Chapter 20:
That's strange
Since Colton has left me alone in the passage I decide to explore the house, seeing as there's nothing else to do anyway. I start walking in a direction that's only known to the one above and I find myself staring at three doors - one on the left and two on the right.
I wonder how many rooms are there upstairs of there's already three downstairs...
"Let's go in here first," I whisper to myself and twist the door knob of the first door on the right.
The room is eerily dark as if the light has been prohibited from entering. Although, there are thin streaks of sunlight seeping through the tiny curtain pores of the navy curtain covering the only window at the end of the room. There isn't much in this room, just a few boxes lying randomly on the ground in stacks and singley, and a few papers lying around.
Me being in the mood to snoop around due to my inquisitive self, I tread further into the room to take a better look at my surroundings. In the far left corner of the room, right next the window, there is a collage of photos and sticky notes pinned onto the wall, with a red web of string connecting each picture to another—exactly like they do in the movies.
That's strange.
My prying self takes a few steps further to take a better look at the pictures and I gasp as my eye lands on one name in particular after scanning the images and sticky notes.
Luther.
His name and pictures are plastered all over. He was caught being in different locations ever since his escape from prison. A month ago he was seen at a gas station wearing a white cap and grey overalls in Louisiana—always the gas stations—and about two and a half weeks ago, he was seen just a few miles out of the state, with some woman who looks oddly familiar.
Tristan has been keeping track of Luther.
For some odd reason, this makes my blood boil with fury. I do not know exactly why I feel agitated but I hate how Tristan never bothered to tell me that he is hunting down my enemy. I hate how he never thought of actually involving me somehow in the investigation. I hate how he never even contacted me when he left and hate how he'll never tell me the—
"What are you doing in here?"
Speak of the devil and he'll appear.
"When did you start with all of this?" I ask with a nonchalant tone without even turning back to look at who it is because I recognize his voice way too much.
"You shouldn't be in here," he growls and the sound of his steps tells me that he is slowly approaching me.
"Were you ever going to tell me?" I ignore his statement.
"You weren't supposed to find out," his voice is dangerously close behind me and I can almost feel his heavy breaths fanning my exposed neck.
"How long were you going to hide thid from me, Tristan?" I ignore his trivial statement once again.
"Leave," he spits out bitterly.
He's stern, cold voice takes me aback and I almost shiver at the lack of emotion. I turn to face him, but I instantly regret it because the proximity between us is less than I thought. His face is but a few inches from mine and I can smell his intoxicating cologne from where I stand. I bravely tilt my head up to stare at him dead in the eye and I frown when I notice just how dark his eyes have become. They are no longer the hazel crystals I'm used to and fell in love with, but have now become so void of any reflection of light that a cold shiver runs down my spine. I'm just going to blame it on the lighting of the room just to make myself feel better.
"Why, Tristan?" At this point, I can only whisper. All energy has been vacuumed out of my body from the new discovery.
"I didn't want you know," he breaks the eye contact and covers his face with both his hands before taking a step back.
"But why? You know I want to find him as much as you do."
"Because I cannot risk him knowing where you are or that you are close to me!" He raises his voice. "The moment he knows that you searching for him, he'll leave false traces that'll only lead us to dead ends or we'll be caught in his traps. And if he finds out that we're in the same city he'll only use one of us to get to the other, which will only make him win."
"I'm pretty sure he already knows I want to find him," I roll my eyes. "Don't you think he might be already leaving false traces? Are you sure that you are on the right track? And what if he has already hired one of his hitmen to find either of us?"
"I don't care!" He exclaims. "All I care about is you being safe until we find the man who ruined everything between us!"
Everything between us...
I think he also might have understood the underlying meaning in his words because the next thing I see is Tristan storming out of the room with not a word more said. Now I'm left wondering when exactly did he start searching for the culprit and if his early move to California was actually because of Luther and no other valid reason.
"Hailey?" Sam's voice pulls me out of my deep thoughts and I turn my head to see her standing at the door.
