Dear Alana (Interracial Romance)

Chapter Twelve; Down to Business

Chapter Twelve; Down to Business

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you." Ethan grinned. Alana noticed his playful display of sarcasm with her. He wasn't completely turned off by her puzzlement, but he wasn't exactly responsive either. More importantly, he behaved with the same calm casualness that Ty and Jade had not. They were either eager to change the subject or completely ignored her. Ethan, however, was controlled.

When she asked him what Jade could possibly mean by "business", he encouraged her to elaborate. When she did, he smiled at her and told her not to worry, but Alana was persistent. Her crave to know, annihilated any fear of futuristic rejection.

Rejection on Hayden's end . . . Ty's, Crystal's even.

"Please Ethan . . . who am I gonna run and tell to? I have nowhere to go. I'm homeless without Crystal."

"I'm pretty sure you'll find somewhere, if I tell you." His teasing smile was almost as convincing as his deep warning of words, because even though he was smiling, those words held an extra edge warning her to back off.

She always thought that if it ever came down to it, she would never intentionally press them, any of them, but this time was different.

"Ethan . . . I'm not going anywhere. Especially not with Marie at tow. If I'm going to be living here, don't you think I deserve to know?" Just by the way his face twisted, she could tell she'd pressed him in more ways than one.

His eyes were dark, not in color, but in expression. Low slits, daring her to go on with her talk.

"See, that's the problem with you, and everybody like you. You keep thinking somebody owe you something." When he finally spoke, anger laced his tone. His expression fell in a hard scowl, as he continued. "I don't give a fuck how many secrets we keep from you, Alana. Your job is to either fall the fuck back or shut the fuck up and go with the flow. And that goes for everything you think you deserve to know. And I do mean everything. Hayden and Elaine, too." With that, he turned and swung her door open, storming out without so much as a glance back.

* * *

Dear Samantha,

The way he watched me approach almost qualified me to turn away. His tired eyes scanned around the food court as though he expected someone else to follow behind me, but I'd concluded that coming alone was the more wiser route. Even if I preferred Ty's comforting touch in the moment, or Hayden's reassuring, smooth voice to assure me protection against my own fear, I knew well enough that neither could ever know about my visit to see Bret.

"Alana." Rather than a welcome greet, my name from his lips sounded more like a threat. His eyebrows dragged together on his face, a shameless frown taking it's place.

My lips parted but I couldn't convince myself to speak. Not while his wild eyes grew crazed, not while his jawline pulsed like a heartbeat.

"I would advise you to leave." I had adjusted to him being nice to me. This tone he spoke to me with did more than discourage me. I was absolutely positive that Ethan had been right. I should have never pried within the boundaries of their secrecy.

But I hadn't walked such a long way to be turned away again. When I came here yesterday, my only purpose for departure was because Isaac showed face.

This time there was no distractions or further persuasion, and this was my final chance to receive some answers.

"You have to tell me something Bret. . . I'm not setting you up if that's what you're thinking. I'm not exactly on good terms with them right now." If I didn't feel so connected to this situation, I would have taken Ethan's advise and fell away from their business, but I couldn't help but feel like this hit closer to home than anyone would admit.