Chapter 46

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked.

Despite my lack of experience, the little girl's high voice pushed me to sound confident. "Yeah," I said, nodding down to her with a smile.

"Then why haven't you caught a fish yet?"

"Maybe they aren't hungry." Looking out to the rippling water before us, I narrowed my eyes on the unmoving bobber.

"I think you're doing something wrong..." she said in a sing-song condescending voice. "When I fish with dad, they always bite."

"Keep at it, I might end up biting," I muttered under my breath.

The girl's name was Chrissy. She pushed my buttons. I bet she would push yours too. But I didn't regret the deal I made with Grace.

A couple days ago, Grace came over and offered us a housewarming gift (not a pie, but still a nice gift basket). After inviting her in for coffee and chatting a bit, Grace offered me a babysitting job. She and her husband worked most of the day, leaving their oldest kid to constantly watch after Chrissy until summer break is over. Funny enough, this wasn't the first time I took on watching a neighbor's kid. Unlike the last though, this eight-year-old had sass.

Tapping her fingers against the damp dock and our padded cushions, she let out a deep sigh. "Maybe my dad can teach you when he gets home from work."

"Well, it sounds like you know what you're talking about," I said, chuckling away my irritation. Handing her the pole, I leaned back and rested my hands behind me. "I'm sure you can do better than me."

Her blank stare at the pole in her small hands made me smirk. Chrissy glanced between the reel and the bobber sitting a few yards away in the river. Not wanting to feel intimidated, she turned her small and round freckled face up to mine. "I'll catch one in no time," she grinned.

"Good," I smiled.

Shamefully, I wouldn't be surprised if she was right and I had been doing something wrong. There was a high chance; this was only my second time fishing. But Chrissy didn't need to know that. Either way, I didn't care. Sitting out on the dock marked my first time experiencing the riverfront backyard.

Directly outside the sliding door was a slab of cement, acting as a deck. Luke and I set out some folding chairs and a grill we found in the garage. It was quite nice. One of the best parts about the backyard though was the privacy. While the houses were close together, shrubbery and trees bordered both sides of the property. The rest of the yard was all lush grass. The ground supporting it all... gradually dipped until it reached the water. Before the land met the river, with rocks and some muck, a long wooden dock started. It stretched out into the river a few feet above the water. Based on surrounding neighbors with similar docks, the water must get deep fast. The neighbors to the right had their ugly pontoon tied to theirs.

If that wasn't enough for my virgin eyes, across the river was a high hill. Houses were perched at the top. Their yards were steep and cut off. It required stairs to be built down the side of the hill as well as high docks. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some tension between the two sides of the river. Us on the cool side didn't need stairs to get to the water. Regardless, it was unlike anything I've seen before.

With our feet dangling a few inches above the water, I crossed my ankles and swung them mindlessly. Staring up at the overcast sky, I took a relaxing breath. Rare spots of sun leaked through the dreary clouds. But hey, I was learning to not complain. It rained last night into this morning, stopping only a few hours ago.

The fair weather didn't mean success though. There were no biting fish. We didn't last much longer before heading inside.

She sat on the floor in the living room, playing with the toys she brought over. She called them tinker-toys, which sounded weird. Not disappointing though. Her and I had fun playing with them earlier. At the moment though, I stood in the kitchen at the counter, making us sandwiches. Just after I buttered the bread on both plates, the front door opened before closing.

Instinct wanted me to turn around, but I forced myself to freeze. The sight behind me and through the kitchen entrance would be torturous. After three days of this, I knew what to expect. Picturing him was enough to handle. Of Luke standing at the door, wet with sweat.

That's right, ladies and gents. I wasn't the only one finding a new routine. Whereas I started babysitting, Luke started jogging every day. Every single day. Running for miles on end didn't sound fun – and it sure wouldn't be easy if I did it. Luke was always in better shape than me. But that didn't stop me from finding his new hobby impressive and surprising.

"When we lived back in Ohio, I don't remember you jogging," I told him a few days back when he first started.

