-Violet-
"Violet," Claire's voice brought me out of my work daze.
I looked up from my stack of papers and Claire was gathering up another stack of papers. "Yes?"
"Could you bring these up to James please? He needs them for a client he'll be meeting with in a couple of hours."
"Y-yeah." I stood from my desk close to hers and moved to stand in front of her desk.
She handed me the folder that contained the papers and smiled. "And after you bring those to him, you can go ahead to lunch."
I nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I'll see you in an hour."
I proceeded to leave her office and closed the door behind me. As I entered the elevator, I pressed the button to the top floor and let the doors close. The elevator stopped a few times on it's way up. Finally, the elevator doors opened up on the floor and I stepped out.
The floor was quiet and people seemed to be engrossed in their work. I greeted the people that spoke to me and made my way down the center to James's closed office doors. I knocked twice and sucked in a deep breath.
As I exhaled, the doors opened and Cristin stood there with a grin. "Oh, hello, Vi. Can I call you that?"
"I'd prefer you'd call me Violet."
"Cristin," James spoke.
I looked around her and James rose from his desk. "I have the client papers you requested?"
He nodded and looked to Cristin. "You can go to lunch."
"I'm not hungry—"
"Well I don't need help at the moment. I'll call you when I need you."
Cristin let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine." She looked at me and glared before walking around me and leaving.
Once Cristin was gone, James walked around the desk and past me to close the doors. I heard the click of the lock and he came back to me. "She's such a pain in the ass." He sighed and took the papers from my hands, "I'm pretty sure she's gotten worse since my dad hasn't been here."
"Didn't you say your dad couldn't tolerate her either?"
James snorted. "Not in those exact words, but pretty much. He won't send her back to Iowa because of Sara. He just wants Sara to be happy."
"That I commend him for." I laughed, "But this internship is over in a couple of weeks and then you won't have to deal with her anymore."
"That I do look forward to." He dropped his papers on his desk and cupped my face, "I'm not looking forward to you leaving though."
I smiled sadly. "I'm not either."
He freed a hand and braced it on the back of my neck. He brought his lips down to my forehead and left the smallest kiss. "But I'll be able to see you more after this is over."
I leaned my head back to catch his blue gaze. I'm glad he wanted to see me even after this internship is over. "Won't you still be working here?"
He shook his head. "Not until summer hopefully. School's a bigger priority right now."
I nodded in agreement. "I have my last midterm tomorrow and I'm hoping I got enough studying done."
"If I did, so did you." he teased, "I'm glad I finished last week."
"Lucky," I grumbled, "If you weren't so damn distracting, maybe I could've studied more." A smile graced my lips.
A smug smirk tugged at the corner of his. "Then maybe you'll let me distract you a little more tonight?" He asked in a hopeful tone.
"Maybe. I could just bring my stuff to your place and study there." If he'd let me anyway. Not that I'm complaining.
"You could definitely do that."
"Then let me borrow your phone so I can call my mom. I'll let her know I'll be home later than expected."
James stepped back and retracted his hands. He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. "Does she know?"
"About?" I asked absentmindedly while I dialed her cell number.
"Us."
While it rang, I looked at James. "Not yet. But I'm going to tell her soon."
Her phone went to voicemail as expected. I just left her a short message, letting her know I'll be home late tonight so she doesn't have to wait up. I'll most likely be back before she goes to bed, but still. Most of the time she tells me not to call because I'm eighteen. It's just nice to let her know. It's probably for Gray's sake.
I handed James his phone back and he pocketed it. "Will she be mad you didn't tell her?"
"Not at all." I didn't hesitate, "But she's still weary after—she's just like any mother." I smiled through my mistake.
James noticed, I could tell by his narrowed expression. "Okay, well since you get off before me, just meet me back up here and we'll leave."
"Okay. See you later."
I trailed back to his office doors, but felt his fingers wrap around my wrist. He pulled me back against his chest, his hands lightly caressing my face, and his lips descended on mine. He pecked my lips several times, leaving one lingering kiss burning on my lips before leaning back a couple of inches. "You can leave now." He smiled.
This time I kissed him and pulled away completely. "I'll see you back here."
He bobbed his head once and I turned to leave.
* * *
"Don't you ever wonder what a zombie apocalypse would be like?" James muttered from his spot on the couch.
My pencil stilled in my hand. "Not really because the probability of a zombie apocalypse is about the same as pigs flying." I slightly tilted my head to peer at him. "Is that seriously what you've been thinking about for the past hour?"
