"Are you sure this is a good idea, Samantha?" Eros asked as he hesitantly held her arm and stopped her from walking through the slightly open door. He grimaced and waited for her to turn towards him before he let go of his grip on her.

Samantha scoffed and waved him off, "Of course it's fine. Have you forgotten? You used to hang out here all the time." 

Eros let out a breath and shook his head, "That was years ago." 

She turned to him then and tilted her head to the side. Her hand slowly fell from the cold handle in front of the tall, mahogany door that lead to the kitchen they had walked out of earlier. She took in his slouched posture and crossed her arms over her chest.

"All the more reason to get to know everyone in the process." She paused, "—you wanted to thank them, yes?" She asked, waiting for him to lift his captivating eyes towards her. 

Unlike before, they held an emotion that she couldn't quite decipher nor did she want to. She was just happy that he was finally loosening up around her. She stepped closer towards him and rose on her tippy toes to place her hand on top of his head. She flattened a strand of rebellious hair that had shot up untidily and she looked at him.

"Look how tall you've grown." She commented with a proud smile playing on her lips, "—alright. You can meet everyone at your own time then. I'm sure they'll understand."

"Of course." He said and straightened back, squaring his shoulders, "—later then." 

With a nod in her direction, he turned and walked down the hallway for the third time that day. Only this time, a small smile crept on his face as he walked back to find Mika. He felt like taking a walk outside the place, but decided to tell him first before he left. He didn't feel like getting a scolding from him any more than he already has since he arrived. Mika had taken it upon himself to show him the ropes of how things operated, despite his numerous denials. Eros shook his head as he rounded the corner that lead to the art room where he was most likely to be. He pulled the door open and did a double take. Slowly, he shut the door in front of him as quietly as he could and made himself scarce. It seemed like his afternoon walk around Lesivrydah would have to wait. 

He shook his head at the irony he had just witness. Mika and Quinn were definitely comfortable with each other. Enough for her to calmly sit on his lap whilst he worked on his painting. Eros almost laughed at him. It was barely five or so hours since he made it clear to him that he couldn't love another.

Yet here we are.

They did make a fine couple regardless. He could only hope that they hadn't noticed his intrusion earlier.

🔱🔱🔱

Kayden tossed his keys on the table and loosened his tie the second he walked into their house. He took off his shoes and stepped onto the soft, fluffy carpet in the living room. He walked towards the couch and plopped on it with a heavy sigh. The conversation with Harred had been playing in his mind ever since he had left the office. How could he not have known that his daughter had transferred school? Clenching his jaw, he turned behind him the second small, perfectly manicured hands trailed down his chest and wrapped themselves around his neck in an embrace.

"You're home." His wife, Melissa said with a soft, loving tone in her voice, "—had one of those days?" She asked as she pulled her grip away and walked around the couch.

Kayden watched her fluid movement from beneath his eyelashes with a soft smile playing on his lips. He waited for her to sit down beside him before he spoke.

"When is it not?" 

Melissa chuckled and reached for the remote on the table in front of both of them then lifted her eyes up at the TV mounted at the  plain, white wall. Below it was a dark brown, asymmetrical, birch plywood stand that was coupled with several speakers and the DVD player that was directly below the TV. Kayden's smile dropped suddenly and he switched his gaze to the painting on the left side of the wall. He could remember the day it was bought. He had been on his was back home with Ashley when she suddenly asked him to pull over excitedly. 

Having no choice but to listen to her, Kayden had gotten out of the car seconds after she did the minute he cut off the gas. He followed closely behind her as she ran towards a street vendor across the empty road that was lit by the street lights across them. She immediately greeted the vendor with a smile and turned to him  pointing at a particular painting with her eyes shining with expectation. Kayden couldn't say no and they ended up getting it. The painting was a nice view of a lonely house surrounded by trees on each side, with a lake in front of it and a man seated on the dock with a fishing rod in front of him—his feet dangling on the edge. The painting had dark colour with the sky being dark and the trees looking more like tall figures watching the man as he went about fishing. The lake itself had the moon's glow on it, though interrupted by the rippling water that begun where the man had cast his hook.

