Chapter 49: Chapter 49

I was not sure if she was lying, but after she told me what happened between them, I began to question Tucker's words. He definitely lied to me about their breakup, he even made up wrong stories about her, assassinating her character. I was guilty of being responsible for Dina's heartbreak.

Dina: I didn't tell you because I thought you will feel guilty, for some reasons, I knew you will never date someone who was your friend's ex, and trust me, I would have done the same if I knew that he was your crush from the beginning.

Dina: It is not even about me, he is not a good person Elle, he is all about, I, my, me, myself.

I kept reading her texts and trying to understand this situation.

Me: yet you stayed with him until he broke up with you. You didn't leave him for these reasons, but you expect me to do that.

Dina: Because I thought one day he will become a good person.

Me: Well, I hope for the same.

Dina: How can you jeopardize your self-esteem for him?

Me: Because I love him.

Dina: And you don't care what he did to me? The lies he spread about me?

Me: That is between you two, I don't even know for sure if you are telling the truth.

Dina: Really Elle!!!

I knew she'd be hurt but no one can tell me what I should and should not do in my relationship. Tucker was being made like that of his father, I have to stay by his side to make things right, to make him a better man.

Me: Listen, Dina!

Me: I love Tucker, I know you and the orphans hate him, but I don't.

Dina: nice!

Me: What?

Dina: Now I wonder if you ever stood by my side, or maybe you won't in the future too.

Me: I can't really answer that, you stood for me and I am thankful for that, but that doesn't mean I will hurt the guy I love for you.

Dina: Well, I did that, for you.

Me: You shouldn't have.

Dina: You are so selfish!

I was guilty of saying that to her, but I had to push her away or she was going to manipulate my mind against Tucker. That doesn't mean I will let go of this matter, just like that, if Tucker lied to me, I will be very hurt and disappointed in him.

........................................

I watched the beautiful water flowing in front of me, taking a deep breath in, I rested my chin on my knees while perched with my knees pulled to my chest.

"Once again, sorry for last night," Tucker whispered beside me as he was sitting with me on the grass too. He has taken me to the purple River on the hills, the name was given to the river because of the beautiful purple flowers around it. It was a quiet and peaceful place, with the wind softly playing with my hair and clouds covering the sky.

"I want to ask you something, Tucker," I mumbled, finally gathering some courage and turning to him. I sat with my knees bend on the grass, and facing him now.

"What is it?" he inquired, stopped doing whatever he was doing with his phone.

"How did you and Dina break up?" as soon as I finished asking him, his facial expressions went hard.

"Why is this topic still around?" he questioned, annoyingly. Glaring in my eyes, I can tell that he was mad about this interrogation.

"Because it hasn't been answered completely," I replied softly, not wanting to sound rude or offensive.

"I guess I did tell you everything." he raised a brow and nodded his head slightly many times.

"But Dina told me somet---," I haven't even finished when he scoffed and laughed, clapping his hands in sarcasm.

"So you believe in her over me?" He raised his tone, I was taken aback by his sudden aggression, why does he always get aggressive and loud?

"No, but last night sh---," It happened again, he wouldn't even let me finish.

"Oh! So after a fight with me, you begged for her shoulder to cry on and taking full advantage of the situation, that b***** poisoned your ears against me." He stated it confidently like whatever he was saying really happened.

"No! I didn't tell her anything about us, she asked me If I was dating you?" I sat on my knees once he got up on his knees and aggressively began using hand gestures all at once.

"Then what did you say?" he bent over me, glared me in the eye, and questioned angrily.

"I said yes!" I said on his face, I was annoyed at his attitude, he never listened to me or try to understand me, instead, he believed in silencing me whenever I wanna ask something.

"Okay!" he calmed down a bit, now that he was ready to hear me out, I cleared my throat and told him exactly what she had told me.

"Seriously?" He laughed, but this time it wasn't sarcasm, he really found it funny. "She is obviously not gonna say that I doubted her with Steven, and see now Sid too is trying to stay away from her because he knows Steven and her are playing friends with benefits game. Steven is a secret dark hole, he will invite you to peek inside and then will devour you. I have known him since I was a kid, he was taken to jail for suspicion over his father's murder." he was smiling as he was saying all that. My heart stopped beating when I heard him say that, he was a suspect for the murder of his own father?

"Yes! I swear. Dina must know that since his father is the sheriff, then his stepmother cleared his name and they turned the whole thing into an accident, but many neighbors confirmed that they had seen Steven hitting his father, even planning to murder him." Tucker was now serious, he was looking me in the eye, not sealing his eyes from me.

"But why?" I asked, maybe his father was abusive like Uncle Ben, see Tucker is raised all wrong and maybe that too happened to Steven.