"Well, I wasn't living under normal circumstances. I was focused on getting to know you, showing you a good summer, and adjusting to everything. And remember, there was a long period where I couldn't leave your side."

Luke made a good point. As an officer (and one hell of an attractive man), it made sense that he normally would work out and exercise. Though that wasn't a bad thing, I couldn't help my selfish thoughts. Why did he need to jog so far and for so long? It resulted in me nearly passing out each time his drenched body walked through the damn door.

Bracing a neutral blank face, I dropped the sandwich material and turned around. Luke dragged his numb feet in tennis shoes into the kitchen, alive green eyes reaching mine. "Hello," he said through hard breaths.

"Hey, how was your run?" I asked casually, raising my arms behind me to grasp the edge of the counter.

"Good." He moved to the sink a few feet to my left and grabbed a cup. While he downed a few gulps of water, I couldn't help but shamefully admire him. And sure, call me a stupid teenage girl for doing so. It was his fault though; he made it hard not to look.

Wetness allowed Luke's grey shirt to grip his lean muscular body. Unlike his shirt though, his shorts didn't require sweat to cling. The tight material of his black compression shorts hugged his thighs and showed off his toned hairy legs. Of course, nothing could compare to his flushed face. The dim light from the window above the sink highlighted the glaze of sweat covering his face. Small droplets dotted where his slicked and damp hair started. I also took in his longish stubble that lined his jaw and touched his faded blue cheek.

After setting his cup down, he wiped the back of his hand along his sweaty bushy brows and forehead. When he offered me his eyes, I turned back to the unfinished sandwiches. The last thing I wanted was to give away just how pathetic I was.

"Chrissy still here?" he asked, a note of confusion in his voice.

"Mhmm." Laying the ham then cheese down on each of our unfinished sandwiches, I could feel the heat slowly leave my cheeks. "Grace said she would be a little late. So, since we didn't catch any fish, we have enough time to lift our spirits with food." Finishing the sandwiches with mustard, I finally glanced up to him. "Want one?"

"Well, I was going up to take a shower. I'll have a sandwich after though." He picked his cup back up and took another small sip, eyes catching mine.

"I might not be feeling as generous when you get out...." I teased.

When he lowered the cup, it revealed a smirk. The man's eyes also turned caring. "I suppose I'll just have to sweet talk you after I get out of the shower."

Chuckling, I rested my hands against my hips. "If that's the risk you are willing to take...."

Before he could take that risk and head upstairs to shower, a shrill voice rang through the kitchen. "You look stinky!"

Luke and I turned around to see Chrissy standing at the kitchen entrance. Her small nose was scrunched up, as if she could smell him from across the room.

"Hi, how are you today Chrissy?" he asked in a light tone, smile turning sweet. "And I am stinky. Want to smell?"

"No way," she said in disgust, giggling.

Luke's smile grew. He shared it with Chrissy and I, eyes especially teasing when they reached mine. "Sounds like I better take a shower then."

"Wait!" the shrill little voice said. Suddenly unafraid of a potential stench, she marched over to us. Long brown strands swinging with her movement, she stopped and stared up at us. "Kyle, you need to see my town. I made it with the tinker toys."

"Your town?" he asked, voice excited. Resting his hands above his kneecaps, he bent down closer to meet her eyes better. "Are you the queen of this town?"

"No," she said, raising her eyebrows in judgement. "You know, it's not a real town."

While Luke just pursed his lips, not knowing what to say, I stifled a chuckle. "Yeah, come on. Obviously, it's not a real town," I said, mimicking Chrissy's criticizing voice.

He stood up straight again. After sharing a knowing and amused look with me, Luke glanced back down to Chrissy. "I would still love to see it if that's okay," he chuckled.

Walking into the living room together, I smiled at the sight of her town. There were a few structures built and connected by the long wooden sticks. The extra pieces were used as props. It did resemble a town, which Luke and I instantly started complimenting her on.

