KAYA

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to hang out."

"And I said no."

"But I was already here."

I stared at her and rose a brow, arms folded.

She smiled as if she were innocent and waved the beer cans and pizza box in her hands. "I come bearing food?"

"This is stalking."

"This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship which will transcend everything that-"

"Yeah, okay, move."

Eve widened her doe eyes, blowing away a strand of hair that obstructed her view and rested her ass against the door to my apartment.

"Eve."

"Kaya." She mimicked.

I wasn't bothered by this and neither did it infuriate me. I was indifferent to her approaching me. I didn't particularly care to find out if her actions were genuine or not but I did know it couldn't interfere with my mission and so I had to at least mimic a genuine reaction.

I commented off-handedly, "Were you crying?"

She blinked, "No."

"Are you in danger?"

"Of loneliness, yes." She sighed pitifully.

I nodded. "Then there's no reason for you to be here."

Eve furrowed her brows, "Do I need to be crying or in danger in order to visit a friend?"

"We're not friends." I let out a sigh, feeling dead on the inside. "And if you were crying or in danger, it'd be different."

Friends. What a foreign concept.

"We can be friends, though." She beamed and splayed her arms as wide as she could while juggling two boxes of pizzas that I could smell, "This is how it begins."

"Why are you here?" I looked heavenwards and questioned her again. "Setting camp in front of my door and barging into my life won't make us friends." I deadpanned.

She pouted. "I thought we were more than strangers after we managed to defeat the villainous Regina Flies."

I nodded, "We are more than strangers. It's called being acquaintances." I dryly responded.

She snickered. "SO let's take the next step, no?" Her arms must have been aching a bit and she shifted on her feet.

"No." I stepped forward, "Now, move."

She swallowed thickly and I paused, my keys in my hand as we locked eyes. 

She shifted again and finally I could open the door. 

"Um."

I paused and glanced at her as she clenched her legs and cleared her throat, her bronze skin flushing slightly.

I groaned outwardly. 

"Could I, at least, use the restroom?" Her lower lip trembled. "Pleeaaase?"

My eyebrow twitched of its own accord, not a calculated response. Then I sighed on cue, already having figured out that I'd probably have to spend some time with her. But allowing it easily would've seemed suspicious.

"Sure." I sighed, opening the door further.

She beamed at me and came in, quickly putting the food on the table.

I pointed to the left, "That's the washroom."

"Thanks, I'll be right out." Sheepishly, she made her way to the bathroom.

I picked up the food and placed it on the table in the central hall, turning on the TV. I doubted she'd go now and it was a better move for me to just give in. Making a fuss would result in more difficulties for me. I could just use this opportunity to get more information about Erex from her.

"Hey." 

I placed the plates on the glass table and looked up at her, taking a place on the couch. "Hey. You're back."

Eve looked around, unable to hide a growing smile. "You caved."

"Did I have any other option?" I wryly smiled.

"Nope." She plopped down on the couch besides me and stretched to open the pizza box. "So, have you decided what we're gonna watch?"

I shook my head. "I'm sure you already had something in mind."

She winked, "You thought correct. Okay." She handed me a pizza slice, skipping the plate and grabbed one for herself. "You have two options: Tangled." She bit into her pizza. "Or Tangled."

I rose a brow, "What a wide variety of choices, thanks."

She chuckled and took the remote, turning on the movie after searching for it. There was no sound except for us chewing and I didn't make a move to fill it.

"Why do you like this movie so much?" I questioned. Movie choices say a lot about a person.

She shrugged, finishing up the first slice as the movie began. "Just because. It's chaotic and romantic. It makes me laugh." 

"And swoon, I'm sure."

"That too. Who doesn't like Flynn Ryder?" She made a wide-eyed gesture. I shook my head. "What's your fav Disney movie though?"

"I told you, I'm not really big on movies. Especially Disney. It's a little too delusional and whimsical for me to handle." 

Eve stared at me and I turned to meet her warm honey eyes. "What?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. Let's eat and watch the movie, I want to gush and squeal with you."

"I won't be doing either of that." I calmly responded, picking up another pizza slice. The flavor was tolerable, I could bring myself to eat more. Plus, I'd returned late and been hungry according to the clock, at least. This served as a good enough dinner.

"That's fine. I just need some company." She flashed me a slightly subdued smile, settled in well and then glued her eyes to the screen. Opening a can of beer, she started to sip slowly.

I stared at her side profile for a few beats and then turned, glancing at my locked cupboard with my work laptop and some of the newer files of pending cases I'd brought with me to work on.

I doubted I'd finish them anytime soon.

