KAYA

(2 DAYS LATER)

I tilted my head at the paper bag sitting on my desk.

Picking it up, I looked around but couldn't spot Finn, Zack or Erex anywhere in proximity. I met eyes with another forensic photographer working with a different team and smiled at him briefly, ignoring the other eyes that looked over me.

I'd been working with Callie on some digital edits for the pictures and film I need to develop for one of the cases for the past one hour and just came back to my desk, only to find this suspicious bag.

I peeked into the bag as I sat on the chair and proceeded to open it.

I took out.......a lunch box? 

My brows pulled together all on their own and I opened it to find it....

Filled with white sauce pasta.....?

What.....

I kept it aside and rummaged around in the paper bag further only to come up with nothing. I turned the transparent lunch box, but nothing was written on it.

I wasn't sure how to proceed for a few moments, just processing this new experience. Then I took out my phone and texted the only possible person I could think of being behind this.

Me: Did you put the lunchbox on my table?

I saw the message being read after a minute, but no response came in. I kept my phone on the desk and stared at the box as if it were a box full of drugs.

I'd never had someone give me....food.

First, I ate with Erex and now...this? I hadn't exactly ended up in the position at his apartment two days back because it was planned. It was a spur of the moment deviation, but it served me well. I got some insight and spent personal time with my target.

And the man was infuriating still. Deliberately antagonizing me. But I decided that rather than just seducing him, I'd take a slightly different route and challenge him as well, since he wasn't likely to fall for a damsel anyways.

I swiped  my phone, but there was still no response.

Grabbing the box, I opened it slowly and the smell instantly wafted over. I hurriedly closed it before it'd grab anyone else's unnecessary attention.

But what was his game now? 

We had barely interacted since that incident where I'd made acquaintance with Andrew, the hacker. Everyone was occupied with two new cases that had come in: One a warehouse raid of the Bravta's weapon store and the other being a murder case in Downtown Chicago.

I opened my bottle and drank some cool liquid, bringing myself into a familiar headspace where my thoughts weren't muddled up due to unforeseen actions and first-time experiences. I still had many eyes on me and I was in the office. Instead of being a blank canvas, I should portray the appropriate emotions.

How would someone respond in such a situation? What was that emotion?

The one where you feel torn and like a fog is blanketing your emotions? Like there's a net in front of your vision that's prevention you from seeing things clearly?

Ah, right.

It's called confusion.

EREX

She was confused.

It wasn't exactly how I planned to see her, but now I was already hidden from her view and observing her reactions, so why would I change it? 

I put a finger to my lips as Callie spotted me from her cubicle and she closed her mouth, presumably having been about to call out for me. Finn snickered next to me and shook his head.

I glanced at him, blue eyes cold.

"Really stalker-ish of you, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you. So that solves the problem." I watched as she looked around and took out the food, then paused and observed it as if it were an otherwordly thing. I continued to address Finn, "I gave you some work, didn't I? Go get it done. I want the information on my desk within 2 hours."

Cursing me out, he was about to walk out when I slapped his chest.

"What?" He hissed.

"Don't announce your presence." I warned and he rolled his eyes but nodded nevertheless.

If Kaya realized he was back, she'd know it was likely that I was here too since we'd gone scouting together. 

I went back to watching the blonde and inwardly questioned my actions and what emotions possibly prompted them. Suspicion, most likely.

Kaya's face was exhibiting signs of confusion. Subtle pulling in of her brows, tilted head. And then I saw it happen - how she suddenly seemed to have slipped on a mask.

A mask of confusion.

This was forced.

A performance.

Deliberate.

She did that a lot of times actually.

I leaned against the wall in the dark corner and saw her texting on her cell. As expected, she'd sent me a question regarding the not-so-mysterious box. But I wasn't so keen on answering her so quickly. No, I wanted to see her deal with it.

To most people, it might have been something mundane. But watching Kaya at work - not in the literal sense - just.....

The way she always seemed to consciously bring herself to exhibit certain emotions...it was intriguing.

As she took a seat, I contemplated how to respond and then finally sent my message.

ME: If I did?

She was quick to respond.

HER: Why?

I ran a hand through my raven hair. 

Why?

If I actually knew the answer to that, I'd still not tell her. But I did need to tell her something.

ME: You skip too many meals.

Her eyes narrowed. Minutely, but I saw. She gave a cursory glance to her surroundings and even looked up towards the seventh floor. I hid behind the wall a bit more and genuinely wondered what I was doing as I smiled at a passerby and Zeke gave me a confused look as he came down the stairs on the opposite side, easily spotting me.

I'm acting weird, even for my own standards. Jesus.

HER: You've been watching me.

Not a question but a confident statement. The woman walked, talked and breathed confidence in such an attractive manner that it was hard not to find yourself drawn to her.

ME: You're a team member. An asset.

I watched her scoff in response.

HER: And what do you want in return?

I blinked and read the message again. I looked at her, her side profile in view as she twirled around on her swivel chair and grabbed a file from a lower cabinet before returning to her position.

She couldn't possibly be serious, right? It was food. 

ME: Nothing.

She picked up the phone and instantly typed.

HER: Don't joke. There's always a price for things.

I snickered.

ME: This is just food, mia morfina. I made some extra pasta this morning and thought you could use some. Better than letting it waste.

I saw her grip tighten on her phone. Confusion again. She took her time, eyes glued to the screen as she read my message over and over. and then--

HER: And you like to feed stray cats, right? Well, I'm not one.

She was throwing my words back at me from the other night. Welp, couldn't blame her. 

Or maybe I could.

It was because she came here, disrupting everything and inserting herself into my private life that I was now doing such things. Things I hadn't even begun to understand myself.

With that, she kept her phone screen down and got to work on her computer, face painted in a weird expression. 

