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downwiththeficness · 10 months

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Shadow and Veil-Chapter Thirty

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction. Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed. You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen eyes. This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence, and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.

Word Count: ~3,500

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The house was quiet that morning. If Eva was honest with herself, she would admit the house had been quiet since the moment its occupants returned from the scene of Ivan’s murder. The passing of time was nothing more than a waiting game—waiting for the Sheriff to show up with a warrant, waiting for the lab to be raided, waiting for Diego to make another move.

Even though Eva knew full well what was going to happen, the rampant anxiety in the house was getting to her. Josh refused to let her leave and, with nothing to distract her, she began to pace the house in a never ending circuit.

Bedroom. Hallway. Stairwell. Hallway. Kitchen. Dining room. Side door. Back yard. Terrace. Bedroom.

She ignored the annoyed looks from her husband and the endless sighs from Alexei. Eva didn’t care if she wore a hole through the fucking carpet. She walked until her legs ached and counted the days on the calendar.

The note on her door came as a surprise.

The Lounge. Now.

Eva pulled the post it from her door and stared at it with a curled lip. Then, because she knew it would piss him off, Eva went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee before ambling down the hall to see what it was that Josh wanted. The door was open, but she didn’t bother knocking. Eva simply walked into the room with her coffee held to her chest and an expectant look on her face.

Josh was standing on the far side of the room, looking out the sliding glass door. When he didn’t acknowledge her presence, Eva turned her attention to Alexei. The Russian was sitting on the couch with his knee cross over his ankle. He shook his head and her, then ticked it subtly to the side.

Her eyes dropped to the floor, followed by her stomach. On the coffee table was a nondescript black bag. The nylon fabric was pulled taught around its contents, stuffed full and bulging.

The money.

Moving closer, Eva looked for the second bag and was relieved that it was out of sight. The more important items were safe, for now. She was grateful she had the foresight to move it to the trunk of her car before all this shit went down.

She swallowed and glanced back Alexei for some kind of direction. With a movement that was hidden by the back of the couch, he extended two fingers in a right angle with his thumb. Eva shook her head and dipped her chin towards the bag. The gun he’d given her was at the bottom of half a million in cash.

Alexei looked away and breathed deep. Eva narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed that he was annoyed. It wasn’t her fault that Josh happened upon the only weapon she had available.

“I’m disappointed, Eva,” Josh said.

He was still facing away from her, but Eva knew that he wasn’t disappointed. He was angry. Furious, even. His calm demeanor could only be maintained because he had a plan of action in front of him.

Eva remained silent and sipped at her coffee to pump a little caffeine into her system. She might have a fight on her hands and she needed all the help she could get.

Josh looked over his shoulder, “Nothing to say.”

She shrugged.

He sucked his teeth and walked towards her, “I expected better from you.”

No explanation was going to placate him, so she didn’t give him one. Eva kept her mouth shut and her expression neutral. All the years of practice were paying off with dividends against the hammering of her heart and the slow creep of fear.

Josh pointed at the bag, “Is this my money?”

Its mine, she thought, Consider it back pay.

A step forward, “Is it?” Then, “Answer me!”

Eva took a casual sip of coffee, “Its extraneous.”

“Oh, extraneous,” Josh sneered, “Big word for a hillbilly. How many times did you have to check the dictionary before you got that right?”

She shrugged again, refusing to feed into his anger.

“Alright,” he said as he reached into his pocket, “was this also extraneous?”

A chill went over her when he presented her with the stolen bottle of fentanyl. He’d gone through her room, through her things.

“You know,” Eva replied, “snooping is generally considered rude.”

Josh spluttered, “Rude? Me, rude? What about you? Stealing from your husband. And, what were you going to do with this?” He waved the bottle around, “Planning on killing me?”

“No,” she said honestly, “I wasn’t.”

But, I am now, Eva finished in her head.

He had to at least suspect the Eva was going to run, leaving him holding the bag with the warrant. His blood had to be boiling at her sheer audacity. She expected that she was about to receive the beating of her life and, later, she would wake up cuffed to her bed.

“What do you think about this, Alexei?” he asked as he put the bottle back in his pocket.