I looked at the pizza, then att he TV screen displaying the Disney princess with her long hair and big eyes and fancy dreams.

"They've portrayed her longing to see the world so well." Eve remarked. "And she finds the happiness she deserves."

I nodded, "Lucky her indeed, she does get to see the world later on and fall in love." I closed the empty pizza box, opting to throw it away later. "Not everyone's as lucky."

I did get to see the world too but really, I'd rather never have known the world. There wasn't much good in it.

Neither of us said anything for a few seconds and then Eve whispered, "Yeah."

—🎭—

"Did you hear about the new shipment of guns that the Cartel brought in?" Finn leaned over my temporary cubicle wall, having tagged along with Callie.

I looked up form my laptop screen and furrowed my brow, "When did that happen?" I rubbed my eyes, leaning back in my seat a bit.

We'd watched Tangled late into the night and then Eve had just slept over in the spare bedroom, drowsy and tired, thanking me in her half delirious state so I let her be. It'd been a new experience in uncharted territory for me.

To watch a movie. With a.......friend. Of sorts.

To talk in the midst of it, discuss about scenes and have her giggle and gush and coo.

To see her naturally responding, displaying emotions the movie evoked within her.

Eve also shed a few happy and a few sad tears during the process, probably also an effect of the alcohol she'd consumed and something told me it wasn't just the result of the movie. Something must have happened.

I wasn't getting much out of this activity but....I'd let it be. For now. I'd certainly cash in at a later date, undoubtedly.

I'd cleaned up the table and washed the dishes and it'd been almost 3 am by then. I had to do a bit of my work as well and I sacrificed sleep in order to complete it.

 Another new experience.

All my missions had short gigs and it never required any sort of excessive hard work or dedication from my end. But this mission was making me build up somewhat of a normal life that'd be pulled away from me the way a rug is pulled from underneath your feet. I was prepared for it, of course but the time and work I'd have to invest would certainly leave an impact on me.

I had to dissociate more, to lock down on any kind of things I might feel in the future.

I could do without much sleep though, feeling tired was another emotion I rarely went through. My body succumbed to sleep, I'd only crashed due to sleep deprivation and tiredness a few times but otherwise, as long as I could, I followed a healthy routine.

Callie's answer brought me back to the present.

"Team C chanced upon the information and luckily managed to get the shipments secured after a shoot-out." Callie explained off-handedly, dropping another file on my desk along with a pen drive. "These are the pictures of the post-mortem the Forensics department performed on a few of the cartel members. Found a new type of drug in their system."

I picked up the drive and acknowledged them, "Got it. I'll upload them in the database." Then I looked at the two of them, "What's this new drug?

I hadn't heard anything about it and I had to be careful now, gather and cross check my information before letting Marcello know of anything.

Finn opened his mouth, running a hand through his hair when he froze and then flashed me a smile. "I—"

"We'll see you later." Callie wrapped an arm around his bicep and from the slight wince on his face I knew she either had a good grip or was digging her nails into his flesh. Or both. Smart girl.

I already knew the reason for their quick retreat.

"Morfina."

The low timbre of his voice filled the space behind me and I didn't need to turn to see him. Even now, my skin prickled with a disagreeable sensation at the reminder of yesterday's confrontation. 

"Pardon?" I didn't turn around, refusing to give him any kind of satisfaction.

"The new type of drug." Erex was closer now, his presence looming behind me right before he bent lower, the heat of his breath against the exposed column of my throat. I'd worn my blonde hair up today, tightly tied up in a ponytail. "Mia morfina." 

I could almost hear the cruel tilt to his smirk, the way it'd make his lips stretch just ever so slightly as he whispered that offensive nickname.

"Are you comparing me to a drug in Italian, right now, Mr Castillo?" I tilted my head, turning to lock eyes with his caribbean blue ones, my breaths controlled. 

He'd smoothly avoided giving me intel about the new drug they'd apparently found. I'd learn of it soon enough but I got what he was doing, keeping me out of the loop and clearly showing me I wasn't in his inner circle yet.

The fact that he'd gotten close to me, breached the distance and crossed a certain type  of line in the workplace should have made me sure that I was on the right path. And yet I knew something was amiss. That I was far from achieving my goal.

He chuckled, still not moving. We were closer than we'd ever been, faces inches apart and yet he was entirely too unaffected.

"Comparing you to a drug?" He clicked his tongue, "Why compare when you are a drug?"

I let my lips part, let my multicolored eyes flash. Added a bit of the split second surprise element as if I were taken aback by his seductive voice, the words he wove like a spider's web.

