escape

| Chapter 19 |

*Mikayla*

I wake up and yawn, I have no idea why I slept so well. I peer over to the clock that reads 7:19AM in big red bold letters. I guess I didn't sleep that long.

As I sit up, I notice Peter isn't here. Which he obviously was cos that side of the blanket tucked perfectly, most likely meaning he's already awake. I scooch down to the end of the bed away from the wall and stand up.

Should I go downstairs? Well, probably, you idiot.

I walked silently towards the door and making sure that it doesn't make a sound when I open it and tiptoed down the hall. I silently cursed to myself when I remembered the annoying sounds elevators usually make.

Suddenly I remember Sasha telling me about this house when we went up the elevator the first time. She told me how the elevator doesn't make sounds until 9:00AM and doesn't after 10:00AM.

I pushed the elevator button and quietly entered the elevator silently. I patiently waited as it slowly lowered itself to the main floor. The doors quietly slid open and I stepped out of the elevator quietly.

I walked down the hall near the kitchen and heard a small amount of quiet words of talking from someone nearby. I stopped in front of the kitchen door frame, yet the voices were farther I walked around the kitchen bend and stopped abruptly. I looked down the hall where an angled mirror lay angled, allowing me to see Peter, who is right on the couch which is the same wall as the kitchen.

I shuffle forward, closer to the doorway for a closer look. Austin sits beside him on the couch with his hands supporting his chin as his elbows rest on his knees.

"So after the search." Peter said and I ducked behind the wall, to avoid possibly being seen. "How is it gone?" He talked into the phone. Austin looked towards the mirror and I ducked behind the wall further. I peeked into the mirror where Austin appeared to have not noticed.

"Of those important files, her's was the only one missing?" Peter asked the person on the other end of the phone. File? Who is 'her'? It's missing?

"So the lock to the printed copies of the most important files - including Mikayla's - was completely busted , and the only thing missing from the cabinet was Mikayla's file?" He asked.

Oh shit.

Someone - most likely bad - had stolen my file out of Peter's filing cabinet. Why? It's only me, it's not a big deal. Peter growled.

"I'm gonna get my revenge one day." He grumbled. Austin looked over at his apprehensively before looking at the ground.

"Thanks anyways Jake." Peter mumbled lowly before ending his call. He looked at Austin then shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his hands.

"We should get some breakfast." Austin suggested to Peter. Peter chuckled, "Yeah."

I'm gonna get caught. Impulsively, I stepped into the room before I even recognized myself doing so then pretending to act normal.

"Good morning." I said then yawned. Peter looked at me quickly. "How much of that did you hear?" He asked me with a rapid tone.

I shook my head, "I didn't hear nothing." Lie. Peter rolls his eyes and rubs his face with his hands again.

"We're returning home again around noon." Peter told me, looking at me directly.

"Okay." I mumbled and nodded my head. Peter told Austin and I that he'll make us bagels before leaving the room. The silence was awfully awkward. Luckily a few minutes later, Sasha walked into the room followed by Shawn and they illuminated the room with their enjoyment and happiness.

***

"Wait in the car for now." Peter had said and I've been waiting in the car obediently for about 10 minutes along with Hayes. Kalim, Ruben, and Peter went in to do a "final check" to make sure the search team didn't miss anything.

"Okay, Peter said we can go in." Hayes told me. All the guys are wearing Bluetooth like calling head pieces you see most business people wearing. Know what I mean?

"Okay." I mumbled and hopped out of the car. I followed Hayes up the drive way as we walked into the house. Hayes put his thumb on the new thumbprint lock.

"This works for you too, Peter told me to tell you by the way." Hayes told me as the machine scanned his finger. I mumbled another agreement before the door unlocked and we walked in.

"Everyone is just hanging around." Hayes told me, "You should go up to your room or something." I gulped. Apparently a rival gang had rampaged the house, looking for anything important they could.

"Uh - uhm - ah," I stuttered as he looked at me expectantly, "canyoucomewithme?" I blurted out fast.

"Pardon?" He mumbled looking at the ground. I took a deep breath.

"May you please come upstairs with me." I ask more calmly. Hayes sighs, rubbing his face.

"Sure." He agrees, and we start walking up the stairs.

*Hayes*

Once we reached Mikayla's room, she was devastated. The things on her dresser were strewn across the floor, the remnants of the closet pulled out across the floor. The cute little lamps she made herself had been ripped down and her decorations torn off the walls. Her walk in closet had the clothes all across the floor and torn through. Her room was a disaster an whoever was in here had looked through every inch of this room.

She put her face in her hands before walking over to an item on the floor and picking it up.

"Do you still have your phone?" I asked her to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah." She mumbled as she observed the item in her hands. She held a small silver bracelet that had a small heart in the middle. She looked at it with thoughtfulness in her eyes. How adorable. Not how adorable. I can't like her; she's our victim. As Peter had told me, "She's our victim, not a love interest."

"Ton amour est mon bourré de sauvetage." She whispered towards the bracelet. What's that supposed to mean? What language is it? Not Spanish, French?

I looked away from her at this awkward moment. Well, awkward for me anyways. She's adorable when she's awkward, wait, no she's not adorable when she's awkward. You can't think like that Hayes, I say and shake my head.

She clears her throat and looks at me, and I look at her.

"You can go if you want." She croaks quietly. I look at her hesitantly and feel sympathy but remember, I'm the bad guy here. I clear my throat, "Okay." I say and leave the room.

I'm the bad guy she possibly couldn't like me, right?

*Mikayla*

I picked up the bracelet from off the floor. They must've dug deep for this. In my dresser - which I use for holding things like jewellery and electronics, instead of clothes - the bracelet was in the back corner of where I kept hair elastics and hair accessories , far back, covered by hair ties and also in a small box.

Hayes coughed awkwardly and a tear silently rolled down my cheek.

"You can go if you want." I tell him quietly. He takes a few seconds to choose his answer before clearing his throat, saying 'okay' and leaving the room.

Another tear rolls down my cheek, and I go and lay on the bed, the bracelet still remaining in my hand.

A few more tears roll down my cheeks as I think.

**flashback**

"Je l'ai acheté pour vous. [I bought this for you]." Mitchell told me and I opened the small box.

"Pour moi? [For me?]" I asked him as I held the box in my hands.

"Pour vous, [For you,]" He said with a smile, "Ouvert le. [Open it.]" I opened it to reveal a bracelet. I admired the bracelet as I took it out of the box. The small silver bracelet lay in my hand with the heart in my palm, I looked at Mitchell.

"Ton amour est mon bourré de sauvetage."