Deal With It

forty seven

Answer to what? What did Tyler say to Daniel? What did he want him to think about? There was only one way I'd find out and it wasn't through my boyfriend.

I carefully walked back out when I decided that the coast was clear. Sucking in a deep breath, I rapped on the door. "Come in."

I opened the door and took a few steps in. The office was kept tidy; no work scattered about, no dust, and everything seemed to be exactly in place. Daniel was already absorbed in his work, keeping his head down as his pen moved swiftly across the pages in front of him, not even taking the time to blink. "Hey," my voice came out as a squeak and I felt my throat drying up. His pen instantly stopped moving and he placed it down.

"Arissa," he said, not looking at me. "What are you doing here?" I could hear the strain in his voice. "If you came for Tyler, you just missed him."

"I know, I saw him. But that isn't why—"

"And he still let you see me? Wow," he scoffed.

"I saw him but he didn't see me," I clarified.

"Ah," he said. "Now I understand." He picked his pen up and continued to write.

"I need to talk to you," I said.

"I'm listening."

I looked at the floor before starting to speak. "I know this will sound selfish and it is, I admit that. But I'm scared and I don't know where else to go—" I glanced at him and he was gently humming, still getting on with his work. "Can you at least look at me when I talk to you?"

"Why? I don't listen with my eyes, do I?" He snapped. He was being so mean. I tried not to let my growing anger get the best of me.

"Why are you behaving like this? I don't understand."

He threw his pen onto the floor and stood up in a flash, I feared he would flip the entire desk over. His feet met the floor with thuds as he stomped across to me. "Why? Are you kidding me?" He yelled. "Maybe because I feel like you're using me. It's the first time you've even tried to talk to me in ages and it's all about your bloody boyfriend and his criminal issues! Yes, I know about the whole problem with Jake because that's exactly why he came here. I guess you two are the perfect couple, you're just the same," he spat. He brushed his hand across his forehead, turning away from me. "And you ask why I'm not looking at you?" His voice was a lot calmer. He turned back around, cupping my face as he stared at me with his longing eyes. "Because every time I do, I think back to that night and all I want to do is kiss you."

I felt my breath get caught in my throat. How was I meant to respond to that? My heart couldn't accept what he was saying but my mind was unable to think of the right words to say to him. "Daniel..."

"I know, I know. It's wrong. You're in a relationship but I can't help it. That's why I said no to Tyler. He wants me to help him find enough proof against Jake to have him locked up for good but I can't. How can I when I know you'll be around? Believe it or not, he was my friend once and I don't feel comfortable helping him when all that's running through my head is you, his girlfriend."

I had no idea he felt so strongly about this, about me. I knew there was something there and a year ago I would have been over-the-moon about it but everything was different now. I didn't see him the way I used to and our kiss was nothing more than a mistake. One I regretted every day since it had happened.

Tyler was obviously really desperate if he came to Daniel for help and I fully supported him. I now felt more terrible coming here for help but Jake was dangerous and we couldn't handle him alone. "Tyler knows," I said. "He knows about that night, I told him everything."