100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 169: The Intervention III

7 Eastbourne Rd.

"Is it really just sex?"

Lisa’s question caused everyone to remain silent; she gestured to the two geniuses on the sofa. "Look at you, you are more of a couple than Marco and I are. Regular date nights--" she started her argument.

"It’s called Game Night," Levi and Sam interrupted in unison, which Lisa ignored by continuing with her point. She turned to look at the redhead, "Sam, your coat is here. I checked the loo and your toothbrush and brand of shampoo is there too." Lisa pointed out. It wasn’t just Levi Jackson after all who has above average observational skills.

Marco’s eyes widened in the realization of what his wife was attempting to do. Was it possible there’s more than they were willing to tell? More so, was it also possible that the two may not know what they actually were at all?

"Levi, you’ve added coke and ice cream in your regular grocery list now, Mrs. Whitehall told me." he said, earning a scowl from the psychologist that basically said, ’Shut up, Marco’

Then the bearded man turned to Sam, "And you created an elaborate gift for his birthday." he said, recalling the month before. The well thought and incredibly planned gift that went on for a week, a fake case she crafted just to entertain the slicked blond on his birthday week. Something each of them found incredibly impressive, and they knew only she was capable of performing.

Elle sighed in the corner of the room, her arms crossed in front of her as she watched the couple try to make a point to the two geniuses. She stepped forward, catching everyone’s attention, "You’ve given him a key to your Lab, and your home..." she trailed, taking a deep breath. It was something that she initially thought was reckless, but knowing her after such a long time, she knew that Sam didn’t just do things for no reason. She saw something in the slicked blond that Elle couldn’t grasp completely. He was an asshole, no, he was still an asshole who admittedly had excellent fashion taste. But he was a brusque man, and she couldn’t comprehend his appeal other than his pretty face and undeniable wit.

"Not only that, you placed him in the bypass. You come to his beck and call---" she said, looking at Sam straight in the eyes. She paused, recalling the time the redhead was attacked in her home, resulting in the death of Rona and Mo. And the first person she thought of calling for help was that very man before them; slicked blond criminal psychologist Levi Knight Jackson.

Elle’s eyes fell on him, "...and oddly enough, he comes to yours too." She added, thankful that during the times that when she wasn’t there, the blond man was. And as unpleasant, as she found him, as irritating and self-serving and vain he was, he had always been there when she needed him. And for that, he has her respect and gratitude.

"Are you really just friends? Is it really just sex? Or is there more?" She couldn’t help but wonder out loud. Levi frowned at how massive that joke of an intervention suddenly turned into; that was none of their damn business, he thought. Whatever was going on between him and the redhead was between them. Why people felt the need to include themselves in private matters annoyed the hell out of him.

In contrast, the redhead beside him visibly clenched her jaw. To her, there was more, more than even the slicked blond realized, but she’d rather not say it. She’d rather it be just that, for as long as he was there, in some way or form. She was okay with it. If their little ’agreement’ did end in the future, she would rather have him as a friend than nothing at all.

Marco expelled an audible sigh, "Maybe right now, this works for you two. But no matter how you do it, when it comes to friends with benefits, someone will always leave hurt." he said, emphasizing HURT. "Always." He added.

Lisa pressed her lips together as she looked at the duo, "You have to figure it out. Soon. Before either one gets their heartbroken." she said.

"This isn’t what friends do, as old school as it may be. We will not be supporting this so-called ’symbiotic relationship’ you’re having." Marco said, fingers air quoting with a snide look on his face as he glared at Levi.

"I personally don’t want to be part of it. It’s either you’re a couple or you’re not. There’s no gray line here. We won’t stick around, and we mean it!" he said firmly, looking at Elle and Lisa for support, who both nodded in agreement. They reckon that request would be enough for them to consider taking what they were saying seriously.

He approached Levi, finger pointed at him, catching the blond’s full attention. "Decide this very carefully. Don’t even give me a call Levi till you two fix whatever this is!" he warned, grabbing his jacket hanging on the rack and walking out after giving the two a look—telling them to follow him.

Levi abruptly stood from the sofa, gritting his teeth annoyed at their current predicament. "Nothing is broken! There is nothing to FIX!" he shot back, frustrated. He hated what they were doing; in his opinion, the drama they created was simply planting ’socially acceptable’ ideas in the redhead’s mind. Something he didn’t want at the moment, considering he had yet to put her completely under his spell. He reckons she could retract within herself again and reconsider their whole set-up, and all the months of effort and patience he put into would only lead to failure. And he can’t live with that. He wanted her, more than he knew anyone even realized, including himself.

Lisa and Elle followed behind the bearded man, Elle pausing halfway to the open door, "You two have to start defining this." she said, gesturing to the both of them on the couch. Levi noted the familiar ring around the brunette’s ring finger silently. Then she continued to walk out the door, Lisa following closely behind her. The blonde then turned back suddenly as she stepped out of the door, wanting to get it to their thick heads.

"Imagine this, one day the fun you used to have with each other will be replaced by a general awkwardness created by the vacuum of his or her unreciprocated feelings." she said, her eyes darkening for a moment. She had a strong feeling that there really was something going on between them, something they don’t want to talk about, especially with them.

"And every time you shag, you get a little more attached and just a tiny bit more heartbroken. You do this until you realize you can’t handle it any longer. Your arrangement ends, either with an ultimatum or with both parties silently agreeing to never speak to one another again." she continued, earning silence from everyone. Sam and Levi hang to her every word.

"This ends ultimately, this that you built, destroyed." she continued, emphasizing words for effect.

She scoffed darkly, "Worse is you may never meet anyone like each other ever again. Because you’ve taken each other for granted and you two will be back to your same old selves before you met. And then you realize just how alone you always were in both your Labs, and how empty it had always been." she stated grimly, reminding Sam of the ’A Christmas Carol’s’ ghost of Christmas future.

Her little speech caused Elle and Marco to exchange horrified looks in the middle of the stairs. And the brunette took a deep breath, recalling her boss like before. The memory of the redhead in her Lab, playing loud music to fill the emptiness she didn’t even realize that she had, Elle found too painful.

Not only did the redhead’’s life change for the better, but also hers. The number of friends they both gained since they migrated to the UK. The people they trusted and those who she knew trusted them back.

Exhaustion enveloped Marco picturing it all of a sudden as if his energy were drained from him. The thought of his best friend by himself in his Kitchen Lab, and the haunting empty feel of his flat like before. Levi builds tower cards every night after the Agency closes, and if not, the slicked blond playing underground poker, getting himself in trouble.

Lisa moved forward and closed the door behind her, leaving the two deep in thought.

Sam turned her face away; her brows were knit together, and she felt her heartache. Her hand casually wiped the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. ’Way to go, Lisa.’ She thought sarcastically.

Levi noted this, he knew she became upset with it, and he too could relate.

Alone, empty...and bored. Very bored, he thought he would have still been if he and she never crossed paths.