"Cameron?"

It's a familiar voice but I can't discern who it is exactly. "Yes who is this?"

"It's me Jake."

I pause. "What? How are you calling me?" Did he break out of jail? Even so why would he call me?

"Calm down. I'm still in jail I got permission to make a call." He explained.

"Why are you calling me then?" It's weird. I can't think of a reason why.

"How's my daughter doing?"

"Why are you asking me about your daughter?"

"I-I don't know how she's doing I can't call anyone else so just please check if she's alright for me?" He sounds panicked but he calmed himself.

"Okay, I will. Don't worry." I assured him and he hung up. Poor guy I heard he is a single dad he must be worried about his daughter but authorities probably took her so she should be safe. I'll just confirm it so as to lift his worries.

I took the bus to his house. A simple blue duplex home. I don't know why I came here exactly. If authorities took her then where would she be? Do they send someone to stay with her home or do they bring her someone else. I'm not sure if she would be home and in his haste to ask he didn't even tell me where to go. I'll check if someone is home in the first place then I can ask the neighbours if they know where she was taken. I ring the door bell.

No one. There doesn't seem to be any presence her. Even the door knob looks dusty. A women pulls up into the next door drive away and takes her helmet off.

"Who are you looking for? She asks inspecting me as she gave me a suspicious eye.

"Where is the girl, Jakes daughter?" I asked.

She opens the little trunk of her motorcycle, stuffs her helmet inside and pulls out a backpack. "A couple of days ago before her dad confessed someone came and took her." She explained then shoved her keys down her pocket.

"Who? Do you know where he went or who he is?" I probed. It's probably child protection or something but why would Jake be so distraught about it if that was the case? I'm sure they'd tell him that they have his kid.

"I have no idea sorry." Without another word she opens her door and slams it shut after going inside. I walk down the drive way this was all for nothing coming here was just a waste of time. I should probably ask the authorities or maybe ask Leon about it he may have some idea about her whereabouts.

I returned back home. I don't know what is happening anymore. This all feels like a dream. No. A nightmare. I really long nightmare. Like something some comatose patients experienced before they walk up. I'm starting to doubt reality. Everything that's been happening just makes it seem like I'm living in the world of a novel.

Someone copying my novel then trying to frame me, all the spying and detective stuff I did with Leon and even this little girl's disappearance... everything just seems so fishy and unrealistic.

"You're finally here."

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"What are you doing here?" I asked. Leon used to visit all the time randomly and since the keys were hidden in the flower pot he would let himself in but he can't anymore. He stopped visiting as often as before.

"I need to talk to you." He breathed. "I need to tell you something."

I look at his face so I could study his expression. "What?" I say warily. He has a serious look on his face. His eyes laced with sadness but the rest of his face tried its hardest to maintain a pokerface.

"It was me."

What? What is he saying? "You what?"

"I did it. I gave it to him."

I look to the side trying to make sense of Leon's words but I can't understand what he's trying to apologize for. "What are you talking about?"

His eyes were downcast now and the sadness I misread earlier seems to be guilt instead. "The red paint. I saw it in you house. It was weird.

You've never been interested in painting ever before and this is the first time I saw paint in your home. And out of all the colours it was red. And only red." He looked at me; his eye brows pushed together.

It all makes sense now. Why he was acting out of character so much as if he was a whole new person. Why he wouldn't let me go to his house was probably because he had the paint hidden there or maybe there's another reason I don't know about?

"So that's why you've been acting suspicious? Why were you so panicked about me going to your home?"

He rubs the nape of his neck breaking eye contact with me. "That day I still had the paint in my home. I was contemplating what to do with it. I didn't know what was right, if I should just put it back where is was or give it to forensics to check." He explained as he sneak little looks at me so as to read my expression.

"So it was all about that? All for that?"

"What do you mean? I mean right now it's meaningless we got the guy so your innocence has already been proven but I wanted to tell you about this. I always knew deep down in my heart that it couldn't be you but when I found that I had to clear up the doubts in my heart you have to understand. I felt guilty not telling you about it this whole time."

"You could've asked me about it! I would've let you take it in for testing! I don't have anything to hide! Why didn't you at least till me about this sooner? I can't believe you don't have any faith in me. I also doubted you but I wouldn't let anyone else explain to me unless I found doubtless evidence. I would hear it straight from you. I know when you lie. You know when I lie. We promised not to lie to each other. At least not about the big things." I took in multiple big gulps of air. My lungs were drying up as fast as my throat and lips. I can't believe he acting like nothing was happening when he literally suspected I was a murderer. Well I kind of did that too so what right do I have to be angry with him?

"I'm sorry Cameron. I don't know what to say. I know I'm wrong. I know I should've trusted you or at least asked you about it. We've known each other for more than a decade. I should've at least told you that I have it and that I'll be taken it for testing. I'm sorry, Cam. I'm so sorry." He reaches for my shoulder but I retracted it unconsciously.

"I'm sorry." I lament and turned on my heel half running towards the door.

I don't know why I left. It's my house. My feet carried themselves as I walked around with a half full, half empty mind. I was thinking about everything but also thinking about nothing at all. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I check the messages but my mind wouldn't register until I read it for the fourth time.

"I left your keys under the carpet." Leon texted.

If everyone in this world thinks I'm a criminal it wouldn't matter to me as long as my parents and my best friend believed in me. But now I lost one of them. I never thought a day like this would come. Leon was like a brother to me. Everyone has doubts and I completely understand but I can't believe he took it from behind my back and didn't speak a word to me. If he only told me about it I wouldn't be bothered. I don't only feel bad about this but I feel guilty about doubting him as well. My heat feels like it's about to explode. I won't to get rid of this feeling which doesn't seem to dissipate even one bit ever since it began.

After this all that's left is that I've lost the only true friend I have. My feet carried me back home as I tried to choke back tears that came precipitously.

I still hope we can go back to normal. At the end neither of us was gladiolus. We both suspected each other so we can cancel it out. My heart felt heavy. I hate myself for crying like this. How pitiful do I look?

My pillow, soaked in tears and sorrow but still had the strength as it carried me into a world of hopes a dreams.