"Oh, Sam," I say, sounding a bit flushed for some reason. "I was just taking a peak since I got lost and was bored. Sorry for snooping around and intruding." I apologize in the sincerest manner possible even though I don't mean it a single bit.
"Well, this room is private, even I'm not allowed in here for some unknown reason," she says as a matter of fact. "So how about you leave before Tristan catches you." She says while checking the coast for any sign of Tristan.
He already has.
"You're right," I say and walk out, shutting the door behind me. "Please don't tell him." I pretend to beg her to not tell on me since she did not notice Tristan both entering and leaving the room few minutes ago.
"It's our little secret," she grins like a Cheshire cat. "He won't know a thing unless, of course, you stole something," all of a sudden her expression turns into a hard glare and she has her eyes narrowed.
"Uhm," I try to speak but her glare makes me feel guilty for some reason. "N-no?" My response comes out in a form of a question and I mentally slap myself for caving in knowing very well I'm innocent.
"I'm just teasing you," she laughs and walks away. "You should have seen your face!" she shouts for me to hear as her figure disappears.
What was that about?
_________
"Dude, are you alright?" Chase nudges my rib from his seat on my right. "You seem a bit... Off."
After the whole incident with Tristan and Sam, I stole a bag of potato chips from the kitchen before joining Chase, Jordan and Colton in the TV room. The rest of the guys are somewhere around the house, along with Sam.
"I'm fine," I dig into my Lays plain salted potato chips. "Just thinking about something." I throw a potato chip into my mouth, chewing faster than usual.
"Well then, a penny for your thoughts?" He stops tapping his phone and awaits my answer with an expectant look.
"You won't answer me anyway," I answer after swallowing and roll my eyes. "You're all the same." I say rather harshly without shame.
"Woah," Chase stares at me as I've grown two heads. "What has gotten into you? And what's with the cold attitude?"
"It's her time of the month, bro," Colton butts in, clearly having eavesdropped from his position on the armchair next the couch we are sitting on. "That's why she has been rude all morning even when you try to help her," he stares at me with a stupid smirk that makes me want to punch his face.
"Shut up, Colton," I glare at him through a dim view. "Before I shut you up with my—"
"Lips?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. "I'd be delighted if you did," he says in a fake British accent.
"I. Hate. You." I grit out.
"We all know you love me, babe," the idiot winks at me.
"And I'll be on my phone," I hear Chase whisper to himself, excusing himself from all awkwardness in my conversation with Colton.
"Excuse me," I stand up abruptly and turn back to walk away but a body suddenly slams right into mine, knocking me off my feet.
But before I can fall backwards, an arm snakes itself around my waist, catching me in the process, so that my butt does not have to kiss the floor.
Phew that was a close one—wait!
"Next time I'm not catching you again," A deep voice whispers into my right ear so that only I can hear and I immediately know that it is Tristan who has caught me.
And here I was trying to avoid him.
"But you always do," my tongue betrays me even before I can think of a better reply and I make the mistake of staring into his eyes... Again.
I don't know how long we have been standing like this, but we are both brought back to reality by Jordan's voice.
"Are you gonna kiss her or...?" Jordan stupidity asks Tristan.
Seriously, Jordan?!
"I need the bathroom," I excuse myself and peel myself from his arm, running away from the awkwardness Jordan decided to create for us altogether.
I'm gonna murder him. Twice.
"Kiss who?" I hear Sam ask the lot since she was not there to witness the weird exchange but managed to hear Jordan of all things.
"No one," I hear Tristan brush off the topic.
I'm gonna murder him too.
_________
Hello my dear friends! 😬😬
Here's an update... Finally after a century...
So my creative juices finally started to function again hence this chapter 😎😁 I know it's late but I've had a lot on my plate lately and it's only now that I am able to write due to our extended school holiday 🎉🎊🎉🎊
And thank you guys for reaching 220k+ reads 🎊🎊 y'alls are amazing!
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter as boring as it was.
Comment on what you think of Tristan's sort of plan and the tension between him and Hailey.
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