Brows lifting, Alexei said, “I think its collateral.”

That gave Josh pause, “Collateral?”

Humming in confirmation, Alexei picked lint from his pant leg, “I think I’m not the only one who was cleaning house. The feds are going to lock up your accounts as soon as you get served. You’ll need liquid funds to grease the wheels while this whole thing gets sorted out.”

Josh was confused enough by Alexei’s explanation to stare at his friend for several long seconds, “Really…”

Alexei shrugged, “What else could it be?”

“Uh,” Josh retorted, “The obvious answer is she’s stealing from us. Eva’s not smart enough to think that far ahead.”

An eye roll, “Sure.”

“I can’t believe you don’t see what’s right in front of you!” Josh exclaimed, clearly put out by Alexei’s lack of buy in.

Eva almost felt bad for him. Josh was right, after all, and Alexei wasn’t siding with him. If she weren’t worried about what he was going to do with her, she might have had it in her to laugh. Instead, she sipped her coffee.

“Fine,” Josh bit out, “Let’s just say you gathered an emergency fund. Why not tell me about it? Hmm?”

She was pretty sure the question was rhetorical. Josh wasn’t looking for answers, he was looking for guilt. Eva didn’t feel like playing along.

“See?” he turned to Alexei, “Nothing to say to that, either. The bitch is lying to us.”

Alexei stood and went over to the bar, “She’s not saying anything, Josh. We need to set this aside for now and focus on the real problem.”

“Which is?”

“The fact that all of us are going to be behind bars any minute now.”

Josh blew a raspberry, “I’ll make bail. Won’t take more than a day.”

Alexei poured a healthy serving of vodka, “There will still be a trial.”

“Exactly.”

Eva watched the back and forth between them, wishing she could go back to the kitchen and get another cup of coffee. It was possible that they wouldn’t notice if she was quick, but she didn’t want to chance it.

“Josh,” Alexei leveled a pointed look at him, “I’ve done a hell of a job clearing out the evidence, but you’ve left a trail behind you a kilometer wide. Its going to take serious work to keep you out of prison.”

“But, that’s not the plan,” Eva cut in to the surprise of both men. “You told me you were setting up shop across the border.”

From the look on Alexei’s face, it was clear that this was the first he was hearing of this plan. He glared at Josh, expecting an explanation.

Josh smiled, “You’re right. That is the plan. And, now that we have the supplier, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble making it happen.”

Smug little shit.

Alexei threw back all the vodka in his glass, then set it on the bar, “This is so fucking stupid. Do you have any idea how fucking stupid that is? No, of course you don’t.”

Crossing his arms, Josh replied, “Its not stupid. Our business model is a well oiled machine. We can be just as successful in Mexico.”

“With what factories?” Alexei asked in an angry tone.

“We’ll buy the factories. Or build them.”

“What what money?”

Josh gestured towards the bag on the coffee table, “That’s a good start, don’t you think?”

Jaw working, Alexei scoffed, “Sure. Okay. We’ll just become international fugitives.”

“Well, what do you want to do?”

“We let the trial play out,” Alexei said evenly, “We bribe, pay off, threaten, or kill whoever we need to in order to get the verdict we want. We keep on the straight and narrow. Put that new stimulant on the market. Make more money than we know what to do with and retire to a fucking beach somewhere.”

That actually sounded like a really good plan.

Josh cast his eyes around the room. Eva watched him think about what he wanted to do while sipping the last of her coffee. He palmed a pill bottle, rattling its contents around.

Alexei stood and approached his friend, “I know this is difficult and I know you’ve been working very hard on your next project. I just think we need to be realistic.”

Something in Josh’s demeanor shifted and it set Eva’s teeth on edge, “Realistic? You want us to be realistic?” He tossed back a pill, “What’s real is that my wife has been stealing from me. What’s real is that my entire life is about to be blown to bits by a DA who has a fetish about justice.” A pause, “What’s real is that I am tired of working so hard not to live the life I want to live.”