Once she was satisfied with showing us, she insisted on eating our sandwiches. Her first bite led to her scolding me for using butter and not mayonnaise. Though her tone got under my skin, I had to appreciate how vocal she was about her condiments preferences. The little lady spoke my language. While we ate, Luke took that chance and made his escape to shower.

More like a long and suspicious shower, ladies and gents. Or at least, that's what I would tease him with. He didn't come back downstairs until two hours later. In that time, Grace had already picked up her daughter. She chatted with me for a bit before they left. The sun went down too and it was currently relaxation time.

I was sitting on the couch and watching TV for about 20 minutes before Luke came downstairs. The second I heard footsteps coming from behind me, I smiled. Turning slightly, I watched Luke walk into the room.

He gave me a small smile before sitting down on the other end of the couch. He propped his feet on the coffee table. Clad in long shorts, clean socks, and a loose white tee-shirt, all signs of his workout were gone. All signs of him taking a shower were gone too. His wavy brown strands were dry by now. Of course, that didn't keep me from teasing him about his long absence.

"Anything good on?" he asked, looking between me and the TV.

"Nothing probably as good as the show upstairs," I said, smirking. "That was quite the long shower. Getting busy with yourself in there?"

"No," he scoffed, cheeks instantly turning red. "I didn't take that long of a shower."

"Sure.... You don't have to pretend. I know you've been thinking about Carter nonstop." I said, raising and lowering my eyebrows.

"Shut up," he laughed, shaking his head. "My hair is dry too if you didn't notice."

"What, blow dryers don't exist?"

"None that we have bought yet, genius." Catching his rolling eyes, Luke lightly swatted me with one of the couch pillows, making me laugh. "Moving on," he stressed, chuckling under his breath. "What did Grace have to say?"

Relaxing back, I rested my cheek against the back cushion, head turned towards him. "Well, she said working part time can mean longer or unpredictable days like today. It only made her thank me again a million times for taking this job. The woman likes to talk," I groaned. "Oh. She also mentioned that we should have dinner with them sometime. She said she would love for us to meet her husband and other kid. Sounded stupid to me, but hey, she did say she makes killer desserts," I said, smiling.

Shifting more in my direction, he rested his arm along the back of the couch. Pursing his lips in thought for a long moment, he slowly nodded. "Yeah, that could be nice." His eyes in mine turned teasing after another pause. "You know, I'm surprised."

"About what?"

"You weren't exactly fond of getting to know the neighbors at first," he said, smiling.

"Hey, don't start thinking I'm getting buddy-buddy with all our neighbors. She's just nice," I shrugged. "I don't think it's a bad idea to get to know people. It makes our identities more real," I smiled.

"That is a good point," he nodded.

After talking and joking back and forth for a bit, Luke and I settled into comfortably watching a movie we found among the several TV channels we were blessed with. All the while... I couldn't help myself from sneaking glances over to Luke. The beautiful man he was. The man I was slowly allowing to take over my headspace again.

This first week in Washington was a mental turning point. The threat of death wasn't knocking on our door like before. We weren't constantly moving or facing traumatic situations. Ugly surprises weren't dropped in our laps. This was a period of peace. The first time we could take a deep breath. I loved not worrying about dying tomorrow or getting ambushed. That fear was fading with each day of normal human life. It was a blessing.

While that was wonderful, the transition from that hell into normal life... it allowed a few gears to shift in my mind. Including one that allowed me to consider my relationship with Luke.

The constant chaos stopped. It created an empty pool in my head, one that automatically filled itself up with thoughts of Luke. There was no choice; I couldn't block the thoughts, the questions, the stress over him away. It led to wondering if I made a mistake in not allowing us to continue our loving relationship.

Secretly glancing to him, the moments when we faced the subject played through my head. I could still picture everything clearly. Him confessing that he still loved me in his motel room. Luke holding me close, begging me to not allow one issue get in the way. He even said he was fine not having kids if that's what I ultimately wanted. And when I said I couldn't allow him to do that, it broke both our hearts. It was a choice he later said I didn't have the right to make. Facing each other in the parking lot that day, he snapped at me. He said I was wrongly trying to make his choices for him. Said that I took away his decision to not have children with me.

