Page 87 of Sixty Meters Under

“You don’t deserve a man like me. One day you will get out of here and you will be free to find someone better.”

“No! Why would you want to do that?” Ayame protested.

Because I’m a murderer. And I can’t wash the blood off my hands. No one can take the crime I committed back. It’s over. I hate what I have become, but I can’t change it.

“Talk to me, Ryosuke!” Her face became red and wet from tears.

“I just told you my reason. You don’t deserve a man like me. I’m in jail and I will probably be convicted. It’s better this way.”

“But the case is not closed yet, you said yourself that your father will do everything to find the evidence and–”

Ryosuke cut her off. “Ayame. Listen to me for once. I know why I’m saying this.”

“But I refuse!”

He sighed. “Why do you always have to be so stubborn?”

“Don’t you love me?” She asked with teary eyes.

No, I don’t love you. And I never did. That’s another thing.

Ryosuke didn’t want to say it out loud, but he wished he could tell her that to her face. He had enough pretending. He had enough of pleasing her expectations and expectations of everyone around him. His blood began to boil and he started to shake. He would say it, at least this once, before his life came to an end.

“I will not change my mind. I’m sorry, but this is my final decision.”

“No…” Ayame wept.

“I know it will be hard for you to accept it, but this is for the best. I’m sorry,” Ryosuke said and lay back on the mattress.

“I can’t believe you did this to me!” Ayame shrieked, but Ryosuke didn’t bother to counter.

Furious footsteps echoed down the hall and disappeared behind the closed door. Ryosuke was sure that if the door could be slammed shut Ayame would do it.

“Well, that was a twist I didn’t see coming,” Richard commented.

Ryosuke didn’t answer him. He never did.

?

Lennart watched the footage and saw that Ryosuke hadn’t eaten his meal again. He ordered the guards to bring the food for Ryosuke every day even when he refused to eat. He wasconvinced that hunger would prevail and Ryosuke would start eating soon. But it wasn’t happening.

Why are you doing this? I’ll give you another day or two and then I’ll have to try to convince you to eat again somehow. You can’t stay like this. It’s not healthy.

As he thought about Ryosuke, Lennart remembered he should check on his mother. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number.

“Hello?”

“How are you feeling today?”

“It’s better. How are you doing? How’s the case moving?”

Lennart took a deep breath, and rubbed his temple. “I’m fine, I guess? And nothing new about the case.”

“I wish I could help somehow.”

“There’s no need. The case just needs more time. When we have a full autopsy it will be easier to solve it.”

Lennart noticed his phone buzz. “Okay, I have to hang up, I have another call.”