“What about all the guy clothes here?”
“They’re Xav’s. He’s my… partner, brother type person. We live together at home, and this is our safe house, so we both have stuff here.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He tipped me off they were coming, and when I got to you, they were already there. It kind of went a bit chaotic.”
“So, he hasn’t been in touch.”
“No, I dumped everything. He knows where I would bring you, but he won’t come here. He won’t want to tip anyone off that he knows where I am.”
“So, he knows about me?”
“Yes.”
“Are you two…together?”
“No!” She frowns. “He’s my… best friend, my only friend. We grew up together he’s like my brother, my family. We’ve never been together, not like that.”
“Why me?”
“You were nice to me.”
“We’ve never met before. I would remember you.”
She huffs and smiles. “We met outside a coffee shop; you ran into me, spilt your coffee on my hand…”
“Then I dragged you into the toilet to run your hand under the cold tap? That was you?”
I look her up and down in confusion because I remember that woman I tried to go after her. I went back to the coffee shop at the same time every day for weeks in the hopes of bumping into her again.
“I was wearing a disguise.”
“Why?”
“The downside of the job is that I can never just be me. I have to be someone else most of the time.”
“Is this you now, then, or are you playing a character?”
“This is me. The real me. I think.” She shrugs as if that sucks and she’s not enough on her own, and I move closer to her.
“Why are they really after me?”
“Because I went against Father. He wants to pull me back in line, and I refuse to go willingly. He thinks killing you removes the ‘distraction’.” She air quotes around distraction, and I huff.
“So I’m a distraction, huh.”
“Kinda.”
I smile at her, and she gives me what looks like an actual genuine smile. I reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You should smile more often. When you do, you’re… kinda beautiful.” Her eyes widen a little, and I get lost in them. Those beautiful blue doe eyes seem slightly too big for her face, giving her this endearing, sweet look. I see her eyes flick to my lips and back again before she lets out a shaky breath.
“You seem nervous.” I smile at her. The tough girl isn’t around at the moment. She looks unsure, vulnerable. I cup her face.
“Do I make you nervous?”
“A little,” she whispers, and I smile again at her, keeping my hand on her face.