Watching from his left, the TV he faced was our only light source. I admired the smooth plains of his face lit by the changing light. His arm was propped on the couch arm, allowing his chin and cheek to rest in his palm.

Though he was focused on the TV, he did have thoughts and opinions about what was happening. I wondered how he felt to be sitting here on the other end of the couch. Did he still love me? Did he still hate the fact that I turned him down? Did he know that I still loved him? Maybe he saw right through me. Maybe not. Luke was a very observant man, but in the past, he allowed his emotions to blind him.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled deeply. I didn't want him to think I didn't want him. But obviously, that was the message I was sending. Denying the chance to be together over one issue we had yet to face... it probably did give him the impression that my feelings for him dimmed. Jesus! Just thinking that hit my heart in a sore spot.

Imagine what his heart is going through. I didn't want to because it presented a very tempting option. That was to crawl over to him right this second and kiss him. And tell him that I still loved him. God, that would be so nice. Such a fulfilling relief and desire.

Yet, I choose to not pursue our relationship again for a reason. I didn't want to hurt him by taking away his chance to have children. Would it be worse than the pain he is going through now? I didn't know. I had to believe the heartbreak he faced was worth it; he would get over me now that he has answers. I had to drill that into my head. Because I couldn't stand the thought of taking away fatherhood from him... no matter what.

Sighing, I opened my eyes again towards the TV, trying to stop this obsessive conflict in my head. Maybe if the plot of this movie was more intriguing, I would be able to push these thoughts away like I managed to before. Then again, a movie was nothing compared to the tornado of shit we faced.

Taking my mind off Luke was a lost hope. Shifting my eyes instinctively to the man, my heart flipped upside down. His head was still propped by his hand, but angled just slightly in my direction now. The man's observant green eyes looked me over before catching mine. Instantly, I looked back to the TV in embarrassment. Great. I should have known the guy would have been able to tell I was watching him.

While I did manage to finally focus on the movie, it wasn't enough. Occasionally, those conflicting thoughts still jumped around. Even when we called it a night and headed to bed, I had to force those thoughts away in order to sleep.

***

The man started at me. Face too vivid from memory, but ruined by the truth. His light brown eyes were hard and stone. I would never be able to ignore those eyes or convince myself they weren't mine. His hair matched what I saw for three years. Brown and slicked back. Dyed brown. I never saw his natural black hair. That's because he was a monster manipulator.

My dream was gruesome. Jackson and I met again. Unlike the day dream and preferable picture of me killing him, the opposite happened. Jackson killed me. I sought him out, demanded to know more, and he killed me. More random and blurry things occurred, but that was the most prominent. It was also the source of my climb back into consciousness.

Opening my eyes, I was breathing heavily. I ran my fingers in circles over my comforter, pushing it through me that I was awake. That I was safe. Nobody was trying to kill me, hunt me, hurt me. Nobody – including Jackson. But god, it was a vivid one. With an uncaring hand, he lifted the gun and shot me in the chest. Dead. In the dream, I wasn't as scared as I was angry. It was the same now that I was awake. Worse than getting killed by him, was the last image of his face. It was blank, uncaring, and aggravated. Real. It caused a tart taste to flood my throat.

Staring up at the ceiling, I blinked the sleep away before I could fall back under. There was no way I wanted to run the risk of returning to the same dream. The dose I just received was enough to leave me unnerved. It was already hard enough to think about Jackson. I've been doing good with blocking him out. Now, there he was, fresh in my head again.

Jesus, why did I have to dream that? Sure, I was relieved the dream wasn't worse. Compared to the shit storm nightmares in the past that jolted me into near panic attacks, this was nothing. That didn't mean this wasn't fueling the hatred in me.

