Dad left a few minutes ago, reasoning he had to meet with my doctor. So now I lay on the bed staring at the first snow of the year.

I couldn't help but drift my eyes towards Delcan's home.

Delcan.

I sigh.

Yes a huge part of me hurts, misses him. How can't it, when I had a massive irrational hope of him being alive. Even though a part of my mind, constantly reminded me it's not possible, I madly believed that he would be still alive.

But, he is not gone. He is still there. In my heart. He promised me that he would always watch me over. I believed Delcan.

I wipe a stray tear and for the first time I smile with happiness.

The lingering question of my boyfriend's death has been finally answered. Even tough, it all seems impossible, it is the truth and I have to accept it.

Am I angry with Tara?

I honestly don't know. Yes, she snatched the most precious thing in my life, but I can't help but see things from her viewpoint. She had a disorder, it was not her fault. She was destined to.

And there is a share of my fault too. I should have let her in, I should have seen the good friend she had in her. In a remote implausible way, I pushed her into this.

But I won't keep blaming myself. For Delcan's sake, I have to move on.

Lost in my thoughts I don't hear someone coming in until he taps my shoulder.

"Hey, sweetie." He whispers.

I turn my gaze from the window to the boy sitting on my bed with a bandage wrapped around his head just like mine.

Ben is smiling at me.

And I smile back.

"Wow, it's so good to see you smile again." He breaths.

And I blush?

"How are you?" I ask.

"Shouldn't I be asking?" He grins.

"I guess we both could ask each other." I chuckle and so does he.

He grabs my hand and stares into my eye.

"Are you doing good Lilly?" He asks with seriousness.

"I think it will take time. Honestly. But I guess I am slowly recovering from Delcan's death." I answer truthfully.

His eyes zone out but focus back quick.

As he leaves my hand, I hold his tight, "Ben, are YOU doing good?"

He smiles sadly, almost broken and looks outside the window I had looked outside just before he came in.

"I c-can't believe I did it." He whispers so low, that I almost fail to hear.

"It's not your fault. You did what you had to protect yourself." I reason.

I see him shake his head, "I did what I had to protect you, Lilly."

I bite my lip. He turns his head.

"I wouldn't forgive myself, if something happened to you." He says.

And I see Delcan in his face.

Find a guy...

Was Ben the guy?

He had stood by me in all the ups and downs of my life. He was there when I was afraid to confess my feelings to Delcan. He was there to celebrate my victory and happiness. He was there when I had the tragic downfall. He had lent his shoulders countless time for me to lean on. He had always protected me. He didn't even bother about the consequences when he hit Tara.

Ben.

All the while I keep staring at his eyes and he stares at mine.

He leans in slowly.

And brushes his lips against mine. I shiver.

And then I kiss him.

I don't love him yet, Delcan is still holding the place. But I would let Ben in.

Ben's hand knit into my hair and he pulls me closer.

"I..I love you." He mumbles in between the kisses.

"Ben loves you. Probably more than I loved Delcan. "

"That's ridiculous." I shake my head.

"And when I say he loves you more than I did, I also mean he is more sinister than I am. He-"

The eyes I had shut involuntarily open.

Ben's eyes are still closed and he is focusing on the kiss.

Sinister.

I slowly push him back. Breaking apart he has a dazed look on his face.

"Uh.." He comes back to reality.

He ruffles his hair and avoids my gaze, "Sorry about that?"

"Don't be." I reply quickly before I could shut my mouth.

He chuckles and stare out of the window still refusing to meet my gaze.

Sinister? How could Ben be more sinister?

Dad had said that Tara had been stalking Delcan and I for more than a year. Did she know anything that no one knew?

Anything about Delcan's death?

What if..what if she didn't kill him?

As much as I hate, the puzzle pieces fall.

Tara said she loved Delcan so much that she gave up on him, then why would she kill him?

She had a reason to try to kill me. Because I shunned her and probably all the boys she loved, loved me instead.

But why would she kill Delcan?

I look at Ben. He has a peaceful expression on his face and he is smiling like love struck.

Another thing that had nagged my brain for long, nags me even more.

I clear my throat, "Um..Ben."

"Mmm." Ben hums.

When he turns his head to look at me I turn to look outside the window.

"Actually this thing has been nagging me for some time now." I say.

"What is?"

I refuse to see him.

"Um..you know about the voice mails right?" I ask and feel Ben tense up.

"Yeah. The officer told me that Tara used the voice mails and forging them as calls."

I nod almost shaking.

"Actually, when Delcan called, I mean the voice mails, I heard him running from someone. Not the message, but it looked like someone was chasing him."

Ben remains quiet.

"Ben?" I ask shifting my eyes on him.

His face is emotionless.

"Maybe it was Tara. You know how psychotic she is." He answered, voice monotone.

I nod feebly and again look outside the window, "Yeah right, but I also heard metal clanking. You know the sound when something like a metal rod strikes?"

Silence.

I continue, "I..I have not seen Delcan's body. No one has except Ms. Jeff a..and you."

"So?" His voice is an octave higher.

I feel his gaze burning in the side of my head.

"Dad had said me that Delcan's death was due to poisoning. And the one who said it to dad was..you."

The air suddenly turns tense.

I am scared now.

But Ben doesn't say anything.

"Are you sure it was poisoning?" I asked.

Ben mumbled something incoherent.

I take a deep breath.

When he doesn't reply I chuckle nervously and play with my fingers.

"I guess I'm going paranoid." I say.

When I look at Ben he takes a deep breath himself. A forced smile forms on his face, yet the air remains tense.

"That you are Lilly. I think you are tired. Why don't you sleep it off?" He offers getting up.

I feebly nod.

Trying to ease the tension I joke, "What's with you always making me sleep?"

He grins and the memory of him in my house that night comes. The night that Delcan called, or more accurately Tara called.

"Hey Ben, how did you come to my room that night when I called you about Delcan?" I asked.

He shrugs, "Don't you know, I climb windows. Remember when I brought you sunflowers when you were sick?"

My mouth forms an 'o'. Ben pulls the blanket up to my chest and tucks it at the side.

Wait a second!

Ben climbs windows. He climbs into my room. He climbs into rooms. Delcan's room.

The vine.

My head snaps towards Delcan's house. He too has vines growing around.

"But did you seriously climb the side of my house?" I ask.

He simply shrugs. "Romeo did it, so can I. But seriously, those vines are much better than ladders."

Three days after he went missing, Ms. Jeff , Delcan's mom found her son's body neatly tucked in his bed. He was dead.

"Oh, hear me out Lilly! I was the one who called the police! I had gone to Ms.Jeff's house that day and it was a total blow for both of us. Ms.Jeff was in no condition to do anything and I..I had to call the police."

Why did Ben go to Delcan's house that night?

I sit up and Ben moves back.

"What?" Ben asks moving his hand to push back my fallen strands. His fingers linger on my cheek.

Strangely he laughs at me. "Come on Lilly, you are reading the signs wrong. Of course I'm happy for you and Delcan."

"Then why-"

Ben cuts me off saying, "Lilly, I am not a good person."

"Ben, did you kill Delcan?"

"Shit! Lil! I cannot believe he is such a psychopath."

|| T H E E N D ||

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A hearty thanks to everyone who has made it till the end.