Turns out I had no choice anymore because while I was deciding, Justin opened my door and waited outside of it for me to come out. Stepping out, I closed the door behind me before making my way next to him. I opened my mouth to say something when Justin beat me to it.
“Follow me,” He nodded his head in the direction towards the warehouse.
I nodded without another word, following suit behind him as he began walking over to it. Opening the door to it, Justin walked inside, holding the door open for me as I walked inside before closing it softly behind us.
When he moved out in front of me to close the door, I had noticed the tensing in his jaw had released itself and he had calmed down from his mood before we ended up here.
I furrowed my eyebrows together. How could someone go from being okay to angry to relaxed all in the time span of an hour?
“Are you coming or not?” I snapped out of my thoughts, turning to see Justin was now at the other end of the building.
Looking around the place, I slowly began walking, not saying a word. The walls were cracked, a few shillings on the floorfrom the roof of the warehouse causing me to wonder what in the world had happened in here prior to today.
“What happened in here?”
Justin didn’t turn around. Instead, he kept walking.
For a second, I thought he was ignoring me and I was just about to ask him again when he stopped right outside of thewarehouse (once he walked through the back doors). He dug his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans while overlooking the sky.
I shifted my eyes from him and over to what he was currently looking at and instantly, my eyes widened and I gasped.
We stood on top of a hill, the sky painted over in colors of pink, orange, yellow and purple. The clouds swayed gently around, the sun downing on top of us. You can see half of the town from up here. It looked absolutely amazing.
“It’s nice, huh?” He questioned softly.
I didn’t dare look away from the beautiful view in front of me. “Yeah,” I replied, breathless. “It’s stunning.” I breathed out, taken back by the miraculous beauty nature had. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
He nodded, understanding completely.
“How did you find this place? If you don’t mind me asking..” I finally peeled my eyes away from the sky to look at him.
He stood poised, his posture perfect. “After this place was almost burned down--”
Well, that answered my question.
“--I guess, I came to check it out and when I came back here, I saw this--” He nodded towards the view. “And instantly fell in love.” He now turned to look at me, a solemn expression on his face.
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s nice. I wish I had a place like this.” I admitted while overlooking the sky once more.
It gave you a peaceful aurora, like nothing and no one can touch you. Where you can just be alone and not have to worry about anything. You felt careless.. You felt.. Alive.
Silence fulfilled the void around us before Justin spoke up once more, “You do now.” He spoke loud and clear.
Taken back, I turned to look at him only to see that he had shifted his view from me and over to the other side of town.
“Thanks..” I whispered, feeling my heart strings pull violently and my stomach fill with butterflies.
Did he actually mean that?
I didn’t know but I sure hoped so.
He simply gave me a once over, letting me know he heard me.
We stood there for the rest of the time, in pure silence, with nothing but the wind making noise around us. Occasional birds chirped and a few squirrels messed around in the trees around us.
Other than that, all that could be distinguished, was the beating of our solid hearts.
“Why was this place burned down?” I suddenly spoke up--and out of nowhere I admit--but the thought made me curious.
He licked his lips. “Business.” Was all he said.
I bit down on my bottom lip. “What kind of business?” I didn’t want to push the subject but the more I found out, the better.
I needed to know what I was getting myself into before I get myself in too deep.
He sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” He looked at me now, our eyes locked in a gaze.
I shook my head no.
He scoffed a bit, licking his lips once more. “The business I go through everyday.” I could hear the distress in his tone. “A rival group tried to fuck with us, we retaliated, they did the same and to get us back, they set one of our system places on fire.”
My eyes widened. “Was anyone inside when it happened?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care.” He numbly replied. “I had other shit on my mind.”
I scoffed. What could he possibly have on his mind? Other than the innocent lives of people that might have been taken?
“So you don’t care that innocent people could have died?” I pushed, completely in awe at his words.
I mean, I knew the kid could be heartless.. But I didn’t think he could be that uncaring.
