Chapter 23
It's been another week, meaning we only have one week left to find Luna and we are still stumped. Living in the same place as Kain and Alexander has been extremely overwhelming. The three of us are trying our best to ignore the circumstances in order to get Luna back, but there are still moments where things get awkward.
We've decided to tell James what's going on since he's the only other one who knows about our past. He'll be here any minute and it will be the first time he sees Kain in over three years. He doesn't know Kain's here I just asked him to come by because I had some leads on Luna that I couldn't talk to Wayne or Jesse about. He immediately understood and left to come here.
There's a knock on the door and I look to Kain who's nervously standing in the kitchen then Alexander who goes to open the door. James comes in eyeing us in concern before his eyes cross over Kain and he freezes in shock.
"Fucking shit balls," he mutters and my lips twitch in a smile. "Kain?"
"Why do people always say a person's name in question when they haven't seen them in a long time as if it weren't actually them?" Kain asks in amusement.
James glares at his best friend. "Well maybe because they need to check that they're really there and weren't abducted by aliens who erased their mind so they didn't remember the person!"
Kain's smile widens and I can't help the giggle the passes my lips. James green eyes dart to mine, "Why didn't you tell me on the phone that he was here?"
"I thought a surprise would be better?" I say in a question rather than a statement.
"Oh come on James you know you're boiling with excitement inside to have me back," Kain teases. James glares at him again for a few moments before punching his shoulder. "Hey! What the fuck man?" Kain rubs his arm.
"That's for being an ass and leaving without telling anyone then not keeping in contact with us!"
"Oh come on I've always been an ass, Charlie can attest," Kain smirks at me and I roll my eyes.
I notice Alexander stiffen in the corner of my eye but when I look to him he looks away.
"Yeah well you're a bigger ass these days," James mutters.
Kain's expression grows somber as he eyes his friend. "I'm sorry James. I really am. I wish I didn't leave the way I did, but I can't change that now. I can only make up for the time I was gone."
James nods slowly. "I missed you man," he says quietly.
Kain pulls him into a hug and I smile as I watch the two best friends reunite.
"I think we should start talking about what's going on now," Alexander interrupts gently.
Kain nods and James looks around at us in confusion, "So what's Luna's kidnapping got to do with your secret?"
I look to Kain and frown. He looks to me in concern before explaining everything to James. I sit down on the couch while he tells him and Alexander takes a seat beside me. The more I hear the situation be discussed out loud the more guilt I feel. Alex puts an arm around my shoulder and rubs soothing circles into my arm. I glance up at him and he gives me a small smile. I wish things didn't turn so shitty between us, but right here in this very moment it feels okay. It feels like we went back in time to when we were best friends as Alex and Alexis. It feels like when he was there for me when my parents passed and how he'd come to their grave with me every year...
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I can't believe it's been three years since my parents passed away. I think about them every day and if it weren't for Alex I don't know how I would've coped. He's been the best friend a person could ask for. He knows when I'm upset and knows what to do to lift my spirits.
"I miss you so much mom, dad. But grandma, papa, and Alex have been taking good care of me. Alex is such a good friend I am so grateful to have him in my life. He has helped me so much," I tell my parents as I eye Alex who stands near the entrance of the cemetery, giving me some privacy. My grandparents let us walk here every year on the anniversary since it's only a few blocks from our house.
"I hope he stays my friend for a really long time because I don't know what I'd do without him," I continue while still looking at Alex. He glances up and meets my gaze, a smile forming on his face. I give him a small smile in return before looking back to my parents' graves. "I love you both so much and I promise to visit again soon."
I get up, leaving some flowers behind and head to where Alex stood waiting for me. "You good?" He asks me gently.
I nod once. "Yeah."
"Lets go grab some ice-cream on the way home, my treat? Well my dad's he gave me money and told me to take you for ice-cream," he adds sheepishly.
I giggle and hook my arm with his. "Take me to the ice-cream best friend!"
Alex's smile grows, "Anything for my best friend!" He says and starts leading the way.
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"Charlie?" I blink a few times and look around to see everyone's staring at me.
"Uh yeah?"
James snorts. "You look like a crazy person when you stare into space like that without noticing anything around you."
"I've tried telling her that," Kain adds.
Alex just stares at me in amusement, his hand still rubbing soothing circles on my arm. "I can't help it. Now tell me what you were trying to before."
"I was saying that we should figure out every place that was important to your past life with Kain," James answers.
"You really think it's possible she took Luna all the way across the country?" I question doubtfully. It just wouldn't add up. It would be too complicated for her to be that far away with all the threats I've been receiving and the people watching me...
"I'm not saying that, but I'm saying that there could be a connection to the place she chose and somewhere from your past," James tells me.
I nod thoughtfully, "Well first there was my house. The one I lived in with my parents. It was a big southern style home with a huge porch that wrapped around the outside."
"You're not finding any houses that look like that anywhere close to Seattle," Alex comments.
Kain nods in agreement, "There was also my house. It was a bright red cabin, which would stick out pretty much anywhere."
"If a southern style home isn't in Seattle I doubt a red cabin would be either," James says.
"But why are we limiting our search to Seattle? How do we know they're not outside Seattle? We don't even know for sure if she's in the same state!" I interject.