"You know Steven's mother?" Tucker mumbled and slowly came closer to me.

"Have heard of her," I replied, he looked around and bent ahead, resting his palms on the grass to support lift his body up.

"She is his stepmother, super young and gorgeous." Tucker uttered, well, I didn't really know that part, guess Steven never really opened up to me, "she was his tutor when he was very young, and just like how young kids have a crush on their tutors, he was always seen giving her gifts and all.

It was all normal until his father married her. Steven would say inappropriate things to her, and for a young boy like him, it was weird how mature his mentality was. Now, this next part is something I only heard from the people around, but one night when his father wasn't home, he sneaked into his stepmother's room and God knows what he did, his father arrived home with Steven not knowing and saw that.

Of course, he beat the sh** out of Steven and that's when Steven decided to get rid of him. Many of their servants confirmed that Steven would sneak into the kitchen to poison his father or there are a lot of things that I don't want to say in front of you but trust me, that guy is sick.

People still say that he and his stepmother are not doing the right things as they are living under the same roof now." he finished and watched my face, he narrowed his eyes as a tear rolled down my eye. "hey, what happened?" he rushed my way and hugged me. I was scared for life, my skin felt goosebumps, Steven did all that?

"Hush!" he tightened his hug on me and I sensed his scent filling up my nostrils. We spent a few more minutes together and then we head back home. As soon as I entered my room, I sent Dina a text.

Me: Dina listen!

She has always helped me and now it was my time to stand with her for her protection.

Me: Dina!

Dina: What now Giselle?

Me: Look! Steven is dangerous.

Dina: What about Tucker?

Me: It isn't about Tucker; Steven is a bas*****

Dina: Watch what you are saying

Me: I am warning you to stay away from him Dina, do you know he was a suspect in his father's murder?

Dina: yes!

I stared at the screen in shock and blinked my eyes to confirm I was reading it right.

Me: And he is attracted to his stepmother.

Me: Dina? I waited for a few minutes and when she hasn't answered back, I called her and she picked it up pretty quickly.

"What is it?" she sounded annoyed,

"Did you know that?" I asked again, she has to be out because the wind and bikes could be heard from behind her.

"I don't believe that," she replied, but her tone was shaking now, what was going on?

"Tell me what is she saying?" I heard from behind her and it was none other than Steven, I gasped and bit my lip.

"Nothing, she is just talking about her relati---," her voice turned shaky, "Oh My God!" she stammered and yelled, breathing heavily and stuttering incoherent words.

"What is going on Dina?" I asked, keep wandering from one corner of the room to the other, my heart was racing in my chest.

"Sto---Stop!!!" she muttered with heavy breaths and then the line was cut. I tried calling her over and over again, but no reply came from her side. I slapped my forehead and dropped on my knees, what might have happened?

"Tuck---TUCKER!" I couldn't hold back the tears, among loud screams and tears, I couldn't hear anything else. I was sobbing loudly, screaming his name at the top of my lungs. Tucker and Lauren barged inside in haste and sat with me on the floor, with Tucker trying to hold my face to ask me what happened.

"Mom! Water," he stated and she ran towards the bottle, "what is it?" his veins were popped out, his eyes restlessly scanning my face.

"D--Di---Dina!!" I stammered and closed my eyes, crying more.

"Just calm down first!" he placed my head on his chest and mumbled, his heart was beating louder too.

"No! No! Steven!" I murmured, and lifted my face from his chest, he stared in my eyes to understand the situation, "he did some--thing to her." I cried and he gritted his teeth.

"I have told him to stay away from the girls of my town" Tucker muttered in his mouth, "that ba****," Tucker cussed while Lauren had her mouth covered with her hands due to the shock.

Suddenly, Tucker's phone rang and that wasn't a good sign. He picked up the phone and closed his eyes.

"Did the police arrest him?" he asked, talking in whispers, but I knew Steven did something to her.

"Okay! Tucker hung up and rubbed his face in his hands. Lauren tapped his shoulder and they both made awkward eye contact and then Lauren murmured, "Dina?" to which Tucker replied by shaking his head as a no and then lowered his face down.

"What happened?" I got up, watching them both as they too watched me back in fear, "Dina what?" I shouted, gritting my teeth. When none of them answered me back, I ran towards the door, but Tucker held me from my waist and tried to hug me," No! Tell me what happened?" I was yelling and screaming loudly. I pushed Tucker away from me and demanded an answer. If all that happened because I told Dina about his affair with his mother, then he might come for me too. But what about Dina? I couldn't breathe, she has to be okay.

"Steven!" Tucker whispered and ran his hand through his hair, "he shot her two times," once he finished the sentence, I found my body lacking the strength and collapsing on the floor.