- KELLAN -
“You so put that lizard in my tent,” she said, shooting me a peeved glare.
I tried to tamp down the grin forming on my face. Judging by the way her glare intensified, I could tell that I hadn’t succeeded. “It was years ago!” I said, chuckling at the indignant look on her face. “You’re not honestly still mad about it, are you?”
Her shoulder slumped. “No. It’s just… this whole situation sucks.” She tightened the blanket around her, biting her lip. God, I loved her lips. They were full and fucking kissable, the small beauty spot above her top lip adding to her allure.
I had to look away, and good thing, too, as I almost walked straight into a branch.
It was pure coincidence that I’d glanced out of the window of my apartment earlier right in time to see a man tuck a gun under his shirt as he crossed the street. The small movement might have gone unnoticed by anyone else, but it had set off alarm bells in me.
My instincts had never steered me wrong. I’d followed them, and I’d gotten us the hell out of there. But I wasn’t so sure what we would do now. Phoenix was a great guy, and I knew he’d have absolutely no qualms over housing us for however long we needed, but we couldn’t stay at his place indefinitely.
The path had gotten out of control these past few months since I’d last visited, and a walk that should have taken no more than ten minutes was taking more than double that amount. Phoenix had really let the place go.
He tended to go through these phases. He’d either be on top of the world like a freaking energizer bunny, or he’d go through periods where he barely left the house. It didn’t take a genius to deduce what period he was going through now. He usually kept this path trimmed and neat for visitors, but it looked like he hadn’t been out here in months.
“You know, I had a lot of fun that weekend,” I said eventually, surprising even myself.
“You did?” she asked, skepticism clear in her voice. She turned to glance at me, before frowning prettily at the floor. She was still in the clothes she’d had on earlier, and every time she moved, I’d catch a small flash of exposed skin at her stomach – taunting me before she’d pull the blanket closer around her.
I needed to get a fucking grip on myself.
Ballerina could be as vicious as a pit viper at times, and yet there was this air of vulnerability around her – there always had been, come to think of it – that drew me to her. It was even more pronounced today after everything we’d learned about Mario last night. She just looked so defeated that my arms kept itching to hold her, to pull her towards me and comfort her. I’d been fighting an internal battle with myself all day.
We need some distance, I decided. We were spending far too much time together and it was beginning to mess with my mind.
“Yeah, I did,” I answered her. That weekend had meant more to me than I would ever be willing to admit.
I’d never been on a family vacation before. It had been a first for me, and I’d loved every minute of it. Even if I had been a little envious. Everything had just been so... so normal and loving. Ballerina had been so blessed, so incredibly lucky her whole life, having parents like Mario and Louise, and she didn’t even know it. It had made me oddly annoyed, and I’d acted like a jerk because of it.
“So, who is this friend of yours?” she asked.
“His name’s Phoenix, and I’ve known him ever since I was a kid,” I told her.
“Really? I was always under the impression that you never stayed in touch with anyone after you graduated. I can’t imagine you having a friendship with someone that’s lasted so long.”
I shrugged because it was true. Most of the people I’d met in my life had been passing acquaintances. They were there one minute, and gone the next. I had cut ties with pretty much everyone I’d hung around with before moving in with the Manstens. The kindness they’d extended towards me... I’d wanted to be worthy of it. And with the fuckups I’d called friends, I’d never have been able to move forward.
“He’s one of a kind,” I told her with a half–smile. That was one way of putting it. “We lived with the same foster family for a while. We lost touch after I went to juvie for a short while–“
“You went to juvie?” She jerked her head towards me, a blonde strand of hair falling into her face. I glanced away in case I did something stupid – like reach out to move it away.
“Yeah,” I admitted, internally kicking myself. I hadn’t meant to divulge that little tidbit, but I’d been distracted and hadn’t given much thought to my words. “Not one of my finest moments. I was there for a few months for petty theft. I’d been young and stupid. It was a lesson learned. I didn’t see Phoenix again for years. We met again – purely by accident – about three years ago.”
I was revealing a lot about myself tonight. I’d never really talked about myself, or my past. Not with anyone other than Mario. But something made me wanna share.
Still, it was hard telling Ballerina about my mistakes. I wasn’t proud of the shit I’d gotten myself into when I was growing up. That stint in juvie had pretty much sealed my future. No decent employer wanted someone with a criminal record. Jobs worthy of long-term careers were suddenly out of my reach – not that they’d really been within grasp for me in the first place.
I’d probably have been working for minimum wage for the rest of my life if Mario hadn’t helped me get my record expunged. He’d wanted me to go to college, but I’d never been too good in school. I’d been more interested in becoming a bounty hunter.
“Why does he live out here?” she asked, looking around apprehensively. “So far from... civilization?”
“He’s... eccentric,” I told her, thinking that was the best word to describe him. “But he’s a good guy. The smartest person I know. He’s worked hard and he’s got a lot to show for it.”
Curiosity shone in her eyes. “What does he do?”
“Don’t really know. He’s tried explaining it, but it makes no sense to me. Something to do with computers. He’s a wiz at anything tech-based and works for some big firm.”
“And you’re a bounty hunter,” she said thoughtfully. She glanced up at me. “What would you have done if you’d never taken up bounty hunting?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know. I like my job. I like that I’m putting criminals back where they belong. And I’m grateful that Mario helped me to get to where I am. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. There was no way I’d have learned all I needed to know without your dad there to show me the way – to open doors for me.”
“I always wondered about that. He was so against it for so long. What made him cave?”
“I have no idea. I was so sure he wouldn’t budge. I argued my case for hours every day, and then one day, he just relented.” She stared at me intently as I spoke, pulling the blanket tighter around her, as though talking about her dad was chilling her. “He’s the reason I’m where I am today. I idolized him,” I said softly, winced a little when I realized that I’d spoken in the past tense.
Doubt reared within me, making me question so much about the man I’d thought I’d known. I squelched it down. Whatever the outcome of all this, whatever we found, he’d still be the best man I’d ever known.
The trees began to thin out as the path widened and the house came into view. It was dark out, but lights shone out of numerous windows in Phoenix’s place, making it easier for to see.
The house itself was a very old, three-story building, layered with grey stone on the outside. The inside had been revamped and modernized, as well as insulated to keep out the outside chill. A smaller, more modern-looking building that served as a garage stood near the house, though effort had been made to make it look as authentic as the building next to it.
“He lives here?” April whispered from beside me, incredulity clear in her words. I chuckled a little, seeing the disbelief on her face from the corner of my eyes. It was a pretty grand house. There was even a small tower on one side of the building, kind of like the ones that you find on castles.
“Come on.” I placed a hand on her back, everything feeling right for once as she leaned into my touch.