"Maybe." He answered sheepishly, "But it is a valid question. I'm sure you've thought about it before. Who doesn't?"
"I've watched The Walking Dead with my brothers. So I try to avoid thinking about a zombie apocalypse." I attempted to get back to the worksheet in front of me, but James started talking again. But it didn't make me mad, if anything this whole conversation made me want to laugh.
"So you have thought about it." I could hear the grin in his voice.
"James, your nerd is showing." I retorted.
He playfully poked my side. "So is yours."
I felt my lips twitch, but I managed to stop my smile. "It doesn't matter how much I think about a zombie apocalypse. I'd be one of the first so-called-survivors to get bit or eaten by a group of them."
James snorted. "You're lucky I've put a lot of thought into this."
This time I laughed. Really loudly too, without meaning to. "I love how serious you are about this."
He chuckled. "I'm really not. It's just what happens when you're sitting in a meeting with a bunch of old dudes. I'd just sit there and imagine them all as zombies trying to eat each other."
"Zombies don't eat each other." I whispered, "They eat the living."
James looked at me and laughed. "Not in my mind they don't."
"You must have a lot going on up there." I quipped.
"You'd be surprised." He reached for the book and worksheet in my lap and I tried reaching for it, but he pulled it too quickly. He sat it all on the coffee table and turned on his back to lay his head in my lap. "What are you thinking about?" His blue eyes sparked as I looked down at him.
"I'm thinking if I don't get that worksheet done, I'm going to kick your—"
"I'd prefer it if you didn't do that," he grinned. "But I wouldn't stop you."
"Good." I smiled, "Because I'm three seconds away from doing it."
James laughed and sat up. He lay on the other end of the couch and reached for my hand. He tugged on my hand gently. "Cuddle with me instead."
My heart fluttered and I obliged to his request. I found myself sandwiched between him and the couch. My body curved against his side and we tangled together. My nose brushed his cheek and I settled my lips on his jaw. His arm was wound around my shoulders and he attempted to pull me closer. "Isn't this much better than kicking my ass?" He tilted his chin down, his eyes boring into mine.
I lifted my hand to the side of his face. "Probably not." I teased, "But it's a small start."
He started attacking my face with small kisses, and giggles started to tumble from my lips. He continued his mini-kiss assault on my face and I continued to laugh. When he finally settled down, he left one long kiss on my jaw. "Your laugh is quite adorable." James breathed a laugh.
I let my thumb flutter over his cheek as I smiled wider. I leaned in close to leave a small kiss on his lips in response.
Then James's doorbell rang.
When I started to move, his grip tightened on me. "It's fine, they'll leave."
I opened my mouth to speak, but then banging on the door made me jolt.
"James!"
Cristin.
"I know you're home! Open up!"
James hissed a curse and let go of me to stand up.
"James." I whispered and sat up, "What am I supposed to do?"
"Go hide in my room." He whispered back and picked my homework off of the table to hand it to me, "I'll be there in a minute."
I nodded and did as he said.
I walked into his room and closed the door quietly behind me. Chaos was asleep on his bed and he roused when I closed the door. I dropped my stuff on James's bed and plopped down on the foot of it. Chaos wondered into my lap and stood on his hind legs to lick my cheek.
What the hell was Cristin doing here?
And worse, what if she finds out I'm here? There's nothing stopping her from telling James's dad. She'd be happy to get me in trouble. Worse, it'll get me dismissed and she wouldn't even lose sleep over it.
I didn't listen in on their conversation like I wanted to. I kept my butt planted on the edge of James's bed and paid more attention to Chaos. I eased my palm between his ears and scratched behind them. He relaxed in my arms and rested in chin in the crook on my elbow.
I could hear them talking, but it was muffled.
Then a door slammed.
And it went quiet.
Chaos lifted his head and his ears twitched as he looked towards the bedroom door. He heard James walking to the door.
It soon opened and James came in.
He looked like he could put his fist through a wall. "You don't look so good." I murmured, still stroking Chaos's fur softly.
"I'm fine." He sighed, "She thought she left her favorite jacket here." He rolled his eyes.
But now I was curious. "Favorite jacket?"
"She was here last week with Dad and Sara. She wasn't wearing a jacket."
"Oh. Do you think she knows I'm here?"
"I doubt it."