If I'm going to have a dream about the asshole, I should be doing the killing. Not the other way around. And why did I have to be the one searching for him?! I would never go looking for him. The likelihood of him looking for me and showing up was much higher than I wanted to think about. He knew where we were. And if the past says anything, it's that he doesn't respect anyone but himself. He will do what he wants. Fuck, you know what, maybe he should show his face to me again. I would reverse what happened in the dream and make it real. If I'm feeling poetic that day, maybe I'll first write him a letter about how much I loathe him.

Yeah, that's real stable. I sighed, shaking my head. There was no going back to bed for a while. Even if I wasn't scared about returning to a similar dream, I was up and unnerved. Thanks to fucking daddy-o... wherever he was. Hopefully dead and in the most pathetic way. Like maybe he fell in a hole and starved to death. Or better: he choked to death on an ice cube.

While thinking about him dead helped a little, my best bet was distraction until the dream fades into a blurry memory. It probably wouldn't take much. After all, these past days, I haven't had a crazy incident or binges. I finally wasn't allowing the truth about Jackson bother me – severely anyway. It was probably why Luke was more relaxed. He wasn't nearly as worried about me breaking down. It was nice for both of us. That's why I would not let this dream undo the progress I've been making.

A little distraction should do the job. Nothing can do that better than TV. Realizing that, I threw the covers off and got up. My alarm clock sitting on the dresser read 3:09. Wonderful time to wake. Groaning, I opened my door and headed down the stairs.

When I reached the bottom, I couldn't bring myself to turn and head into the living room. Something more intriguing kept my attention. The kitchen light flooded through the entry. I wouldn't have thought anything of it if I hadn't made sure all lights were off before heading to bed. Confused, I slowly neared and entered the kitchen doorframe.

"What," I breathed the moment I glanced to my left upon entering. Any sign of sleep left my widening eyes. They burned, being shocked by the bright light. They were more shocked to see the man sitting at the table.

Luke was slumped down in a chair. The side of his face and cheek rested on his folded arms against the table. Facing where I just entered the kitchen, I took in his closed eyes. Lips were parted slightly, slowly releasing and sucking in air. An open beer bottle sat next to his head on the table.

Well, I suppose I was wrong. This was a better distraction than TV.

The sight demanded questions. What happened? He and I headed up to bed at the same time. So why was he now sleeping against the table? What made him get up in the first place? Slowly walking over to Luke, I stopped beside his chair and rested my hand on one of his folded arms supporting his face.

"Hey," I whispered, gently shaking him.

The rocking motion triggered his eyes to half open. Luke straightened from his slumped form, leaning back against the chair. His droopy head rose with the movement, tilting up to me. With strained eyes, trying to keep them open from the harsh light, he groaned. "Albany," he said, clearing his throat. "What are you doing up?"

I raised my eyebrows, searching his tired eyes. "What are you doing sleeping at the table?"

Rubbing the back of his hand over his exhausted eyes, he forced them to open more. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." The tiredness in his green gaze started to transform and caress my face. He looked away and got to his feet. "We should get back to bed." Not meeting my eyes, he moved around me.

My puzzled nature and concern needed answers. "What? Wait," I said, spinning and reaching for his arm. Grasping it, I towed his reluctant body back, making us directly face each other now. "What's wrong?"

His tired eyes angled down to where I was still grasping his arm before returning to mine. "Nothing."

"Then why were you down here? It's past three in the morning," I said softly. Afraid he would make a break for it, my free hand instinctively copied the other. Holding both Luke's arms, I sighed. "What is going on?"

Pursing his lips at my distress, he returned the gesture and rested his palms on my hips and over my cotton shorts. "Nothing important," he said casually.

Jesus, was he serious? "No, we're not doing this bullshit pretending, so please fess up. I want to help," I said, searching his gaze.

Luke was more awake now, but his awareness was distance. Instead of responding, he allowed his gaze to get swallowed in mine. Our surroundings started to blend away with each second his stare became more consuming. It became more intense. The air between us was changing. His lost and dazed green globes nearly hypnotized me into the same state. My mouth turned dry. It became harder to breathe. What was happening?

