"Zu dir" by LEA

KLAUS'S POINT OF VIEW

I followed Murphy outside even though he clearly didn't want me to go with him. He lit a cigarette, realized that I didn't have one, and tried to offer one to me.

"I don't smoke," I shook my head. He studied me for a few seconds before scowling and taking a drag. He's very surly. Not at all what I expected Cee's ex-boyfriend to be like. Seeing them together, though, that word doesn't make much sense. It feels like it's not enough of a word to describe their connection to one another. She never speaks about him very much. I had always thought it was to protect my feelings for some reason. Now I know it was to protect hers.

"Why are ye here?"

"I wasn't lying."

"It don't make sense."

"Cecilia is very dear to me, I want to be sure she's okay. She hates this city. I didn't know why she'd return." Murphy said nothing, looking at me to show he was listening. "She was very broken when I met her. She's still broken but less so now." I paused and looked at the sky, thinking how much nicer it looked back in Germany.

"Did she tell ye about me?"

"Not much. It was hard for her to talk about it very much. It was mostly in passing. Usually when one of the twins did something ridiculous that reminded her of you or your brother." I turned to look at him. "I thought it was so she didn't insult me or hurt my feelings but it was for her. I didn't know that until tonight."

"She told me about ye."

I shrugged, rotating my shoulder as it began to stiffen from being knocked to the floor a few hours ago. "Of course she would. I'm not as important to her. It doesn't hurt her."

"It hurts ye."

"That's irrelevant," I shook my head. "Cecilia loves you. It's always going to be you for her. I know that. She knows that. Do you know it?"

He didn't answer.

I scoffed. "You don't even know what you have." Typical Irish.

"I know wh-"

"Shut up, no you don't. I'm the only one who will probably ever tell you this so stop being so fucking hard-headed and listen. Don't push her away and don't keep her out of things. I don't care if you think you're protecting her. It's going to hurt her instead of protect her. She might follow some other crazy guy to some random drug warehouse and you won't be there and she'll end up dead."

He opened his mouth, confused, to protest.

I held up my hand. "I'm not finished. There will never be anyone else for that woman as long as she's alive. She's all in with you. So do her the courtesy of treating her the same way, okay? Okay. Enjoy your cigarette. I'm going to go say goodbye and then I'm going to go to my hotel room." I got up and noticed more grime on the wall. "I would never stay here for anyone."

I went upstairs and let myself back in. Connor must have been showering because Cee was on the couch chewing on her nail. She doesn't bite them, just sometimes chews on them when she's stressed. I think it stops her from smoking again. Getting her to quit was terrible. I'm surprised she hasn't picked it up again with how much the Irishmen smoke.

"Cee, I'll be going back to my hotel for the night," I caught her attention. She looked up in surprise, her brown eyes wide. Her red hair was down now, a mess of unruly curls.

"You have someplace to stay?" She questioned, making sure I wasn't lying. I nodded.

"Yes, I booked a place on the other side of town. I'll be around for two weeks. I wasn't sure how long I should stay." I thought about it a second. "I might leave tomorrow."

"Why don't you stick around and enjoy Boston? It's not all bad."

"No, it's not. I just don't want to make any trouble."

Cecilia smiled, shaking her head. "You're never any trouble, Niklaus." She only used my full name when she was serious. I nodded.

"Alright, I'll stick around. Do you have paper? I'll give you my number if you need anything." I gave her a stern look. "And I mean anything. I don't care what it is or how delicate it might be." She handed me a pencil and a pad of paper.

"Klaus, I can't-"

"You aren't asking. I'm offering." I wrote down the hotel's number and my cell phone number. I stopped, looking at her face. She was worried. I smiled softly and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Cecilia."

"Goodnight, Klaus," she followed me to the door, standing in the doorway as I walked out of it. "And thank you."

Murphy was walking back up the stairs as she said that. He nodded to me so I nodded back. I watched him go to her. How her face softened and her body relaxed as he touched her. They have a connection that most people will never have in their lives. I hope that they know how lucky they are for that.