Did we really break up?He didn’t even come after me and tell me I had the wrong idea about him only wanting to be my protector.I was hoping I was overreacting and he would attempt to set me straight, but apparently, I’m not aligned with the fucking signs. Well, fuck it, I stand by what I said. I’m not going to force someone to love me. I’m better than that.
I get back to my seat and look for my picture, but it’s gone.
“Looking for this?” Levi holds up the picture between two fingers.
“Yeah, thanks,” I say, taking it and my seat. Since the cat is out of the bag, I give in and look at it once again while Levi leans in.
“Do you know anyone in this picture?” I ask.
“What picture?” Moni asks, and the others in the room get up and head over to see what I’m looking at. Since everyone is crowded around the sofa, it makes it easy to see Reaper running to Knots when he walks back in.
“Yeah, the guy in the picture is Delvin. He’s the same guy that you saw in the flashback with my father,” Levi explains, pulling my attention back to him.
‘Umm. No, that’s not right,’Lynx says, and I pause momentarily, curious what he means by that.
“What?”
“Yeah. I think I would know Delvin. He’s been one of my idols for years,” Levi continues, mistaking that I’m questioning him instead of Lynx and answering again. To lessen the blow, I squeeze Lynx’s knee as I turn my attention to Levi.
“Really? I guess I wasn’t really paying attention to the side characters of the flashback,” I admit sheepishly. “But I think I would have recognized a platinum-blond man with striking green eyes before,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m just trying to figure out why he’s with me in this picture.”
“Wait, what?” Ryker asks, leaning over the back of the sofa and grabbing the picture out of my hands. “Where are you?”
“Who said Delvin was blond?” Levi asks.
Flabbergasted, I decide to tackle one question at a time. “Well, first of all, look at the blanket. That’s my baby blanket, and it even has my name on it. I’m not sure how many Nerezzas you’ve met before. And what do you mean about Delvin not being blond?” I reach back and grab the picture back from Ryker. “Mr. Grubby hands,” I tease under my breath.
“You weren’t complaining a few minutes ago.” He smiles as I roll my eyes.
“See, look.” I point to Delvin. “His short blond hair. How can you miss it?”
The room goes quiet, and Lynx tries to get my attention again, but I’m too focused on Moni as she floats in front of me, blocking the picture with her preferred height.
“Are you okay, bestie? Did you hit your head? Did Knots do something to you?” she accuses.
“Hey, I didn’t do anything,” Knots protests, meeting everyone’s eyes but mine. Then again, I’m not really looking at his face, only his stance. He doesn’t look upset at all as he walks over with a wiggly Reaper in his arms to take a look at the photo. His nonchalant attitude only drives the knife deeper into my heart, adding a layer of concrete to the void he once stood in only ten minutes ago.
“First of all, Door Knob, get your filthy hands off of our Reaper. You don’t deserve the honor to hold him anymore.” Lynx’s loathing expression for Knots doesn’t relent until Reaper is on the floor again. Knots doesn’t respond beyond a narrowed glare, but if they’re communicating through their link, Lynx ignores him because he dismisses Knots by turning his focus back to me. “And second, Rezzi-bear, the guy in the photo doesn’t have blond hair,” Lynx finally says out loud, returning to our conversation. “He has black hair and light gray eyes, like you. Third of all, I’ve seen him in pictures before,” Lynx admits. “Do you really see something else?” Lynx asks, looking concerned.
“Wait. What do you mean, you’ve seen him in pictures before,” I more or less demand instead of question.
“Rezzi, don’t you remember showing me all your pictures back home of your parents and you?”
I scoff and give him the sign to hurry and get to the point.
“Holy shit, you must have hit your head recently,” he mutters, but everyone can hear him. “Rez, that’s your dad standing with you,” he points out.
“No,” I insist, continuing to stare at the picture. I don’t see my father in this, only this stranger that apparently my family felt comfortable with to allow me with them, at least for this picture.
“Is there a chance someone altered your memories?” Levi asks, trying to be helpful.
I shake my head vehemently. “No. The only ones I know that were in my head were your mom and Murmur, and that was to unlock the block that was on my powers.”
“Wait!” Zeke shouts, and all eyes fall on him as he blushes. “Sorry. I just thought of a time someone had the opportunity, and you wouldn’t have even noticed.”
“Well…don’t keep us in suspense,” Knox growls.
“Delvin,” Zeke continues and points at the picture. “He was there at your interrogation when you first came to Purgatory. What was to keep him from doing something to you while you were breaking through his spells? He might have done something to you.”
