Cruz
I met with Vincent and Ryan at Vincent's office and spoke with them about Lexie. I explained the situation to them, hoping it would benefit us. Vincent sat behind his desk as Ryan stood there with his arms across his chest.
"No," Vincent answered. I knew Vincent would disagree with my idea. He always does. "This is my family," Vincent told me.
"I agree with Vincent on this," Ryan added.
"I understand where you both are coming from with Lexie, but she already feels like she isn't a typical teenager. Lexie is a good kid, but if we can ease off a little, then the bodyguard can do his job," I reasoned.
Vincent sat in his chair and rubbed his chin as Ryan disagreed with my alterations to the bodyguard's job.
"No," Vincent said as I stood there.
I knew it would come to resistance from both, so I had a backup plan.
"Then you leave me no choice," I said as both watched me go over to the door and opened it to Lacey standing there. Vincent rose from his chair as Lacey entered his office.
Lacey walked over to the desk and stopped. Vincent gave me an annoyed look, knowing why Lacey was here, and Ryan sighed.
"Lacey," Vincent greeted her. He wasn't happy, and I didn't care. I needed this to work.
"I see we reached an impasse. I informed Cruz that if you both disagreed with his request, then he has my blessing," Lacey informed both.
Vincent gave her a disapproving look, knowing with Lacey that she had the final say.
"There is a reason I chose Ryan to watch the kids and established rules. It's for the children's protection," Vincent argued.
"We still protect the children, and Lexie will have a personal bodyguard. Our children are not a business contract or deal. You want to know why Lexie, Landon, and Valeria feel different; it's because you make them feel that way. You're so worried that someone will kidnap them you give them little freedom," Lacey told Vincent.
Vincent moved away from the desk to Lacey. Ryan and I stood there, watching them.
"Everything we went through with the kids, I don't want something to happen to them. You and the children are my everything," Vincent said.
"I know, but I also know the kids need some freedom. Vincent, we can't always protect them, but we can give them a chance to protect themselves. Ryan taught Emilia what to do, and she saved Lexie when she was six," Lacey reminded Vincent.
"I will not win this argument, will I?" Vincent asked.
"No," Lacey answered.
Vincent conceded and agreed with my new revisions to the bodyguard's job. After agreeing to the new changes, I left Vincent's office. I met with Thomas to explain the new arrangement, and he agreed with it. It was a step in the right direction.
I left Thomas and met with Sergio, who is sitting in a cafe, drinking an espresso. I joined him at a table and ordered a coffee.
"Well," Sergio asked.
"I altered the job requirements. Vincent and Ryan disagreed, but Lacey was the deciding factor," I explained. Sergio chuckled.
The server brought a cup of coffee to me, and Sergio slid a file across the table. I picked it up and flipped through the folder as I drank my coffee. After reading the contents of the record, I looked at him.
"The internet is easy to access, and people are disappearing without a trace. It's become a bigger issue with human trafficking," Sergio explained.
That information disturbed me.
"Kids getting bullied, neglected, and feel isolated. They turn to an anonymous source for attention. The person uses it to their advantage and lures unsuspecting kids away from their homes. The kids are as young and pubescent," Sergio said.
"I know Lexie doesn't use the internet for chatting. Vincent and Lacey check the kids' phones," I said.
"Even the diligent parent can miss the signs. Not every child comes from a broken home. If a predator wants the kid or teen bad enough, they will get them," Sergio reasoned.
Human traffickers became smarter and more accessible to people. The internet had more apps. It unsuspecting children and teens away from their home life. They disappear without a trace until one day. The authorities recover a body, and the parents have to bury their child.
It's a terrifying world that is becoming more dangerous as years progress. All we can do is work harder to prevent that from happening and save a life. With the new arrangements, I hoped to do that.
Lexie
After my last class, I got my books out of my locker and talked to Quinn when Thomas walked up.
"Why do you look like you lost your dog?" I asked Thomas, who looked defeated.
He held up a paper, and it showed a D in English. That didn't surprise me, considering the curriculum was more demanding when you're in AP classes.
"Could you help me? I can't let my grade point average drop, or Harvard is out of the question," Thomas said as I looked at him.
"Yeah, because heaven forbid you to go to Brown or Yale," Quinn joked as I giggled.
Thomas rolled his eyes.
"English has always been a difficult subject for me. I need help, and I know you do well in it," Thomas said to me.
"Okay, but I have to let my uncle know and call my parents. I can't do homework without interruptions from my siblings," I replied as I closed my locker.
The three of us left the school and walked out to my uncle's car, waiting for us. My siblings made their way out to the car, and I explained about Thomas. Ryan agreed, which I found odd, but blew it off. He must have an off day. He took Quinn and my siblings home, dropping Quinn off at her house along the way.
I got into Thomas's car, and he drove us to his home. We went inside, and I followed him into the kitchen, noticing the stove.
"Uh, nice stove," I mentioned, pointing at the stove that looked charbroiled.
"Yeah, I'm not a very good cook, and my parents are sending a new one," Thomas mentioned as I snickered. "I'm going to change; then we can work on homework. Make yourself at home." He left the kitchen as I looked around.
I opened the fridge and grabbed the water. I looked around, finding a pantry, and looked at the snacks. I pulled out some things and made something to eat for the both of us. By the time I finished, Thomas had emerged, and I couldn't help but stare at him.
Thomas was wearing a pair of sweats, a form-fitting tank top that showed off his muscles, and socks.
"Did you make food?" Thomas asked, knocking me out of a fuel induced hormonal stare.
"Uh, yeah, I thought we could eat while we work on homework," I mentioned, trying to keep my composure.
"Sounds good to me. Let's go into the living room, and we can work on some English," he said, acting casual. I gulped as I grabbed a plate and walked into the living room, sitting down on a couch. Thomas joined me as I pulled out my books and notebooks.
I couldn't help but glance at Thomas. Not only is he smart and sweet, but he has one hell of a body. I had to focus, but it was difficult with him next to me, looking like that. We worked on homework and ate until we finished. I packed up my books and sat there, trying to maintain my composure.
"That wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be," Thomas mentioned. Speak for yourself. That was difficult.
"Yeah, it helps when you have someone to help you," I said.
"Well, you can help me more so I don't fail," Thomas suggested.
"Sure," I replied, trying to find words that were eluding me now.
"So," Thomas said.
"So," I said.
"What does one do for fun around here?" He asked as I looked at him.
"Well, we go to dances, movies, balls, hang out," I rambled as Thomas looked at me. Why was I so nervous? I ramble when I'm nervous. Oh, that's right, because the new guy looks like this.
"Since I'm new, you can show me?" Thomas asked as I looked at him and smiled.
"I can do that," I answered as I heard a knock at the door. Thomas got up to answer it, and I heard Ryan's voice. I picked up my bag and walked to the front door, leaving with Ryan.
There were so many things about Thomas I like. The weirdest part is I felt drawn to him in a way I never felt with anyone, not even with Charlie. A smile curled on my face. This would be more, then again, my luck it would lead to my dad. That thought irked me. I guess time will tell.