To catch me. To trap me. To destroy me in a battle he wasn't even aware had been waged.

This was not the man I'd seen initially. He was now starting to shed some of his layers of politeness and facades of niceties. He thought of me as either someone who was a threat or someone not worth the effort he'd put into maintaining a nice image with.

I was still contemplating whether it was a good thing or not.

I chose not to respond, breaking eye contact and merely scoffing. Let him think he won a single aspect of this battle. I couldn't come on too strong or too invested. I'd already let myself feel something yesterday, his expertise at provoking me an unexpected but true threat to my sanity in this mission.

"You need better lines than that if you're attempting to seduce a woman of intelligence, Mr Castillo." I curled my lip, arranging the files on my desk and separating the ones I'd finished int he past few hours. "It appears you're a complete failure at the art of flirting."

Erex walked around, hands in his pockets and jaw flickering as his eyes pursued me before he painted on a cordial smile for the sake of the onlookers, waving at someone on the other end of the room as he continued speaking effortlessly.

"Far too arrogantly presumptuous of you to think I was flirting with you. That was merely an insult." His eyes spoke of malice, of a mixed kind of emotion when he looked at me. Erex stood where Finn had, looking down at me.

I smiled up at him patronizingly, "No, Erex." I purposely emphasised his name, "It was an attempt to insult." I beamed at him. "You can't possibly think I'd be offended if you called me a drug."

I stood up because being looked down on by him made me feel the way one does after eating something sour. 

"Drugs destroy." There was a hardness in his eyes, in his words as he spoke.

 My voice dropped as I whispered, "And so can I." I brushed my fingers over his collar, reminding him subtly of how easy it'd been for me to leave a lipstick mark on him the other day.

The muscle in his jaw clenched and I couldn't help the satisfied curl of my lips. 

"Not if I don't let you."

Again, the conversation felt like it was about something else altogether. As if he might have known exactly who I was and what I was here for. But that couldn't be. Of course, my guard was up but I knew that wasn't it.

"And how are you going to stop me, exactly?" I mocked, pulling back when he grabbed my wrist in a vice-like grip. I drew in a steady breath, aware of the many eyes that could fall upon us. This was bordering on inappropriate here. And yet he continued, unfazed.

"By keeping you close." I painted an expression of faint disbelief on my face at his claim. 

"Haven't you heard?" He met my eyes again, smirking in an arrogantly self-contended manner. I wanted to wipe it off his face. "Keep your friends close....." His blue eyes darted between mine, searching and searching until they hardened, ".....And your enemies closer." The tone of his voice shifted to stone.

I wanted to really, really take away that sense of satisfaction he seemed to experiencing. I wanted to have the last word. So I did.

"Then you shouldn't have any issues if we carpool everyday, right?"

He stilled then, his grip on my wrist tightening. But to disagree now would be defeat and I had him right where I wanted him. Now I could be the one gloating because he was at my mercy.

It was a win-win for me. If he accepted, I'd have a bit of difficulty, sure but I'd have more time to win him over and more inside information by sharing space with him. On the other hand, if he disagreed, it was clear who would be conceding in this heated battle of seductions and subtle insults. 

"Well?" I nudged, refusing to look like his grip hurt. I couldn't really feel much anyways but I figured that since the pressure had increased, the pain should have too. 

"Sure." Erex let go of my wrist and I drew back, his eyes were narrowed slightly and still he looked attractive as his raven locks fell onto his eyes in an artful manner. "We can carpool. Every. Fucking. Day."

He smiled at me, wide and savage for a moment right before he turned around, effectively ending the conversation.

And yet...it didn't seem like a loss to me.

I slowly smiled, the beat of my heart a jolly sort of rhythm - or so I presumed - and a warm sensation (because it reminded me of being cocooned in blankets) wrapped around me.

It felt like a win.

—🎭—

A/N

Okay, I know. It's been a looong while. BUT.

Thank you so much for not dropping the book. I'd been quite busy the past month and didn't get the inspiration or time to write. Then I fell sick and needed to recharge as well, faced a bit of a writer's block and was generally drained.

But  I wrote today in one go and finally managed to pen down something I'm happy with.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. And what do we think of the new developments between Eve and Kaya and Erex and Kaya respectively?

I'll do my best to do regular weekly updates again after this short break so yes! Horrayyyy! 

I hope you've all been well. Please don't forget to vote and comment, of course. You know those make my day and tell me you're reading so I have to keep writing. I'd appreciate any feedback you guys have. And omg thank you for almost 7k view even though I didn't update for a month. You guys made me so happy! Thank you!

Well then, see you guys next week!

~Skyler