After a long moment of just silence, his dazed expression progressed. Intimate pain crossed him. His eyebrows fell in conflict and matched his intense searching eyes. They were sweet and sad. Hurt and loving.

It swallowed us deeper in time, making my breath pick up. My heart was tumbling. He was taking me over and I didn't know what to do, what to think. I was falling under his beautiful spell, projected through such intimate and lost eyes. It left me entirely vulnerable. Especially when he shifted closer.

Now, only a few inches separated our faces. A coaxing voice inside of me told me to close the distance. Unlike Luke though, I was conscious of myself. No matter how dream-like this was, this was real and happening. And despite my craving for him, I couldn't shake my worry. This was not normal and something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" I asked as casually as possible, eyeing the compelling lack of distance between us.

Luke's alive eyes finally broke their hold on mine. Not because he was snapping back to his senses though. Removing his hand from my side, he reached further back and higher. His delicate fingers began to trace my sloppy bun. Then, he began to pick at the hairband holding it together.

I wasn't sure what to think. Wrestling with my hairband, his fingers managed to pull it out. My auburn strands fell against my back, some over my shoulders. It grabbed his gaze's attention, freeing mine to look down to the strands. While most of my curls were flattened into waves, some loops held their shape and bounce.

That's when Luke raised his hand again, this time slowly. The admirable gaze he possessed followed his movement as he carefully grazed my hair along the side of my head. Then, he narrowed his focus. I felt him delicately outline one curly lock hanging over my ear. It caused his hand to lightly brush by my ear... sending trails of tingles to spread through me. The delightful chills grew when Luke's gentle eyes shifted back to mine.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asked, shifting even closer. It allowed him to reach behind me more. He glided his hand through my hair against my back. The movement caused our noses to brush for a small moment, pricking my nerves.

The whole thing paralyzed me. From our brushing noses, his hand on my hip, his other stroking my hair... good lord. Luke's eyes didn't help. They searched and caressed mine lovingly. We were so close, I could see the small brown facets embedded in the deep green color. Jesus. How wasn't I dead from a heart attack? I mean, at this point, I half guessed he was attempting to fucking seduce me.

My mind was gone. His question, about doing a favor, was out the window and unregistered. It didn't matter. He didn't wait for me to answer. So close and intimate... he whispered. "Keep your hair down from now on."

After those words were released, it triggered a painful withdrawal. Luke's hand in my hair stopped stroking. His eyebrows dipped and he took a step back and away from me. Killing our last piece of contact, he dropped his eyes to the floor. Then, Luke turned and left the kitchen.

Standing there alone, I had no idea what to think. No longer trapped by his closeness and strange alluring action of letting my hair down, I took a deep breath. What just happened? What was that all about? I still had no idea what motivated him to come downstairs in the first place. Something had obviously been troubling him. Was it connected to the weird moment we just shared? When I woke him, he attempted to leave and avoid me. Then, Luke took my bun out and asked me to keep it that way. What was that? Though we've recently been brainstorming how to disguise ourselves better, I highly doubted his suggestion to keep my hair down had anything to do with that.

What kept him from sleep? After his intimate display, I would be stupid if I didn't suspect myself. I didn't want to think that, but it was likely. The man did have feelings for me; it often kept my mind from resting too. God, I did not want to be the reason for his heavy distress and sleepless night. I would like to assume something else kept him from sleep. There were other options. This life was tough adjusting to, a shock. Luke also missed his family and held guilt over what he was doing now. He also felt guilty for a completely different reason. The things we faced and were forced to do these past weeks were unforgivable for a police officer.

Whatever it was, Luke clearly didn't want me involved. I could only hope he will want to talk about it tomorrow. And if not, at the very least, hopefully what just happened wouldn't cause a wave of awkwardness.

Interestingly, it was like it didn't happen. The following day, nothing came up about the night before. The only sign of last night's strange encounter with him was my hair. I was scared it would make things weird with the evidence of last night hanging freely down my back. It didn't though.

