The Divided

Chapter Twenty-Five

All of his family and friends stood around and ate their cake, some sitting down at the dining table and the living room couch. Every now and again, people I wouldn't know would walk up to Dean and tell him "happy birthday." I lingered around Dean as time passed and he even introduced me to a bunch of his family, which I thought was nice.

Once most of the cake was eaten, Dean picked up his new puppy and they seemed to get along well. The German Shephard licked the blonde's face. "You're going to have to give him a name, you know," I told Dean as he held the dog close to him.

"Yeah, I'll come up with something soon," he told me, petting the dog.

"I think we should take him to the dog park," Reagan says, walking up to us. "Running around with the other dogs will be good for him."

"We should," I agreed.

#

For an open community dog park, there weren't many dogs around, which surprised me. The field was now mostly filled with Dean's friends and family, throwing Frisbees back and forth and playing yard games. Not long after Reagan had pitched the idea of coming down here, others agreed and before we knew it, almost everyone in the room was on board with the idea.

Per Hadley's request, myself and Dean, Wyatt and Alice were running around, chasing him and the puppy. The puppy was having a blast, but it seemed to me that Hadley was having more fun. He was screeching in laughter, loving every second of it. It kept a smile on my face that's for sure.

At one point, my phone went missing, and I only found out because I reached for it to check the time. I had no idea how long it had been since I lost it. "Have any of you guys seen my phone?" I asked around.

Everyone shook their head, but I noticed that Hadley had a cheeky grin on his face. He had his hands on his head, giving me a knowing look with his grey eyes. I raised an eyebrow at him and his round eyes widened, realizing that he had been caught. Chuckling, I gestured for him to join me. After he did so, I knelt down beside him. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Hadley?"

He sighed dramatically before whispering in my ear, "Dean has it."

I tilted my head and ruffled his hair. "You're the best."

He grinned, shrugging. "I know."

Looking over at Dean, I found him standing beside his two best friends as they sat on the ground and played with the young German Shephard. His arms were crossed and he was grinning down at them. I spotted my phone in his back pocket. Not very well hidden indeed.

Sneaking behind him, I snatched my possession out from his pocket, making him jump around to face me. I held it up in pride. "How did you find out?"

I shrugged and tilted my head. "A little birdy told me."

Hadley huffed beside me and crossed his arms. "I'm not a little birdy," he said. "You could've at least called me an eagle."

His words sent me and Dean both into a fit of laughter. "You little rascal!" Dean said, chasing his little brother through the field.

Still smiling widely, I sat down beside Wyatt and Alice. The puppy rolled over on his back in front of me and I rubbed his belly and he flopped his tongue around in the air. "He really likes you, doesn't he?" Wyatt spoke.

I looked up at him. His light-blue eyes stared directly at me. His expression was absolutely impossible to read. "What?" I asked.

"Dean," he stated clearly. "He really likes you."

I looked at Dean who was still playing with Hadley across the field. He seemed truly happy and he was great with his brother. As if he felt my eyes on him, he looked over at me and smiled brightly.

"Yeah," I replied. I knew he did.

"It's weird watching you two," Wyatt continued with no emotion. "It's obvious you really like each other."

I stared, looking between him and Alice. "Really?" Both of them nodded. I hadn't realized it was obvious to everyone else—not that I minded. I just acted naturally around him.

"You know, you're the only girl Dean has given the time of day before," Alice spoke up. The dog jumped up and then flopped down again in front of her, wiggling around on his back.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I thought he would have been with at least a few girls in the past."

"Why?"

I shrugged, playing a hint of a smile. "I mean, look at him."

This made both teens chuckle. "He's got the looks that's for sure," Wyatt said.

He did. There was no denying it. I had expected him to have an ex-girlfriend, but then again, Dean seemed like the kind of guy who would wait until he found a girl worth his attention. I guess, he thought that I was worthy of his attention. It didn't make any sense to me, but I was happy with the thought for sure. We weren't supposed to interact with each other, much less end up liking each other, yet it happened. I exhaled as I thought about how people back home would react if I told them I was falling for an Extricate. I would literally be killed. It was harsh...but true.

***

I know, I know, I haven't updated this book in forever AND this is a really short chapter... sorry.

Should I continue this book?? I'm way more into writing Getaways, but unlike Getaways, I actually already have this whole book outlined in detail. I can start updating every week if you'd like.

So what should I do? Keep going? Let me know in the comments!