He shrugged off Alexei’s hands, pacing to the bar. Uncaring that he might break the delicate crystal, he poured a hefty helping of bourbon into a glass. Eva thought he might swallow it down, but he set it aside and pushed his hand into his pocket. Out came the bottle of fentanyl and he tapped about a tablespoon of it.

After using a swizzle stick to stir it around, Josh turned and held it out to Eva, “Drink it.”

Hands curling around the mug, Eva shook her head.

He couldn’t be serious. He could not be serious. A dose like that would be…

Lethal.

From Alexei, “Josh, think about what you’re doing.”

“I’m thinking,” Josh replied. “I’m thinking that I confronted Eva about the fraud and the theft and—hell, let’s add cheating onto it. I’m thinking that this is all her doing and that she couldn’t take it.”

What the fuck? What the actual fuck?

She took a step back.

Eva knew Josh hated her, resented her, wanted nothing to do with her outside of the way she managed the books. That was all fine. How he felt about her didn’t matter. But this...this was more than hatred.

Or, less?

Possibly.

She didn’t know.

In any case…

“I’m not drinking that.”

“Yes, the fuck, you are,” he replied.

Alexei tried to cut in and was silenced by a hard swipe of Josh’s hand.

“No,” Eva bit out. “I’m done doing this with you. I’m done.”

“You don’t get to tell me when you’re done!” Josh yelled, “I tell you when you’re done.”

Alexei shushed him, “You need to calm down.”

Taking a calming breath, Eva tried again, “I think you should listen to Alexei.”

“I don’t need to calm down,” Josh replied in a shuddering voice, “I am perfectly calm.”

“You’re trying to kill your wife,” Eva asserted, “That doesn’t scream calm.”

Josh pointed a finger at her, “Shut the fuck up and drink what I give you.”

She squared her shoulders, “No.”

Eva wasn’t the only person in the room that was tired.

His eyes narrowed, “You’ve gotten mouthy lately. Obstinate, too.”

“And,” she replied, “you’ve gotten reckless. You threw away the life you wanted for...what? I really don’t see what you’ve gained over the last few months.”

Josh’s spine straightened, “What have I gained? What have I gained?” He drew a breath, “I have gained so much. The things I have made, the formulas...I have created an advancement in pharmaceutical science.”

“Woo fucking hoo!” Eva crowed, “What good is it if all this leads to is...a fucking court case?”

He looked at her as if she’d grown a second head, “What good...what good...Its progress, Birdie. I have made progress.”

She shook her head, “Progress that leads to nowhere.”

Josh’s brows drew together, “You don’t get it. You don’t fucking get it.”

“No,” Eva breathed, “I don’t. I don’t get it. I don’t get how you could have all of this,” she gestured around the room, “and still end out so...you.”

His lips pulled back from his teeth, “Look who’s talking. I pulled you out of nothing. I made you. What would you have become if I hadn’t picked you out of that one-room church, out of utter obscurity.”

Eva smiled at him, feeling oddly light, “I would have been just fine, Josh. Just. Fine.”

Josh sucked his teeth. He shifted on his feet, looked at her as if she’d slapped him across the face. Eva waited, hoping against hope that she moved the needle even a little bit. Otherwise…

The glass remained on the bar.

Silence was held aloft by the sheer stubborn pride of every person in the room. Eva’s heart was loud in her ears, the pulse of her blood almost painful in her ears. She chanced at glance at Alexei, who looked like he was going to have a stroke with the way the vein on his forehead was throbbing. He might not truly be on her side, but at least Alexei recognized the bullshit position they were in.

Would it be enough to save her life?

A knock on the front door.

The Eva froze along with all the air in the room. There were no appointments, Myra was covering for her at the ladies’ luncheon, anyone who had any business being in the house was standing right there.

Which left…

Josh let out a triumphant cry, “Perfect timing! Alexei, hold her down. They’ll be too busy with Eva’s suicide to execute the warrant.”

She gripped the only weapon she had, a mug with a tiny painted bird on it—another unwanted gift from Myra. There was no way she was going down without a serious fight and if she screamed loud enough the agents outside might break in and intervene.

Another knock. The doorbell rang.

Alexei crossed his arms, “She dies and we lose our scapegoat.”