Luke did compliment me, saying he liked seeing my hair down. The way he casually said it suggested there was no recollection of last night. But there was. He remembered. A second after he complimented me, there was a knowing flash in face. Lips pursing, his composure fell for a tense moment. The great actor he was though, he smoothly changed subjects and composed himself. It was quite unsettling... to see how well he can hide his feelings. Yet, then why didn't he do a better job last night?

Besides that small moment between us, there was nothing. And there was no awkwardness – thank god. However, the mystery of not knowing kept me wondering throughout that whole day. It wasn't worth pushing him on the subject though. I didn't want to intrude. Or stir up shit that didn't need to be touched. Things weren't awkward, I didn't want to change that.

Carter sure did though another day later.

***

Babysitting and jogging weren't the only things that changed in the past few days. We gave Carter the rented truck to use while Luke bought us a new vehicle. While it seemed like Luke had endless money, he didn't act like it – especially now with the new truck he owned. It made him uncomfortable to drop money buying a vehicle after already renting one. So, imagine how unhappy he was when he heard these words leave Carter's mouth:

"I'm going to need four thousand more dollars."

Luke nearly stormed out of Carter's bare apartment when he heard that. According to the loser, he needed more camera and computer equipment, which included more monitors. There were two he already set up, but it 'wasn't enough.'

"Why couldn't the thousand I gave you be enough? These monitors look cheap," Luke said, jutting a finger towards the corner of the dim room. Two massive servers and thin computer screens sat on a long beat-up table in the corner. The weight caused a distinct dip in the nicked and scratched wood. It was all accompanied by a cracked plastic chair. Nothing but the best for Carter.

I'm sure it looked even worse, but the weirdo had his blinds closed despite it being morning. It's not like there was much to see anyway to be fair. The massive space we stood in was mostly empty. Besides the shitty set up, the only other exception was a standing lamp in the corner. It at least allowed me to take in the two men facing each other. From where I stood on the sidelines, I could see Carter's surprise at Luke's words.

Brows raising, he laughed. "They are not cheap man! Nothing is cheap."

My instinctive snort drew their eyes. "I believe you. I mean, look at that brand-new table. That was definitely a pretty penny," I said sarcastically. More like one single pretty penny.

Carter rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to save money if I can, thank you very much."

"If you're saving money, why do you need four thousand more?" Luke asked.

"Shit is still expensive! I need it mostly for the cameras and surveillance equipment I'll be setting up."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "What happened to getting that done in a few days? I figured you would have had it finished. Or at least started!"

"Things come up," he shrugged, tone overly casual.

"Like what?!" I demanded with a scoff. Was he serious?

"What came up that's more important?" Luke hissed, eyes hot with anger.

It was going beyond being anger over him wanting more money for equipment. Luke was just as tired of Carter as I was. To now learn there was somehow more important things to focus on than the deal the two of them made... it colored Luke's face red. Mine couldn't have been better. And yet, his words temporarily erased it all for me.

His answer was priceless.

"I have a girlfriend, alright? Jeez, take it easy," he smirked, looking between us.

Girlfriend? As in having an actual relationship? We didn't waste a second considering it. Luke and I immediately called bullshit on that right away. Saying absurd things was normal for Carter. However, he didn't budge when we pushed him for a real answer. He said that was his real answer. The smugness on his face along with the seriousness in his words sold it too.

I have a girlfriend. It was shocking and caused a flat moment of silence once Luke and I realized he wasn't kidding. Then, I burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of what he said. I mean, come on, a freaking girlfriend? How? This man was a killer, a pervert, and certainly not someone who could maintain a relationship with a woman!

"Sounds like the start of a beautiful aids-fest," I mumbled, laughter dying as I rubbed the back of my neck. I moved the few feet to where the men faced each other, shaking my head. For how hilarious it was, it was equally absurd.

Luke saw the absurdity too, scoffing in disbelief. Not just at hearing he found a girlfriend. Disbelief that this 'girlfriend' is the reason why he hasn't gotten further on his project. "So, that's why you plan on taking your sweet time helping us?" Luke stared him down, voice raising to a shout. "What happened to you wanting out of the country as soon as possible?! You're going to take your time... when you still believe Jackson plans to kill you and when you're a wanted mass murderer?!"