Kain's eyebrows furrow as he nods at my statement. We all know it's true. We don't have a clue where exactly Luna could be, we're just narrowing it down to near us because of the logic, but we could be wrong.
We all sit in silence thinking amongst ourselves, trying to come up with some kind of solution when there's a knock at the door. I immediately look to Kain and his face has contorted into anger as he shoots up from his seat. I jump up with him and place my hands on his chest. "Think of Luna, Kain. Don't do anything rash!"
Alex and James watch us in slight confusion. "I'm fine," Kain says and moves around me, swinging open the door. Normally the man who delivers my notes disappears after dropping it off, but there on the other side of the door he stands waiting.
I wrap a hand around Kain's arm when I feel him tense beside me. "Where the fuck is she?" Kain spits out at the man who stands before us with no emotion crossing his face.
"You must figure that out yourselves Garrett. I'm only here to deliver your last clue. Boss says since you and Luna have been cooperating you deserve one last clue," I see in the corner of my eye Alexander shoot up from his seat at the sound of Luna's name coming from this man. I subtly shake my head at him and he stays put, but he's shaking in anger.
I look back to the man and he squints his eyes at me in suspicion but I look away at Kain. "What the fuck do you mean Luna's been cooperating?"
The man's lips turn into a snarky smirk. "I'm not here to talk about Luna's stay with us," his eyes burn into me so much so that I can't help but to look back and meet his stare. "I'm here only to tell you that your safe place is no longer safe."
My safe place?
"Why couldn't you leave a note like you have every other time?" Kain asks in irritation.
"Boss was too busy to write this time," he says with a smirk.
This gets my attention, "Busy doing what?" Kain and I ask simultaneously.
His smirk grows. "Preparing things for Luna... you know in case you don't get there in time..."
I see Alex ready to attack this man and I turn my head to him with wide eyes trying to communicate through my eyes. "What are you looking at? Are there others here? Have you told other people?" The man's accent thickens as the anger builds in his voice.
"What? No!" I protest.
The man pushes me, making me loss my balance and fall backwards. He storms in to find Alex and James waiting for us. I see the storm that was brewing in both Kain and Alex's eyes boil over at the sight of me on the floor. James shoots up to help me up.
"You stupid girl! You stupid, stupid girl! Boss will not be happy about this!" The man seethes at me.
"How dare you touch her!" Kain yells at the same time.
And Alex a moment later, "What have you done to my daughter?"
It all happens in slow motion, I watch Kain's hazel eyes darken and his arm lift. Then I see Alex's blue eyes freeze to ice as he takes a step closer. "Kain no!" I yell as his arm starts pulling back, his hand in a fist. The man starts turning around from looking at Alex just as he meets a fist to his face.
The punch knocks the man off balance, right into Alexander who grabs his arms, holding them hostage. Kain eyes him and Alex gives him a nod. Kain's lips form into a smirk as he stalks closer.
"You lay one more hand on me and Luna is dead," the man spits, blood dripping onto the floor from Kain's punch. Kain pauses, his smirk faltering. Alex's grip loosens. James helps me the rest of the way up.
"You're already on thin ice seeing as you told others, you wouldn't want to completely lose your chance now would you?" I wasn't sure if he was bargaining with them because he genuinely thought Kain and Alex could hurt him more or if he was helping us... Why would they be trying so hard to help us find them? Why do they so badly want us to make it in time? None of this makes any sense...
I approach them and stand between Kain and the man. Kain is shaking with anger, his eyes swirling with indecision. I place my hands on his cheeks so he focused on me. His eyes almost immediately soften at the sight of me. They then scan down my body, "I'm okay," I tell him and he lets out a sigh of relief. "Calm down, we can't make this worse."
Kain nods and leans his forehead against mine as he calms himself. I'm aware that this might be strange for everyone around us to witness and I can't imagine what Alex is thinking, but I just need Kain to relax so he doesn't make this worse.
A chortle behind us had us pulling away though. I eye the man who Alex had released. "Boss will be very interested in hearing about this... As far as we knew from what Luna told us you two were not together..." He looks at us with an evil glint in his eye.
Alex shifts uncomfortably and Kain places a reassuring hand on my back as James stares at us all in deep confusion. "We're not," I tell the man.
"Luna tells us you were with her father," The man replies when his eyes suddenly light up, he turns to Alex, "And you just referred to her as your daughter! So you must be the one Luna spoke of," he then starts looking around at all of us curiously.
"We're no longer together," Alex says and hearing it out loud I thought I would feel an overwhelming pain, but it only stings.
The man raises his eyebrows. "Interesting...well my work here is done. I must report back to Boss. She will be very curious to hear everything that has gone down tonight..." The man says before heading for the door, not bothering to address the blood still dripping from his mouth.
Without turning around he adds, "Don't bother following me or she'll be dead by the time I get back."
When he's gone we all continue to stand around in silence as I think back to his 'last clue.' It all of a sudden hits me when I turn back to meet Kain's stare.
My safe place... the forest. The forest was my safe place.
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Here's a longer chapter for you! Hope you guys are enjoying This Life, don't forget to vote and leave comments with your thoughts! I'd love to know what you're thinking!
-Julia :)