Chapter XV
1043 Words
Collin had no choice but to walk as she dragged him to the nearest beach rocks. Just a few meters away from their new found friends.
Rosette sat on the flat top of the shortest rock. She tried to find the words to explain to him why she wanted to know more about Anthony. But Collin remained standing, keeping his distance from her.
She captured one of his hand and gently pulled him to stand in her front. When he was near enough, she held both of his hands. "I am not interested in him, okay?" She raised her brows while keeping an eye to eye contact with Collin. "You know that I am always like this when something puzzles my mind. I'm just curious... Nothing more." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Then why do you have to think about him, now... in our supposed to be date?" Collin glowered at her.
"He is being childish again. Damn that drink!" she silently cursed.
"I am not!" Rosette answered in a whisper shout. The rope of her patience was on the verge of breaking out. "I was thinking about the picture I found in his room," she confessed.
"You steal his picture? Really?" Collin gasped as he escaped from her hold. "And you're saying you are not interested?" He forcefully ran his fingers through his hair.
"Well, I..." Rosette bit her lower lip."I found it after I returned his composition."
"And you still have his photo?" His glare made her heart trembled.
"Y-yah... I'm just trying to find the answers to the puzzles. I hope you understand, babe." He hugged his waist, feeling sorry even though she had a clean conscience.
Collin sighed loudly. "Why don't you tell me about it? So, I could help." His voice returned to being soft as he played with her hair.
"You won't believe me if I say that Anie and Melvin did not die on their own, would you?" Rosette looked up and locked her gaze to him. She was hoping that Collin would also think the same as her and Clarisse.
"Okay." Collin closed his eyes while holding his breath. And lazily opened it when he asked. "What made you think that?"
"They said that Anthony is a Death Teller... and the broken melody you heard that night at six was his sign. A sign that someone would die," she said, giving emphasis to every word that came out from her mouth. Her hands moved along with it. "All of them committed suicide and there was no one to investigate the scene except Mang Rolly," she added when she received no reaction from him.
Her shoulders dropped as she noticed how uninterested he is. "He probably knows the... real cause of their death." Her voice faded out. Disappointment wrapped around her heart.
"Stop it, babe. You are only getting your self into trouble. Please..." Collin locked up her face with his hands. "Let them solve it without getting you involved."
"Nah. You don't understand." Rosette broke free from Collin's grasp and stood up. She hugged her arms when the coldness crept into her skin. "The day that Clarisse left this island... she said something about Melvin's death. She also told me that she found the evidence and hid it under her pillow. But when I looked for it, it was already gone. Someone may have found it ahead," she said.
"Are we really going to argue about it?" Collin scratch his nape in frustration.
"It's fine if you don't believe it, but please, don't tell me to stop." She looked at him with begging eyes.
She understood that he cares for her but she just can't throw away her deduction just because he said so. The islanders would suffer in what they thought was a course, without knowing the whole truth. Her conscience would eat her.
"Alright." Collin sighed. His hand lifted up and caressed her cheek. "But you have to promise me that you won't risk your safety. And you have to refrain yourself from going into his room."
"Okay, babe." Her sweet smile brightened up her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked on his lower lip. "I promise."
"You're tempting me, babe." Collin returned her kiss and pulled away in an instant. "Let's go back now before I could do something." He held her right hand and started walking back towards the bonfire.
Trinity's voice was the loudest among the four who were still talking. Ruby was already leaning on Jude's shoulder when they got back. And Marcus was kindling the bonfire.
"Who's up for stargazing?" Collin shouted and everybody cheered up.
"I'm in!" Marcus raised his hand. "Let's all do that until we fall asleep," he said.
"Yay! I love it!" Trinity jumped in happiness while clapping her hands. Her bright smile was like that of a star. It twinkled in the darkness of the night.
Everyone agreed with their plan.
Rosette chuckled and picked up the blanket. Collin gave her a hand in laying the blanket near the bonfire, so that they would not get cold. They shared the two-thirds of the blanket to Ruby, Trinity, Marcus, and Jude. Only half of their bodies were on the piece of fabric, while the other halves, from their waists to feet, were on the sand.
"This is so relaxing. I wish we could do this more often." Trinity giggled as she watched the stars dreamily. It was her first time to sleep outside their house and below the dark sky that was clothed with twinkling stars and a bright moon.
"Yeah. But the elders won't allow us especially if that broken melody would play again," answered Jude.
The two girls sighed after hearing the unfortunate fact.
"Well, at least we've got a chance now. Thanks to Collin and Rosette." Marcus turned his head to them and smiled. The other three followed.
They continued talking until someone yawned and others followed. The noise was slowly blown out by the wind as their eyes could not hold the weight. No one knew who slept first and who closed their eyes last. All of them had a peaceful sleep but only one would lose the chance to see the bright sky that's above them.
- Writer