A short breath left Kayden's nose when he remembered how happy she had been when they brought the painting home. Ever since they, he could never walk past a painting vendor without browsing through them and buying a piece or two. His wife would protest from time to time, but eventually, she was doing the exact same thing. Their house was filled with paintings because of this, with Ashley occasionally adding paintings of her own.

He looked back at his wife and watched her throw her head back in laughter at whatever she was watching. His smile only grew when she looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. Once again, the conversation with Nolan clouded his mind and he grimaced. His wife, noticing his sudden change in demeanor creased her eyebrows.

"What is it?" She asked, her head tilted slightly to the side, causing her short, black, shoulder length her to fall to one side as well. 

"Did you know?" He began, a part of him not wanting to start this conversation with her, despite the fact that it needed to be said, "—that our daughter is in Grudgeford?"

Melissa's frown deepened, confusion swimming in her eyes, "Yes." She paused, "—what of it?"

Kayden pressed his lips together as his eyes searched between her own dark green ones, "Why didn't you tell me she transferred?" 

"Weren't you the one who got her the scholarship?" She asked, her frown only deepening as she looked at her husband as if he had grown a third eye on his forehead, "—are you drunk, dear?"

Kayden looked at his wife, his brown eyes hard yet expressionless—a look that came with doing what he does for a living, "I did no such thing. I thought she was still in Grudgeford until recently." He said, "—who told you she was sponsored? Were you given any documents? Just how did this happen?"

Melissa shook her head, but answered him, "I got a call on day while I was at the shop. I spoke to the secretary and she helped me book a meeting with the University director—."

"You met Huxley?"

She pursed her lips, "Yes, I believe that was his name. Gregor Huxley." She paused, leaning back and watching her husband, concerned, "—you're scaring me, Kay, what is it?"

Kayden's shoulders sagged and he rested the back of his bed on top of the couch behind him. He looked up at the ceiling light above him and shut his eyes as he took a gulp, "I'm investigating him."

"What?"

"Gregor. He's wanted for attempted murder of ten victims or more, including his own wife. I've been trying to get him for months now, but he always one ups me. He must have planned this whole thing with the scholarship to use her as leverage. I underestimated him, Mel." He revealed with a frustrated sigh and opened his eyes to look at her.

Melissa's eyes slowly widened as she realized what he was saying, "So, you're telling me—," she paused, gulping, "—that we sent our daughter to his school? It can't be the same man form before, can it?" 

Kayden lowered his head and kept his eyes on her, "The very same one."

"No. We have to get her out of there." She said as she shook her head and rose to her feet, "—if I had know his name then, I wouldn't have accepted the offer. If I had know he was the school's director, I wouldn't have—." 

"Calm down, dear. It's okay. I'll take care of it." Kayden said as he placed his large hand on her own shaving one, "—I will handle it first thing in the morning." He finished, slowly guiding her back to her seat.

Melissa leaned her body onto his and placed her feet on the couch, completely leaning on her husband, "Oh god. What are the odds that he's the owner of the best university in the country."

Kayden let out a breath through his nose and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her tightly against his right side as his jaw worked.

"Ashley will be heartbroken." He said, already picturing the disappointment on her face, "—but she just isn't safe there."

Melissa snuggled closer to him and shook her head, "But, must we really do this?" She asked before she looked up at him, "—she called me earlier today and she seems so happy there. She has friends, Kayden, and they seem to love her very much from what she told me. She even gets to do on trips she could only dream about before." She reasoned, looking at her husband hopefully, needing him to think this through.

"Besides—," she paused and slowly pulled away from him, feeling his hand sink from her shoulders t her waist as she did. She knew what she was about to say next was a sensitive topic, but it needed to be said, "—that boy is with her and you know he wouldn't let anyone hurt her."

Kayden clenched his jaw for the millionth time and shook his head, "All the more reason to transfer her back."

"Kayden—."

"I will not put our daughter in danger, Melissa. I'm calling her tomorrow."

"At least let her enjoy her trip. You can call her and ask how she feels about it. Since when do we force things onto our children?" Melissa reasoned, her eyes hard on him with her arms crossed over her chest and creasing his white dress shirt she had on.

Kayden sighed and averted his gaze from her perked up chest and bit his lower lips, "Fine. After her trip to wherever she is." He said, grabbing the jug of water and picking a glass from the set on the table. He poured himself a glass of water and brought it to his lips, hoping like hell Ashley will see things his way. He was going to tell her everything about that man, and let her decide on her own whether she wants to leave or stay. 

