Model in Disguise

18. Into the Past

Dedicated to: ayoaddy

Thanks for your interesting comment! I enjoyed reading it. :)

                        *           *           *

             September 12th
      Agent R. Harris reveals a previously hidden incident to Agent A. Peterson involving Agent K. Masters.

            18: Into the Past
            Date: September 12th

“So what happened between you and Kyle?” Alex asks. I close his laptop and disconnect all of the chords, silently avoiding his gaze.

      “What do you mean?” I reply as he takes the laptop from me. His gaze burns a hole into my head as my body turns away from him. I search the room for something else to focus on, something to keep me occupied. My eyes settle on the table that we pushed aside to fit our equipment inside the room.

      I walk over to it, my back facing Alex.

      Even without looking it’s easy to tell that he’s still looking at me. Watching for my reaction to his words. Carefully assessing my movements the way an agent expertly does.

      “Something happened between you two,” he states. “I want to know what.”

      A slight scowl crosses my face as I slide the table across the floor but no response comes from my mouth. My gaze is set on the table in front of me as I start to move it on my own, but soon another set of arms is helping me move the table.

      “Rachel,” Alex insists.

      I sigh and stand up straight, facing him. “What? I don’t really want to talk about it.”

      “Is that right?”

      “Yes.”

      Alex narrows his eyes at me from across the table. I fidget under his gaze, and then I’m annoyed with myself for doing it. Why can I sit still for everyone else except Alex?

      “I don’t believe you,” he says.

      I give him an irritated look. “That’s not my problem.”

      We lock eyes. I start to wonder what happened to the boy I thought was an amateur just a few days ago. The boy that was all smiles and laughter. Where is his smile now? And why is he pushing me so hard to reveal things about myself that I don’t want to think about?

      “You haven’t told anyone else, have you?” he asks.

      I blink at him, pulling out of my thoughts. “What are you talking about?”

      “The secret that you’re trying so hard to hide,” he explains. “You haven’t told people. Have you?”

      Fear settles in my stomach. Alex is no amateur; not if he’s able to figure this much out about me while my own family has been clueless. But the thought of unloading myself all onto one person scares me. Especially since this person is an agent.

      Alex continues as I look away. “I bet Kyle knows. And I bet if I ask him, he’ll tell me.”

      “No,” I snap. He raises an eyebrow at me.“Look, it’s not important. A couple of years ago something happened and Kyle was involved and . . . it was a long time ago. Can’t you just forget about it?”

      “Actually no, I can’t,” Alex says. “Because clearly you can’t. I mean I’m not a therapist, but if I were I’d say whatever happened to you is the reason you’re so . . . detached.”