I rubbed a hand over my chin, walking out and glancing at my watch to see the time. When I looked back at her table, there was an intern standing there, his yellow card rope hanging from his back pocket.

I walked out of my hiding place entirely, phone in pocket and striding across the chaotic room, glancing back towards Kaya's desk where she was  busy reviewing the new digital pictures sent over from the New York Branch regarding our recent Bravta case. And probably wouldn't have walked over them so impulsively though if I didn't see what the intern was doing.

Leaning forward, closer than I'd have liked, the man's eyes were peeking down the neckline of her top. It wasn't even low cut but a top view of that generous bust was probably more than he could ever hope to glimpse.

Something inside of me felt like tangled ropes and before I knew it, I grabbed the collar of the intern's shirt as I reached, my jaw clenched as I pulled him back and whispered in his ear, "Enjoying the view?"

The guy was instantly flustered, eyes widening as he registered who I was. I felt Kaya's eyes on us but she remained silent as the guy attempted to pull away, but I tightly held on, giving him a slight jerk as I slipped his card out of his pocket.

"An intern, hm?" Then I gave him an impressive look, "How does getting sued for workplace sexual harassment sound even before you official start to become a proper part of the workplace?" I continued to whisper, staring him down.

He shook his head, "No, um...that...." He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, I was just on my way." He grabbed the card in my hand and pulled, even as I refused to let go. He breathed in deeply and looked away, licking his lips, "I said I'm sorry."  He spoke through clenched teeth, "It was an accident."

"Yeah, sure—"

"Let him go, will you?" Kaya's words made my eyes fly over too her, brows slightly raised, but her face was utterly blank.

I searched between her eyes for a moment before I let the intern grab his card and rush away.

"I was dealing with it–"

"You didn't have to, it was nothing new."

Her words made me pause, her words and voice giving nothing away. There was no sympathy being sought or scorn. It was just a statement, a fact for her. The way she said it like she was utterly used to being objectified rubbed me the wrong way for an unknown reason. No woman should be in such a situation.

I was suddenly reminded of when I'd implied she'd climbed her way up to her position using her body and she'd actually, genuinely gotten angry. Or as cloe to it as I'd so far seen her and my chest tightened momentarily. 

So my actions will get a rise out of her but the others doing the same thing...that was alright?

This woman was confusing.

Silence ensued for a few beats as I was lost in my thoughts, giving no retort. And then she was in front off me, food bag in hand.

I rubbed a hand over my scruff, eyes on her, but she wouldn't look at me. "I'm not taking it back."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine, then. Don't. Let it go to waste anyways."

"You won't eat good, free food because I'm the one giving it to you? Isn't that a little selfish and self-centered of you?"

She took a step closer, "I value food more than the likes of someone like you, don't worry."

"Because you know me so well, no?" My lip curled, a cruel slash of my mouth because god knew she was bringing up the wrong topics.

Her grip tightened on the food bag, multi-colored eyes flaring up and then she turned away. "You know nothing about me."

"I know you were in the foster system around the tiime you were 15 and jumped from home to home, and living like that is hard—"

She turned back abruptly, "You. Know. Nothing." She repeated and I stopped short, her face was blank and yet her eyes told of a story. "Living.....and surviving are very different, Mr Castillo." Her words hit me right in the chest.

I knew that better than anyone. There were days in the past when I had to go without food, when my mother did all she could to put food on the table, wrecked bt guilt and distraught herself. Days when I thought death was better than the life we'd been condemned to.

I swallowed thickly.

The noises around me felt muted and suddenly it was like I was a little boy of thirteen again.

"I'm aware-"

"Don't bother waiting for me today. I'll get back on my own." Kaya cut me off, putting on her jacket and going out with the food bag in hand. "And don't do this kind of thing again." A muscle skipped in her jaw as my eyes narrowed. "Not the food. Not the chivalrous act. Nothing."

I hadn't realized it as I watched her leave but my hand was clenched tight inside the pocket of the pants and I knew ther was no way I'd let her have the last word.

Any other girl in her position would've acted the opposite way, no doubt. And it wasn't just the fact that she wasn't acting how any typical female would, it was the unrestrained way she expressed herself in sometimes that made me give her a second glance. There were breaks and cracks where her plastic smile and bedroom eyes weren't her weapons.

We hadn't been butting heads as much in that start, it was just flirting. But now it was as if neither of us could hold a single conversation without pushing each other's buttons. And then I had to tell myself that I wouldn't have been happy if she did eat the food, accepting it like anyone else without rubbing me the wrong way.

Because I wasn't so bad a cook that I'd make double the food when I knew it was just me, myself and I. I licked my lips and turned away too, shaking my head.

I suppose pasta just wasn't tempting enough.

I just had to change the menu a bit then.

I hadn't known I'd be changing Kaya too.

But even if I'd known........

I wouldn't have done anything differently.

Because once you're caught in a storm, it'll sweep you away with it.

And Kaya was my storm.

~

A/N

Sooooooo......

Only two updates ina month, I know. BAD. But I warned. Still, my sincerest apologies.

Moving on, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I wrote it after a lot of hardwork because I kept getting interrupted. The trajectory of the chapter and story changed at least 5 times and now idk where it's headed lol. But whatever, what do you think of this new peek into both Kaya and especially Rex's past?

What do you think reagrding Kaya's reaction and how she dealt with the situation? About Rex's words? Don't mind the typos pls and this is just the unpolished first draft, didn't even get to revise the chapter much but yea, needed to put smtg out at least.

Don't forget to vote and comment guys! I'll try to write and update more but I'll also be publishing the last book of my Mystic Bonds trilogy. So I'll be a bit more busy. Plus since I'm home now, I'm sopending some time at home.

Alright guys, see you later then. Take care!

~Skyler