Swiping at dismissive hand, Josh replied, “She’s the perfect scapegoat if she’s dead.” His eyes turned to her, “Dead birds don’t sing.”

A loud crack, the shattering of glass.

Eva clenched her jaw and backed away towards the oncoming footsteps. She turned just in time to see Horacio clearing the doorway with a wide, manic grin.

“I’m always interrupting,” he announced.

There was gun in his hand—not the gold one she’d seen last time—a standard issue firearm. It sat in his hand like an extension to his arm, perfectly natural.

“What the fuck is this?” Josh blurted.

Horacio, arms akimbo, replied, “I’m here to kidnap your wife. Got a new route to run and I need an accountant.”

Eva couldn’t help the way she let out a relieved breath. Fortunately, everyone else was too busy processing Horacio’s sudden appearance to notice. Alexei started to move and Horacio took aim. The Russian stilled, his gaze focused and murderous.

“I don’t think I’m going to let you out of this house alive,” Josh replied. “But, for the sake of courtesy, would you like a drink?”

He held out the fentanyl laced bourbon with a charming smile. Eva sucked in a gasp, afraid that Horacio might take it. She looked at him and shook her head hard.

Horacio pursed his lips, “I think I’ll take her word on it. Besides, I have better at home.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” Alexei muttered, “You won’t get to drink it.”

Laughing, Horacio made a kind of abashed shrug, “I meant my home. I’ll be out of the country by sunset.”

“I’ll call it in,” Josh bit out. “Border patrol would just love to take down a known drug dealer.”

Another shrug, “You can try.”

While the men were posturing, Eva noticed a small, red dot dance across the wall. It flashed across her face and disappeared. She tried to trace where it had come from, but couldn’t find a source.

Josh, in a fit befitting a toddler, threw the tumbler of bourbon at the wall. It shattered, all that fine crystal falling to the floor. Eva yelped at the sound, holding the mug close to chest in an act of self protection.

Horacio sighed, “Its over, doctor.”

“Not quite,” came from Alexei.

He was suddenly holding a gun of his own and it was pointed at Horacio. Eva shifted on her feet, afraid for him.

To his credit, Horacio was remarkably nonplussed, “Take a step towards the windows and look at the back of Josh’s head.”

Alexei’s eyes narrowed and remained on Horacio while he followed the directive. His icy eyes flicked to the side and widened before returning to Horacio’s.

“One of my men is an excellent shot. Put your weapon down and I won’t have them paint the carpet with his brains.”

Horacio gestured towards her, “Time to go, Mrs. Moore.” Her hesitation earned a soft hiss from him, “Now, woman.”

Moving quickly, but carefully, Eva stepped towards the coffee table with the intention of picking up the duffel. She didn’t anticipate the way Josh’s arm snapped out and caught her around the neck. Her hauled her into his chest and held her in a bruising embrace.

“She’s not going anywhere.”

Horacio licked lips that curled into a sneer. A strange movement with his hand, then, “Because I am a reasonable man, I’m going to give you a choice. Your wife, or your best friend. Ten seconds, doctor.”

Eva wriggled in Josh’s arms, unable to break away.

“You are in my house, my town—,”

“Time!”

The sliding glass door exploded inwards. Instinct had all the muscles in Eva’s body relaxing so that she could fall through the circle of her husband’s arms and to the floor. She covered her head and waited.

Josh was yelling Alexei’s name. The Russian wasn’t replying. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to standing. Horacio’s face wavered in front of her. He started to pull her towards the door. Eva veered off to the side and grabbed the money before following.

It was a mistake to look back.

Alexei was laying on the floor in a steadily growing pool of blood. His skull was cracked open and his eyes were vacant. Josh’s hands were hovering over his head, as he was trying to figure out how to put him back together again.

Horacio dragged her into the hall.

The front door was kicked in. She could see the remains of the deadbolt on the floor. Sunlight streamed through the opening, nearly blinding her.

He took the duffel from her, shouldering it. Eva moved with him down the hall, barely remembering to snag her keys from the hook on the wall. She stumbled outside and down the porch steps.

“Wait,” she called out, rushing to her car.

“We have to go!” Horacio called out.

