From Darkness Comes - Book 2 in The Dissonance Series

Innuendos

I finally make it home after hours of having to endure small talk with Environettix employees by Cassius's side. I can't get out of my dress fast enough. I rip it off and throw it in the trash, quickly changing into sweats and a white tank top. I've barely had time to pull my clothes on when Rona alerts me that someone is at my door.

"You shouldn't be here," I say when I open the door and see Kelly standing before me.

"Why? Because of Cassius? Or because of Wyler?" He steps inside. "Or because you don't trust yourself around me?" He smirks.

All of those, I think to myself. Especially the last.

"Not here," I say, grabbing his hand and dragging him up to the bedroom. I shut the door behind him and crank up the music.

"A girl who knows what she wants. I like that." He jokes, but he steps forward and I put up my hand for him to stop.

"It's not like that."

"Sure. Sure," he smiles, making my cheeks flush.

When we first met, back when we were trapped in the mine being experimented on by Environettix, he always teased me like I was his annoying little sister or something. It used to drive me crazy until I realized that the reason that it drove me crazy was that I had feelings for him, and he had feelings for me, which was why he teased me so much. Young love often reveals itself in the form of taunting. It was an easy way for a couple of kids to manage feelings that felt so big they couldn't even understand them themselves.

"It's safe to talk here."

"Convenient," he jests, raising one eyebrow. He can't help himself sometimes.

"Why are you here?' I ask, ignoring his sexual innuendos.

"Because I want to know what's really going on with you and Tarquin?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about."

"Except I do," he says, moving towards me. "I worry about, you."

"Why can't anyone trust that I know what I'm doing?"

"Because you've always followed your heart, Ever. Sometimes blindly. It's one of the things that I...love most about you."

His use of the word "love" makes my pulse race. He closes the gap between us and raises his hand to my face, rubbing his thumb against my cheek. He looks deep into my eyes, and I'm unable to speak. My heart races.

"Miss Attwood, is everything all right," Rona suddenly interrupts.

"What? Yes, I'm fine Rona," I say, pulling away from Kelly.

"Are you sure? Your heart rate is quite elevated." Stupid robot in my ceiling, I think to myself. My cheeks turn magenta and Kelly can't help but smirk.

"I'm fine Rona. Please leave me alone."

"Are you sure, Miss Attwood? Your levels indicate a sudden onset of stress or excitement. We could send you to the hospital for a checkup."

Kelly tries to suppress his laughter. I throw a pillow at him, hitting him in the face but it does little to wipe his smug smile from it.

"That'll be enough Rona. Good night," I say sternly. If she can sense my heart rate, I hope she can pick up on my tone. "Stop," I laugh and Kelly flashes a smile that makes my heart race even faster. Thank god Rona isn't around anymore to embarrass me.

"So why are you really here?" I ask.

Kelly turns serious again and takes a breath, exhaling slowly before speaking. "When I was trapped in that cage, there wasn't a lot to keep me going, except...you. I grabbed that photo of us together before we left to head to the mine. I knew I'd never be back to Ivanov's and it was the only possession that mattered to me."

I think back to the time I spent at Ivanov's hideout. It feels like another lifetime. I remember the picture taped to the wall in Kelly's room. He had folded it in half, cutting me out, either because it was too painful to remember me, or because he didn't want me to see it and have my amygdala flooded with memories, risking permanently frying my brain. So he pretended not to know me, even though it was torturing him.

"Anytime I felt hopeless, like I couldn't go on, I'd look at it. That photo kept me hanging on. The thought that I could possibly see you again one day, kept me hanging on, as slim as that chance may have been. One day, I forgot to hide the photo when the guards came to check on us, and I completely panicked at the thought that I could lose it, lose the only thing I had left of you. The fact that I panicked that much at almost losing a photo of you made me realize that I needed to find a way back to you, no matter what. I made a promise to myself that if I were able to get out of there, then I would do everything in my power to be with you. I wouldn't step aside and let Wyler have you."

"I'm not a thing to be 'had.'"

"I know," he shakes his head. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Do you want to be with one of us? Wyler or I? Or am I wasting my time?"

"Yes, no, I don't know." I shake my head.

"Your indecisiveness makes me feel like whatever you decide, you'll always be wondering about whether or not you made the right decision. I don't want to be second best. I don't want you to ever look at me and wish you were looking at someone else."

"It's not that easy."

"It should be."

"My parents took me away. I didn't remember you." I remind him.

"But you do now."

I nod.

"I'm not just going to let you be taken away from me this time. I'm prepared to fight."

"I don't need you to fight. I need you to get along with Wyler. I need us to put our differences aside and focus on what's important."

"You're what's important, to me, Ever." He pauses and lets up a heavy sigh. "But I'll do what you've asked."

"Thank you," I say. "It's getting late.

He nods and we both head out of the room and down the stairs. The front door slides open and he stops short, turning back towards me.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asks.

I nod and give him a gentle smile. He moves in and kisses me on the cheek, then turns to leave. I watch him make his way down the path. I look out into the dark, before shutting the front door, and I notice something moving in the shadows: amber flecks glowing in the blackness, a familiar face. Wyler was watching and I can't help but wonder if Kelly knew.