I stop my train of thought before it gets me in trouble, and unlock the phone, “I know how to make calls,” mostly for Lucia, the team, and the taxi place, “But I’m supposed to be able to ‘look up’ things?”
Surely that’ll save me from my own thoughts today. I saw Christian do it a few times, but I don’t know how. I still have to read through Reuben’s language too. Once I get the gist of it, I should be able to make sense of him a bit more.
The child watches me for a moment, before finally speaking, “Fifty dollars.”
I blink.
You’re haggling?!
Stars.
Before I can turn on my heels to walk away he's grabbed the hem of my shirt and there's a strange fear in his eyes that makes me hesitate.
“I—I bet you don’t want anyone to know you can’t use a phone.”
A dangerously accurate guess.
“I’ll drop it to forty just for you.” He holds out his hand as if to say ‘give me the phone’ and somehow everything about him immediately makes sense.
A lonely kid with a crazy mouth.
A smile touches the corner of my lips as I crouch back down, “Thirty.”
“Thirty-seven.”
I have to struggle not to laugh as I hand the phone over and he seems very pleased with himself as he shows me how to search for videos and information.
“So I can watch TV on this?” My brows furrow. I’d never seen Christian do it that way. “Like movies?”
“Of course you can,” the boy huffs. “Here, use this website.” He types something in and a plethora of various options pops up.
Before I can blink, I’m typing in the words ‘Syndicate’ and the various seasons and episodes show up. It’s only been ninety-five days still the deaths of the Adler Squad… yet it turns out, an entire season has come out since then.
When none of them are here to watch it with me anymore.
“You watch Syndicate?” The boy’s eyes are wide.
I feel a little heavier than I did moments ago, but I answer honestly in a soft voice, “It’s my favourite.”
His eyes immediately light up, “Did you see the part where James saved Sullivan? He ran into enemy territory and beat up all the bad guys.”
My eyes crease with suspicion, “Lies. James doesn't like Sullivan enough to do that.”
I'm disliking the smirk that comes to the boy’s face, “Oh, you're really far behind. Sullivan is even closer now to James than his second.”
My scowl deepens, “That doesn't even make sense—”
“Season fourteen episode six,” He rolls off the exact episode with a smirk that irks me. “You have some catching up to do, old man.”
This kid—
“Kai.” A woman's voice interrupts us both and the boy’s head snaps towards the sound, towards a beautiful woman with golden skin and short, wavy hair that tousles around her face just like someone else I know. Her blue jeans hug shapely thighs while her pedicured toes are enclosed in white sandals, and a long grey cardigan falls to her ankles over a white vest with thin straps.
Her face is round, her lips are glossy and full, and I have to blink when she tilts her head, watching me curiously behind familiar, piercing eyes.
Because she’s insanely beautiful… and also insanely familiar.
“Es hora de conocer aBaachan.” The woman’s voice is rich and sugary in the air and the child beside me rises to his feet.