Eva ignored him, opening the trunk of her car and grabbing the large tote back from the depths. She slammed it shut and turned just in time to see a white van careen up her street. Horacio held up one hand to signal the vehicle while the other reached for her. Palm to palm, he guided her inside and crawled in after her. The door hadn’t even shut when the engine gunned and the tires screeched.

There were no seats in the back of the van and the windows were deeply tinted. Eva looked around to find herself sitting among the members of Stag Nation. Lizzy was driving like a bat out of hell and Gene gave directions from the passenger’s seat. To her left was Jim and to her right was Marcus. The bassist was disassembling a sniper rifle and setting its parts into a case.

In front of her was Horacio.

He was kneeling less than a foot away, looking out through the front window. Eva followed the lines of his profile, noted the crease between his brows. She looked at him as if he were a dream. It certainly felt like a dream.

“Where is Javier?”

Horacio glanced at her, “He’s waiting to serve the warrant. I want us far away when our team walks through the door.”

“You mean the door you broke down?” she deadpanned.

He smiled, “I had help.”

“Yeah,” Jim quipped, “a battering ram really helps.”

She nodded absently, “Where are we going?”

Easing down to sit beside her, Horacio said, “The state line. That’s as far as they can take us. Once we’re there, we can make some decisions.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “Try to relax. Its going to be a long day.”

#Shadow and Veil #Horacio carrillo #carrillo #maurice compte #au #A/B/O dynamics

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justgillespie · 4 years

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Missing (6/?)

Summary: Your next door neighbor, Luke Patterson (a.k.a. your longtime crush) has gone missing, and you think you could help finding him.

Word count: 2.8k

Warnings: none!

Author’s note: Hi! So I’m back, and I’ve had a big writer’s block, so that’s why this part is kind of 💩. Anyways, hope you still enjoy!

Part 7

•

Sunday went fine.

You and your family went to church, you had lunch back at your house and then even watched a movie together, before getting everything ready for your sister’s boyfriend’s visit. He came and charmed your parents and yourself. He was very nice and polite. You couldn’t help but be grateful for the fact that he was nice to YOU. Tamra’s other boyfriends were usually indifferent at your presence and some of them would even get bothered by you, which you always thought was ridiculous because you didn’t even talk around them, as Tamra would ask you. And most importantly, he did like dessert. You and Tamra decided to bake Torta Tres Leches (your specialty) and he loved it. And after dinner, he helped you and your sister clean the dishes.

“...We ain’t searching for tomorrow...”

Tyler sang while washing a plate, and you couldn’t hide your surprise.

“You know Sunset Curve?”

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise you that much. They had performed in several places before. Maybe it should surprise you if someone didn’t know them.

“You know them?” He asked smiling.

“The lead singer is our neighbor next door.” Tamra informed him.

“That’s awesome! Could we meet him?” He said with shiny eyes.

“Sure. If he wasn’t missing.” Tamra said, placing the dishes in their place.

“What?” He said, his eyes wide open. “Really? That’s messed up! I know them because they tried to set their stuff in front of the caffe once, a while ago, but my boss kicked them out as soon as he saw them. But they dropped a demo on the sidewalk, I think on purpose, and I took it. I’ve been listening to it nonstop ever since.”

“Would you mind borrowing it to Y/N? She’s trying to reach them to find Luke. Luke’s the lead singer.” Tamra explained.

“Sure, I can give it to you this week.” Tyler said looking at you.

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t think I’m doung that anymore.”

“What? Really?” Tamra asked you. “Why?”

“Long story.” Not really.

Your sister looked like she wanted to insist, so you spoke again.

“I’m telling you about it later.” You rolled your eyes.

Tyler and Tamra kept talking about the band and she told him about the time she saw them playing at the bookclub. You helped them finish cleaning the rest of the dishes, quietly.

“I’m heading up to my room. It was nice meeting you Tyler.” You smiled politely.

“You aren’t watching a movie with us?” He asked, and you shook your head.

“Next time, I promise.”

“Perfect. See you soon, kiddo.”

You said you wouldn’t, but once you got to your room, you couldn’t help to open your window and look at Luke’s room again. Still empty and perfectly cleaned.