He pursed his lips in a spiteful manner. “People who get into this kind of business know what’s in store for them. They chose this lifestyle. They should have known their lives would be in danger the moment they agreed to sell their soul.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once you’re in, there’s no way out. You’re forever a target and you will be marked down as an enemy to several groups.” His Adams apple moved gently as he gulped down. “That’s what I mean.”
“And you would know that first hand?”
Stupid question, I know but I asked before I even thought about it.
He scoffed. “Does it look like I’m an every day kind of guy?” He looked at me with a cocked brow.
I shrugged. “You sure can act like it though.”
He chuckled menacingly at this. “It’s called knowing how to play the game sweetheart.”
“Oh? So this is a game to you?” I gave a pointed look.
He shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.” I could tell he wanted to smirk by the way his lips twisted but urgently settled down.
I rolled my eyes.
He kept quiet, looking away.
I sighed. This guy is more confusing that Jane Eyre (the book) and trust me, when I read that, I felt like I was reading Gibberish or something.
And to think we were slowly making something out of all this mess.
I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my sweater, glancing down at the time in instinct. It was now twelve in the afternoon.
Shit.
“We gotta go.”
He turned his head. “Why?”
“Because it’s late and my parents are going to freak if she sees I’m not home.” I said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
His face contorted in sudden understanding. “Oh, right.” He turned around from the view, making his way back into the warehouse.
I followed him through the building until we reached the front of the house. Walking over to his car, I clicked the small button before settling myself inside and waiting for him to come in.
After a few minutes of sitting there, I looked out the window to see that he had slipped out a smoke and lit it up while taking a few drags.
Perfect timing. I bitterly sighed to myself.
This kid.. I can’t.
Opening the door to the drivers side, Justin seated himself inside before putting the key into the ignition and pulling out of the driveway and onto the road, the smoke he lit before hanging from the side of his mouth now.
“You couldn’t have waited until later to smoke that thing?” I muttered.
“No.” He replied nonchalantly.
He seemed so calm.. It was almost un-normal. It felt weird.
“Why are you being so calm?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
I really need to stop that.
His face contorted confusion. “What?” Smoke radiated with his word he spoke.
“Nothing.” I shook my head.
“No, what did you say?” He pestered.
“You’re not going to let his go are you?” I mimicked him from before which earned a grin.
“Just tell me what you said.” He lightly chuckled, his left arm hanging off the steering wheel, his right one laying on the arm rest.
“I said why are you so calm.”
He looked at me, giving me an incredulous look. “Am I supposed to be anything but?”
“No.. well, I don’t know.“ I sighed. “Usually you’re all, angry. This.. This is new.” I licked my lips, biting down on them.
He laughed at this. “I’m sorry I’m not always happy?”
I playfully rolled my eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that--I just, never mind.” I slumped down in my seat.
“Okay?” He chuckled while shaking his head. “Weird ass girl..” He muttered.
I heard him but pretended I didn’t. I wasn’t in the mood to fight with him, to be honest.
Time passed by when the car came to a slow halt, stopping a few feet away from my house.
I gave him a confused look.
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t want your parents to find you coming out of my car, do you?”
“Right.” I nodded.
Smart boy.
“Well, thanks.” I gave him a small smile before opening the door to the car and getting out, softly shutting it behind me. I waved at him before turning and beginning to walk away when his voice stopped me.
“What?”
“Come here.”
I walked back over to his car. “What is it?” I leaned my head into the opened window.
“When will I see you again?”
I felt my heart skip a beat. “I don’t know. As long as I’m a prisoner at home..”
He nodded his head. “You know you can always sneak out again..” He smirked.
“And risk getting caught? Not thanks. Once was enough for me.” I lightly chuckled.
He didn’t say anything for a while until finally he revved his car up, getting ready to drive again. “I guess I’ll see you around then Kelsey.”
“Yeah.”
Backing up and away from his car, he revved it up once more before driving away and into the beaming sun.
I walked back home safely, with a smile on my face.