Chapter 128 - The Black and White (1/2)
Miguel listens to Claire's voice on the phone, and despite everything else, his heart jumps. She always makes him excited, as though she's not human. Divine, probably. Or maybe he's just getting crazier and crazier about her. Who knows? With what's happening with him these days, it's getting harder to know which is which.
”Hello?” Claire's voice is raspy, like she's been crying. ”Mi—Miguel?”
Hearing her mention his name gives him a warm feeling, as though she cares about him. He watches even the slightest inflection, of how she pronounces his name. Did she just say ”Miguel” with that trace of longing, like she missed him? He sighs.
”Is he there?” Miguel says.
She hesitates; she looks at Gabriel, who nods. After all, it's useless to lie. Miguel probably already knows. ”Yes. Where are you?”
”Everywhere,” he says. ”And nowhere.”
Claire again looks at Gabriel, hoping for some wordless guidance. Gab makes a gesture that says, ”The floor is yours, Claire. Slay.”
”Can we talk?” she finally says. ”Somewhere private. I want to understand what you're doing.”
”Really?” Miguel couldn't help but be cynical about her offer; after all, she did kick him in the groin when he tried to ”beg” her to speak to him. Or that's how he remembers it. ”How do you think would that go?”
”It would be a conversation between two level-headed, mȧturė individuals,” she says. ”I'm willing to forget what happened yesterday morning. I…I can forget about that.”
Miguel says nothing for a while. Then he says, ”He's hearing what you're saying to me now, right?”
”Uhhh, yes.”
”Then he's directing this little show of yours.”
”No, but…”
”Listen, Claire,” Miguel says. ”I don't know what's my end game for this. I don't know how this will be finished. I started something that I'm afraid I don't know how to conclude. Maybe I'm totally [email protected]”
”I don't think that's true,” she says, although her heart feels the truth of what he's saying. ”We need to talk.”
”Funny how you're the one who's saying that now.”
She says nothing.
Gabriel gestures to her: ”Give me the phone.”
She nods. ”Gab wants to speak with you.”