What Tamra said got stuck in your head. You started the investigation just four days ago, and you were already giving up.

I wouldn’t say it’s giving up, you thought, it doesn’t make any sense to keep looking for him if he has no plans of coming back.

Maybe there was such thing as too optimistic, after all. You underestimated the situation and expected too much. You didn’t realize how real this was until now. And right then it hit you: this wasn’t a joke. Luke was missing. Kind of. And you were trying to find him?

You must’ve looked ridiculous playing the detective.

You were still starring at the other side of your window when you heard Tamra laying down on your bed, in a jump.

“You didn’t watch the movie?” You asked, finally turning your head to see her.

“No. I told him to go home. It’s pretty late already and he has to work tomorrow.” She responded, looking at the ceiling.

You left your window seat and climbed onto you bed next to her.

“He’s super cool. I like him. Mom and dad did too.”

“Yeah.” You noticed the little smile on her face. “He loved you all too. Especially you. He says you’re adorable.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m only two years younger than you two.”

“Well, say that to him. He told me he’s taking you as his little sister. He’s an only child, by the way.”

“That sounds fun.” You joked and she hit your arm slightly. “I’m just kidding! But I always wanted a big brother, so he’s more than welcome.”

“Hey!”

“I didn’t say I want to change you for him.” You rolled your eyes. “I just want an older brother, that’s all.”

You tried to distract her for a little while, talking about Tyler, but that didn’t work for too long.

“What’s that about you quitting the investigation?” Tamra finally asked, and you sighed.

“That I’m letting the police do their work.”

“But, why?”

“It’s too much. I am just a sixteen year old.”

“You’re just months away from being seventeen.”

“Does that change anything?”

She looked at you carefully. “What happened?”

You shook your head before talking.

“Every time I think or feel I’m closer to find him, turns out I’m only further. Did you know this isn’t a movie? Where everything just comes in hand? Because apparently, I didn’t. And now I’m here.”

Tamra starred at you for a minute. “It’s weird seeing you giving up. You never give up. And you’re always so positive. It makes me crazy sometimes but it’s one of things I appreciate about you.”

It’s not giving up, you wanted to say, but maybe it was.

“But I guess you’re right. You are just a sixteen-almost-seventeen year old. How much could you do?”

She said it on purpose and you knew it. She wanted to get in your head. She just didn’t know she already did.

You just stayed silent.

You did feel bad. You tried not to think too much about it, but you did. You didn’t like the way you just... well, gave up. The way you were so close, and still didn’t get Luke. But it happened. And this wasn’t a game. It was real life.

“Are we not gonna talk about the cute guy that brought you home yesterday?”

Your thoughts fade away when Tamra spoke again after a while.

“Josh?”

“That’s his name? I didn’t remember. But, yeah, him I guess.”

“He asked me out. And I said yes.”

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow at you. “So you’re planning on dating him or...?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?”

“Maybe is not an answer.”

“Um, yes it is. As in, maybe I will date him. Maybe I will not.”

“The fact that you’re hesitating is a bad sign.”

“I’m just-” You sat in your place. “-not sure. What if I waste this opportunity? I mean, come on. Josh is cute. Really cute. He plays football, likes to read, he’s really sweet and he’s fun to be with. But...”

“He’s not Luke.”

“Yeah, he’s not... wait.” Your heart sank. “What do you mean?!”

Tamra chuckled. “You thought I didn’t notice? You are really obvious.”

“But- how-? What-?” You shook your head, confused.

“I noticed ever since we moved. You were all heart-eyed for him the day him and his family came with those delicious muffins.”

Somehow, you felt a bit relieved. At least she didn’t know you’ve been sort of spying on him.

“Every time he says hi to you, you have a dumb smile on your face. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t know you like him.”

You blushed. You really hoped Tamra was just exaggerating like she usually does.

“I’m surprised you never talked to him, though.” She added.

You just shrugged and didn’t say anything.

“So?!” Tamra asked. “You’re not gonna give me any details?”

“There’s not much to say.” You said. “I have a crush on him even though I don’t actually know him.”

“But you could get to know him. Once he’s back.”