She is an adult after all.

🔱🔱🔱

Ashley watched Reece from beneath her eyebrows as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. They were walking across the beach after just having their dinner and decided to take the long way back to their rooms. 

"Come on, you look like you need it." He said, looking ahead of them as he swung her shoes with his right hand and skipped a little as he walked.

Ashley shook her head and lightly kicked the water enveloping her bare feet towards him. It failed to reach him however, and simply landed a few feet to her left, just barely reaching his exposed ankles.

"I really don't." She said, though a smile slowly curved it's way along her lips.

"Well how about giving me one?" Reece suggested with a nonchalant shrug on his broad, bare shoulders.

Ashley scoffed and looked ahead at the barely lit shore in front of them. She paused to listen to the gentle waves to their right as they clashed against each other. Crickets chirped loudly around them with the occasional birds cawing somehow in the trees to their left. Her smile grew as the sound of their feet slowly breaking the sand beneath them graced her ears. She lifted her head and looked up at the stars above them, at the moon glowing bright and white over their heads. Finally, she looked back at the sea  and stared at the moon's reflection as it danced with the waves. She took in a deep breath and filled her lungs with the fresh, sweet scent of the ocean and the clean air around them. She never would have guessed that she would get a change to experience something so beautiful before. 

She looked back at Reece, only to find him watching her with a look in his eyes that made the scene she had been admiring look like fool's play. She gulped and looked away from the intensity in them.

"I'm not giving you a massage, sir." She joked, tilting her chin higher for emphasis.

Reece let out a breath through his nose, "No, seriously." He paused and waited for her to look back at her, "—I think I pulled something just now." He finished as his free hand went over his chest and began to rub in an attempt to ease it.

Ashley pursed her lips to stop a smile from slipping past her lips and looked away for the tenth time since their walk; quickening her pace, "You're impossible."

"Impossibly irresistible?" Reece said with a light chuckle as he jogged to catch up with her.

They eventually had to leave the shore behind them and make a left towards the path that lead directly behind their rooms. Reece stared at her once he was beside her and stuffed his left hand into his short pockets.

"You know what I noticed?" He begun, swing her sneakers over his shoulder by the laces.

"I'm not sure if I want to know." Ashley said as she pursed her lips, her cheeks still burning from before.

Reece suddenly stopped and pulled his hand out of his pocket then brought it to his jawline, a far away look in his eyes as he looked at the paved path in front of them. He took a step towards her and closed the tiny distance that had separated them before. Ashley looked anywhere but at him and cleared her throat, afraid of getting lost in his blue eyes. Reece placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a light squeeze that caused her to look up at him from beneath her eyelashes. He brought his lower lip between his teeth, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he took a gulp and his chest broadening as he inhaled. His grip on her tightened as he lowered his head and placed his forehead onto hers.

"R—Reece?"

"It might be the trip," he paused and let out sigh, his oddly minty breath fanning Ashley's face despite the fact that they just had their super a few minutes ago. 

Ashley gulped, knowing what was coming. She didn't know what to think as he drew his lips closer towards hers; just enough to have them graze each other. Her heart pounded in her chest and begged to be set free. It screamed in her ear and chocked at her throat while her knees gradually became weak. She let out a shaky sigh and shut her eyes, anticipating what was to come. She brought her limp arms up against their will, trailed them up from his sides to his pecks and wrapped them around his strong, hard shoulders. She clenched her forearms and pulled him closer, willing him to press his body impossible closer to hers. She let out a small sigh once he dripped his head completely and claimed his lips against hers. 

Dropping her shoes behind his back, Reece let out a low grunt the second their lips touched and wrapped his arms around Ashley's waist. He attacked her soft, full lips, deepening their kiss in a hard, passionate dance. He could hear nothing else in that moment, but their own labored breaths mixing with each other as he brought her own lips between his teeth and tugged. His took in a breath through his nose once Ashley raised her hand to the back of his head and drew small, gentle circles with her thumb. She lowered her hand to his left peck and rested it there, but that was enough to take his breath away. He groaned and pulled his head back, his eyes hooded and unfocused. A slow, wide grin curled around his lips as he placed his head on her neck.

"But I think I like you."

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