I sat Chaos on the bed and stood up. "I can't have this get back to your dad."
James nodded. "I know. And it won't, don't worry."
I pushed a smile, but still felt a little worried. Instead of dragging it out, I changed the subject. "Want to watch a movie or something?"
* * *
"Nic!" I called from my room. "Nic! Help me!"
I heard his footsteps against the wooden floor come running to my room. He bumped into the doorframe and almost tumbled to the ground. "What?" He breathed, frantically looking around until his eyes landed on me.
I'm just lying upside down on my bed.
"Are you kidding me?" He put a hand on his chest, still trying to catch his breath I made him lose, "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm bored, that's what's wrong." I grinned, "Fix it."
He leaned over on his knees. "I'm going to kick your ass you little shit."
"Hey! That's no way to talk to your only sister."
"You're going to be a dead one if you pull something like that again." He straightened his back and exhaled, "Can't you call Jen or Alyssa?"
I rolled over onto my stomach and moved back so I could prop my head on my hands. "I already did. Believe me, this is my last resort. Let's go do something. Anything. Oh, what about the arcade? We haven't been in forever. And we can walk."
"Yeah, sure."
I stood off my bed to get my shoes and put them on quickly. Nic was waiting by my bedroom door with a glare once he got his shoes too. "You're lucky I didn't have plans."
"You're lucky that you have me then." I patted his cheek and walked around him, "Blue's with Mom and Gray's at work. Did you really think you'd get by all day without entertaining me?"
"You're also lucky I love you more than any plan I would have."
"Ah, I knew it."
We walked outside in the cool air and I wrapped my arms around myself. I pushed the hair from my face and straightened my glasses too.
The arcade is close to Mark's. It's like a mile before you get to Mark's. It's small, but one of my favorite places ever. It's a place we've come to since we moved here since we realized we could just walk to it.
Nic was babbling about something I sort of lost interest in. I loved him more than anything, but sometimes I never know what he's talking about.
It didn't take long to reach the arcade.
We walked down a few steps and pulled open the arcade doors. It was dark, but filled with multicolored lights and game noises. There's also the faint noise of music, but you couldn't hear it over the arcade games.
"Do you have any cash on you?" I asked Nic and held my hand out.
"Don't I always?" He smiled and pulled his wallet from his pocket, "Why do you never have cash?"
I shrugged a shoulder. "Because I lose it every time."
He handed me a few ones so I could get some quarters from the machine. "You'd lose your head if it wasn't attached."
"I rarely lose anything." I defended, "Well, eh, I'm gonna shut up now."
Nic walked with me to get quarters and got some of his own. "I'm going to the other side." He murmured, looking down at the handful of quarters he got.
"Okay, I'll stay on this side."
Nic walked around to the other side and I stayed on this one. I went to play Skee Ball first, but didn't win many tickets after playing twice. I sighed with defeat and went on to find another game.
As I turned around, my heart stopped.
He's here.
I blinked, but he was gone.
The light golden hair and green eyes were something I could never forget.
He was standing near the ticket counter. I swear that was him. He was watching me with that stupid smirk I knew too well.
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and took careful steps down the row of games. As I walked, I looked around. If he was really here, he couldn't have disappeared that damn quickly.
My heart was beating hard against my hallow chest and that's all I could hear. It was like a throbbing in my ears.
I curved my head to look around to corner, but he wasn't there. I slumped in relief then turned in a circle, scanning every part of the arcade I could see.
Was I seeing things?
He couldn't be here. There's no way, right?
No, he had no reason to come back.
But it looked like him. A little bit older, but it was him.
I walked to the other side of the row of games and found Nic deep in some game I couldn't concentrate on. "Nic." I touched his shoulder.
He glanced at me and back to his game. "Out of money already?"
"Nic," I grounded so he'd look at me and he did, "He's back."
Nic narrowed his brows in confusion. "He's back?"
I nodded and my eyes burned. "Reese is back."
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I'm pretty sure this is the first cliff hanger of the book, hahaha. You'll learn more about Reese in the next chapter (I think, I can't remember lol). Chapter 19 is an emotional one. And I also finished 20 started 21. I'm still going to post every other day now because I want the story to last ya know? And yes, I mentioned the walking dead again lol. (Last weeks episode didn't happen though, we're going to pretend it didn't for the sake of my sanity.)
Please vote and comment, let me know what your thoughts are! :)
I couldn't think of a song lol. Please send me recs!