You held back a laugh. If he wants to come back, you couldn’t help thinking.

“If you like him, you should go for it. I mean, I don’t see why not.”

“I don’t know. He makes me feel weird.”

“In a good or bad way?”

“Good way, I guess. But I don’t know how to act about it, you know? I’ve never actually dated anyone. I’ve been living out of crushes my whole life.”

“That’s because you never make time to date anyone.”

“I don’t have, the time to do so. I’m always either at school or dance. And when I’m not, I’m here practicing or doing homework. That’s why I usually bring my friends here instead of actually going out. Yesterday was the first time I went out in a month... What I’m trying to say is that dating is not a priority of mine. I like Luke, but nothing ever happens with him. If things were supposed to happen, they should’ve happened already.”

“But that’s because you don’t make a move.”

“Why can’t he make the first move?”

“Nobody said he can’t. He’s just not doing anything, so maybe you should do it first.”

“Don’t you think that the reason he doesn’t make any moves could be because he’s not interested in me?”

“Do you know that for sure?”

“No, but-“

“Then you will never know.” She sat and faced you. “You’re wasting your time.”

You wanted to disagree, but it was true. Luke wasn’t your first crush, but he was the first boy you’ve ever considered the idea of dating. Or at least you fantasized with that image in your head.

“I’m just saying.” She lifted herself up from your bed and walked to the door. “Didn’t you regret it when you found out he ran away? You’ll have a second chance, but it’s up to you, if you take it or not.”

When Tamra left, you tried to ignore everything she said, because it really was nothing you haven’t thought about already.

A second chance.

That reminded you of the promise you made to Mrs. Patterson.

You told her you would visit her the next day after school, when you found her at church. Mr. Patterson even thanked you personally for doing so, and told him she looked better ever since your first visit. But did you have the heart to tell her you’re not searching for Luke anymore? You weren’t even sure if she actually believed you could find him, but it still didn’t seem easy to tell her that.

•

“Hey.” Max sat next to you in your backyard, later that night.

It was ten thirty, or maybe eleven when you called him, and asked if he could come over.

“Hey. Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” He said, nudging his elbow against your arm, slightly.

You gave him a smile.

“Sorry for not calling today.” He said and you frowned.

“Why?”

Max’s cheeks went red. “Uh- I don’t know, I just, um-.”

You chuckled. “I’m just kidding. It felt weird for me too. To not talk to you today, I mean.”

He relaxed his face. “Yeah, yeah. I didn’t know if you felt that too.”

“I do. You’re kind of my best friend now.”

He looked surprised to your eyes. Maybe even excited.

“I thought you already had a best friend.”

“Let me guess. You assumed, I had a best friend?” You teased.

He giggled. “Yeah. Exactly.”

“Well, you were wrong.”

You haven’t had a best friend since elementary school. Your old best friend, Ana, moved to another city the year you started middle school, and although you were pretty sociable, you never really found a friendship like hers again. It was tough for you, but you managed to keep going. It wasn’t like you didn’t have friends. But of course, you still felt the need of a solid friendship.

“We’ve known each other for... three months?”

“Two.”

“Just two? Wow.” He shook his head. “It feels like more. We’ve known each other for two months, and I don’t think we’ve talked as much as these last few days. I don’t think I’ve trusted anyone this fast before.”

You chuckled. “Me neither. It feels weird.”

“Yeah. And nice.”

“Yeah.” You looked at him. “I didn’t hear you say it, though.”

He didn’t have to ask to know what you meant.

“Come on. Say it.” You insisted.

“You’re my best friend too.” He rolled his eyes, smiling.

“I thought you already had a best friend.” You joked. But you actually meant it. Unlike you, he had Ian.

For your surprise, he frowned. “Who?”

You looked at him kind of annoyed. “Ian? When I asked you if you had friends, at the library, you said you had Ian.”

“I never said he was my best friend.” He then smiled. “See? You assumed.”

“I’m spending too much time with you.”

He laughed. “Definitely... but, no, Ian isn’t my best friend. We do see each other often, because our parents are close friends. And there’s school too. But we don’t like... I don’t know. Have deep talks? Or anything. What do best friends even do together?”