Carter shrugged. "Hey, why not? She's very special to me. And unlike anyone I've ever met. So, don't be a hypocrite, Luke. You've done life-threatening crazy things for a girl too," he said, eyes shifting to give me a wink.

"One I've known longer than a damn day!" Luke exclaimed.

"Whoa, I've known her for three days," he corrected with a smile.

God. This was not something I expected when Carter called last night and said he needed to talk to us. Four thousand dollars and one very naïve girlfriend. I should have known better though. Carter was a man with many things up his sleeve, some he anxiously wanted to spring on us.

Other secrets or tricks... he enjoyed teasing us with. Like he decided to do by surprising me a moment later.

My eyes pinned to the smirking man in the circle we stood in. "Are you serious? Three days? And you actually care for her and want to have a relationship with her?"

Letting it sink it... I wasn't sure what to think. It caused a weird mix of annoyance and hilarity. Because how do you not laugh? Carter getting a girlfriend after three days? I would pay to see the two of them together. Or to see him try to maintain a functioning relationship. I still wouldn't be shocked if he was blatantly lying to us. This was too crazy.

Beyond the hilarity came the true concern. It dominated the amusement because this could mean serious issues. It would potentially slow Carter down. Hell, it already was. And before anyone says we are being harsh, remember Carter's role. Luke and I planned on going slow and taking our time. Not just because we needed a break. The reason was that before we can do any significant work, we needed Carter to find a clue first. He said it himself. Without a clue, our objective will be nearly impossible. That's what made Carter's job crucial. We couldn't progress until he gets us a better idea of where we need to look.

Seeing our reaction to his news... the man thrived in it. Like he was enjoying our surprise and discomfort over the situation. The lack of lighting did nothing to dim his excited eyes. They shot between Luke and I. "Well, we're just a bunch of judgmental fucks today, aren't we?"

Luke jumped in, voice turning darker. "You're damn right. I do not believe you are serious about whoever this woman is. I would be surprised if you had any decency in you to properly look at a woman." Crossing his arms against his chest, he shook his head. The next words he said were carved in stone. "If you need another four grand, you will get your shit done. Do you understand me? That's priority. You will not fuck us over and slack – for no reason," he hissed, jabbing a finger against his shoulder. "And if you're so reluctant to leave the country and be away from your three-day-long girlfriend, it's your call. You want to risk being caught by the public or even Jackson, go ahead. You can leave the country whenever you are ready. I won't make you stay. But you will get your work done as soon as possible. Got it?"

The man held up his hand in defense, forcing his smirk to drop. "Calm down, I got it. I'll get everything bought and set up within the next few days." he sighed. "Suzanne will not be happy, but she will understand."

Good lord. Unable to picture this relationship, I asked, "How does that even work? You can't go out in public much. She could eventually see who you are on the news—"

"Hey, she is with Trent the Drunk, not Carter the Killer," he said, raising his eyebrows to me. "Don't worry, she won't know. And if she did... I have a feeling she would be unable to say no to me," he mumbled.

"Whatever, just..." Luke started before scoffing. Defusing his frustration, he licked his lips and stared up to the ceiling for a long moment. Returning his eyes back to Carter, he said in a flat tone, "What you are doing is illogical and irrational."

"Really?" he chuckled. Digging his gaze further in Luke's, a taunting grin lit his face. Cunning eyes glancing to me for a second, he chuckled quietly. "Is it as illogical... as buying an engagement ring a week after Ms. Heartbreaker disappears?"

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Thank you guys for reading me message and commenting in the last chapter. It meant a lot to me and I really appreciate it!

As for this chapter, I really hope you like it! It was very hard to write and ended up turning into a mess haha but that's because as you can tell, a lot is starting to change with their new lives. I thought this was a good chapter to show that and those different elements. Especially things between Luke and Albany. Let me know what you think! And thank you for reading!