26 | Cleaning Up

                                    

                                          
S A R A H 
I'm sitting on the couch, staring out the window, the weight of everything pressing down on me. The fear, the shame, the anger. I never asked for any of this. 
I just wanted a peaceful life, away from the chaos of Noah's world. But that's not how things work, is it? 
Once you're in, it's hard to escape.
There's a knock on the door, and before I can get up, I hear Leelo's voice calling through the wood. "Sarah, it's me."
I hesitate for a moment, my pulse quickening. I don't want to see him. I don't want to deal with any of it. But something in me knows I can't avoid it forever. 
He's part of the world I'm trying to escape, but here he is, standing at my doorstep again. I open the door, and his face is serious, almost too serious.
"Leelo," I say quietly, my voice betraying the anxiety building in my chest.
He steps inside without waiting for an invitation, his presence filling the room in a way that feels both familiar and unsettling. 
"Sarah, we need to talk," he says, his voice low.
I instinctively pull myself into a defensive stance. "About what? What more do you have to say?"
He looks around, his eyes scanning the room before he walks over to the window, closing the blinds with a swift movement. "It's about the video. Ryza... she's not going to stop unless we do something."
I feel a chill run through me at the mention of Ryza's name. I thought I'd gotten away from her manipulations, but I was wrong. So wrong. 
"What are you going to do? What video?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
Leelo glances at me, his expression softening, but there's an intensity behind his eyes. 
"I've already arranged for some men to come here. They'll clean your house, make sure all the cameras are destroyed. They won't be able to track you anymore."
I freeze. "Cameras? What are you talking about?" I take a step back, my heart starting to race. "Leelo, this is insane. I don't want any part of this."
"I know," he says, taking a deep breath. "But it's the only way. If Ryza knows, she'll use it against you. So, we have to get rid of everything. You need to trust me, Sarah."
I look at him, my hands trembling slightly. "I don't know if I can trust anyone anymore, Leelo."
Before he can respond, the door swings open, and Ryan steps in. His eyes land on Leelo first, then move to me. I see the concern in his eyes, quickly turning to a dark anger as he notices the tension in the room.
"What the hell is going on?" Ryan's voice is hard, controlled. But I can hear the fury underneath. "What is all this about?"
Leelo steps forward, trying to calm Ryan down, but Ryan doesn't budge. "Ryza's been messing with Sarah. She set up cameras in her apartment. We're taking care of it."
Ryan's jaw tightens, his fists clenched at his sides. "You're telling me there are cameras in her room? Watching her?!" His voice rises, his anger barely contained.
Leelo nods. "Yes. That's why I'm here. To clean everything up. She'll come after Sarah even harder."
Ryan's eyes flash with something dangerous. "I'm going to kill her."
I can feel the coldness settle in my chest at his words. It's not the anger I'm scared of it's the violence behind it. I don't want Ryan to become a part of this.