You laughed.

“We don’t even hang out together at school.” He continued. “He has his own friends.”

“But he went with you to ask more about Luke, the other day.”

“Well, yeah, we trust each other enough to ask favors. That doesn’t mean we’re close.”

You stayed silent, processing everything.

“It makes me feel bad that you don’t know what best friends do.” You then said.

“Thanks?”

“First of all, best friends tell each other everything.”

“Okay...” He nodded, like taking a mental note.

“I’ll go first.” You said. “I’m going out with Josh next Saturday.”

“You what?!”

“Yeah.” You said indifferent. “He kind of asked me out yesterday and I said yes.”

“I’m honestly surprised. I didn’t think he was your type.”

“Who did you think was my type?”

“Well, I don’t know...” He looked up, thinking. “I kind of see you with someone like Luke.”

“Really?” You said. Not really believing it. He had to be teasing. Maybe he knew you have a crush on him too.

“Yeah... actually, yes. It makes sense the more I think about it.”

You shook your head and almost decided to not confront him. But you just said best friends tell each other everything.

“You can say it now.”

“Say what?”

“That you know I like Luke. And tell me I’ve wasted my time, that I should’ve done something before and definitely talk to him once he’s back.”

“Wow, hold on a second.” He frowned and shook his head repeatedly. “You like Luke?!”

“Either you’re too naive or my sister was just exaggerating when she said I was being obvious about my feelings.”

“Honestly? If someone else told me, I wouldn’t have believed it. Man.” He scoffed, amused. “It really is hard to tell when you like someone. You’re just... all yourself with everyone. You don’t give special treats. Maybe Tamra could tell because she knows you better than anyone.”

You considered his theory. Maybe he was right.

“What I said about... about me seeing you with someone like Luke it’s true, though. I just haven’t thought about it until now.”

He laughed and you laughed along with him.

You enjoyed each other’s company in silence for a minute before you spoke again.

“I saw Reggie and Bobby yesterday. At the party.”

And you told him what happened. Maybe it wasn’t much of a surprise, but he was mad.

“Why didn’t you tell me?! I could’ve helped somehow!”

“Max, you were with Aria. I wasn’t going to interrupt.”

“You weren’t going to-.” He ran a hand though his hair, frustrated. “I can’t believe you right now! This was important! I mean, I would’ve get it if you interrupted me for some other stupid reason but this was about Luke! We could’ve found him, we-“

“Did you not just hear me? They wouldn’t say anything, just like you said before.”

“I’ll talk to them. Tomorrow at school-.”

“It wouldn’t make sense. Bobby said Luke needed some time. We don’t know how much time is that but we do know that he’s not planning on coming back soon.”

“But Mrs. Patterson...”

“I told you I sent him a message. With a little bit about everything maybe. Including his family.”

“Yeah, but he’ll think Amy sent him the message.”

“Does it even matter?”

“Well, I thought it would now that I know you like him.”

“The correct answer is, no. It doesn’t matter. The point is for him to know his family is okay. My feelings are not a part of this. Hopefully he’ll talk about it with his pillow and come back sooner than expected. For his parents.”

“...So, is it over? It’s done?”

You knew he meant the investigation, and you didn’t respond right away, trying to come up with something. You found yourself worried he would get mad again. Or reproach you like Tamra did.

“I think... at least for now, yeah. We’re done with that. We got enough information to know there’s really not much we could do.”

Another silence grew between you two.

“Come on.” You said after a while. “Tell me about Aria. How are things going with her?”

He smiled, like he was waiting for you to say that.

Max stayed until the clock ticked 12:48 and he only left because he remembered finals at his school started the next day. That was the reason he didn’t call you the whole day, because he was studying. That made you remember that finals at your own school started the next week. Exams at your dance studio did too.

But you would stress about that later.

Right now, you had a beautiful view above you, and you were willing to enjoy it as long as you could.

•

Taglist: @ifilwtmfc @sovereignparker @catbcyluke @marvelgirl300 @valeriasannchez

#luke patterson x reader #luke patterson #julie and the phantoms x reader #julie and the phantoms

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