and shut the door behind Mai, his nerves barely contained behind his stony outer shield.
She walked forward and leaned comfortably on his desk, taking her time in facing him. Finally her eyes met his and she held his gaze, almost searchingly watching him watch her. They stood like that for ages until Naru could no longer stand it.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice unintentionally hard.
"For you to be honest with me and answer my questions."
Naru blinked in disbelief. Was that all?
"Okay." Mai crossed her arms and squared her shoulders, chewing the inside of her cheek as she sorted her thoughts.
"What have you been doing for the past few days?" Naru, once again, blinked in disbelief. Surely that wasn't the question she wanted to ask.
"Mai, you don't need to make small talk with me. Ask me exactly what you want to know," he said. Mai raised her eyebrows.
"I did."
Naru scrutinized her until finally he gave in and declared, "I'm afraid I don't follow."
Mai laughed humorlessly. "Naru, have you missed me while I was gone?"
"Of course, that much should be ob—"
"You said I was your world. Was that true?"
"Yes, I never want you to dou—"
Mai walked forward and placed her hand gently on his cheek so he would quiet.
"Naru, when you are separated from your world what is there left for you to do? How do you keep on doing what you have been? I'll ask you again….what have you been doing for the past few days?"
Mai watched as Naru's composure began to slip. She allowed him to walk away towards the window as he collected his thoughts.
"Mai—these past few days have been—there's not a word to describe what hell I've been through. Every day I awoke to that same empty apartment. I spent all day at work jumping up every time the door alarm sounded or the phone rang. At night, I walked through the halls, down to your bedroom, towards the kitchen, and everywhere else a memory came to me. I've spent this whole time remembering how you smell, how soft your skin felt, how your lips…." Naru fell silent, unable to contain his emotions if he kept talking. He watched people below walk back and forth as the quietness rang through his ears.
Then narrow arms gently wound their way around his waist, small hands pressing against his chest as he felt a face rest against his back. Naru pulled her around into his arms and kissed the top of her head, relishing in the smell of her hair.
"No more secrets," she whispered. "You tell me everything from now on."
"Deal." Mai smiled and pulled away from his embrace only to stand tip toes and press her lips to his. Contentedly, Naru held her and made a promise to himself. Never again would he let her go.
Then, he let go of her waist as she made to return to his desk.
"So…what's this new case I had a dream about?" she asked, gingerly running her hand along the polished wood.
Naru reached out and extricated a file from the rubbish covering his desk. Mai made to take it but Naru pulled it back.
"Mai, have you ever heard of Jack the Ripper?"
Mai gave Naru and odd look as she shook her head. Naru sighed.
"Then I would prefer you not to look at these files."
Mai followed Naru around his desk.
"Why?"
Naru reached out and pulled her back into his arms. "Mai, it's bad enough you have to see what you do in your dreams. You need not see this file."
"Oh, um, okay. Well, thank you. When do we leave?" asked Mai.
"I never said you were coming," replied Naru, causing Mai to smirk.
"I did, and I don't intend to argue it. I've already had dreams and I'll keep having them until this case is solved and you need me to do that. So when are we leaving?" Naru paused, knowing full well what was about to happen.
"Tonight."
"WHAT!"
Update Soon,
Truth.
