“Aw, come on. You’re not still mad about the photo, are you?” Jae glanced over the passenger seat. His companion stared out the car window, sulking by herself, “I’m just saying if you need someone off your back, I am willing to volunteer.”
His eyes went back to the road in front of him. The pain in his legs had subsided but they still stung whenever he moved them. The girl really knew how to use her shoes—especially the heels. He should start adding more workout routines for his leg muscles.
Emily’s temple throbbed. Arms folded over her chest, her hands clenched into fists. Oh, how she wanted to say something…! But they had an agreement. She would stop yelling and hitting him. In exchange, Jae would pay for dinner instead of her.
He gave her an offer she couldn’t refuse.
Free food was free food.
Now, she resorted to fuming silently. She had refused to open that message with the photo in it. It went straight to her trash bin. She was better off without an image of that nightmare. Or else, it would follow her in her sleep.
“Look,” Jae sighed, “I don’t feel okay knowing that some creep is out there who could hurt you. It doesn’t matter if we live in different cities, I will go haul his ass off to Timbuktu. Before I could go that far, of course, a photo is the current best defense. If you need more evidence, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I can take care of myself. Thank you very much” Emily scoffed, “I’m handling it just fine.”
“It can’t hurt to ask for some help” he retorted, “You said it yourself. That photo with Alex could have been a good chance. Now, you have something like it.”
Emily really, really wanted to be mad but… that temptation to finally get them off her backs slightly overpowered it. She shook her head. What was she thinking? No way would she use those pictures. She would not give in.
“I still have a copy in case you changed your mind” Jae teased, the pitch rising by the end. He parked in front of Aunt Lilly’s house and stepped out.
He reached the other side just in time for her to crack the door open. He took the handle and pulled it the rest of the way, a hand ready for Emily to grab for assistance. She climbed off, holding his hand. When she touched the ground, her head snapped up. She realized what just happened.
Man, she really must have been used to her life back home with her chauffeur and butler.
The gesture just came naturally.
Emily snatched her hand back and huffed. Chin raised high, she stomped on her way to the porch. Her arms stuck to her sides and her hands still in clenched fists. She probably looked petty but she didn’t care. This was the only thing she could do now and she’d make the best of it.
Footsteps jogged up to her from behind. Her back felt a warm presence. She picked up silent snickers along with it. Her nails dug into her palms.
Wasn’t the big blonde oaf going home yet?
At the front door, Emily grasped the knob. She turned it and met resistance. She tried again, the knob merely rattled. Her eyes widened in alarm. Of all the days her aunt and her cousin remembered to lock it… it had to be today?!
Jae stepped around her and knocked on the door. He smiled down at her pouting face.
Emily peeked at him in reflex. Catching herself doing it, she avoided his gaze, “What are you still doing here?”
He shrugged, glancing at the door, “I just wanted to make sure you get back okay.”
“What could possibly even happen?” She rolled her eyes.
Jae chuckled and heard noise from the other side.
The door opened and revealed Alex’s state, a hand on the door frame. She wore yoga pants and an oversized black shirt. Her eyes spotted Jae immediately. Her brows shot up at the unexpected guest. If she remembered the time correctly, they seemed to be out quite late.
Oh, she’d love to hear what happened. Knowing her cousin, it must be a doozy.
Jae started at her toes and up to her face. He raised an eyebrow, “Is that Logan’s shirt?”
“It’s mine” Alex replied, a deadpan expression on her face. She dropped her hand and moved back, opening the door further.
“Well, then,” Emily stepped inside and waved at the big blonde oaf, “Thank you for the lift but I hope to see you again in forever and a day.”
“Actually…” her cousin spoke hesitantly. Her gaze flickered towards Jae for a second, “I think we should let him inside.”
Emily blinked at Alex. Then, she placed her hands on her hips. Her protesting eyes glared, “You’re not serious! Please, tell me that you’re not.”
“I’d love to… but I’m not. We need to talk about our suspect.”
“Did you find out who it is?” Jae cut in.
“No, solid evidence yet” Alex bit her bottom lip. She glanced alternatively at the two, “But we may need a game plan.”
===
“Say what now?!” Emily yelled, standing up from her chair.
They moved their conversation to the dinner table. Alex narrated her recent encounter with Skye. As expected, both parties showed a few violent reactions. A scowl appeared on Jae’s face. Alex remained calm while Emily began to pace across from her.
“Of course, she knows it’s you. I already bet she’s the one Carla mentioned. How dare she come here and try to ruin your life!” Emily slammed a hand on the table and went back to walking, “We have to get her now! She’s not even supposed to be near you!”
Alex had her feet up on the chair. Her legs bent in front of her. Elbows on her knees, she massaged her left temple, “It’s not that easy. Unless we have solid evidence that she knows, it’s easy for her to claim that she doesn’t. Anyway, that’s not what I’m worried about—”
Her cousin halted in her steps. She approached the table, a flabbergasted look on her face, “What do you mean that’s not what you’re worried about?”
“Em, that kind of work will rest on Aunt Lilly’s hands. All we could do is wait for her and Atty. Peyton to find something. We can’t be hasty and seize her without the evidence. It could do us more damage than good. What I want to know is her motivation… because she didn’t approach me when I was alone” Alex raised a finger, “She did that to someone else.”
“Logan” Jae said curtly. He leaned back on his chair beside Emily’s. His tongue poked his inner cheek, “What the hell would she even want with Logan?”
Did she come to repent or something? It seemed unlikely. Come to think of it, the time at the Red Panda Hotel… she called out to him only to mention Logan. Was that her way of telling him that she’d be in Woodlands soon?
Alex shook her head, “I don’t know and I want to find out. But… no way in hell would I let her get close to him just to figure it out.”
Her cousin scoffed, “So what? You’ll just walk up to her and ask?”
A sheepish smile painted on Alex’s lips. She scratched the back of her neck, a knowing look directed at Emily. She received an evident frown from her cousin’s face. Without even hearing it yet, she already displayed her disapproval.
Emily’s tongue clicked. In a low voice, she breathed out, “You’re not about to single her out yourself, are you? What happened to ‘we can’t seize without evidence’?”
“That’s about Alex Carter and Alexandra Greenwood. She talked as if she just met me. She also sees Alex as Logan’s friend. Wouldn’t it be natural for a friend of his to talk to her when given the chance?”
The truth was, Alex hoped it to be a ‘two birds with one stone’ situation. Either Skye would acknowledge her as Alexandra or not. Based on their previous conversation at the hotel, her childhood friend grew up to be someone who loved to brag. She only needed to figure out how to bait her into talking.
Recalling what happened at the diner, Alex felt confident that Skye would open her mouth if it came to her admiration of Logan.
Jae raised a hand, “I object. It’s too risky. It’s better if I do it.”
“But considering what happened last time, I don’t think she’ll be cooperative” she pointed out, “It would be better if a third party did it.”
Silence fell into the room. Emily hadn’t resumed her pacing. She clutched the top of the chair’s backrest instead. Jae glared at the table. His hands itched to drag that girl away from his brother and his family. Whatever she came for, it didn’t sound good.
“Why not let me talk to her?” Emily suggested.
“Would you be able to restrain yourself from scratching her eyes out?”
“No, which is why I want to volunteer so I can finally get that out of my list.”
Jae snapped his fingers, “Why not… let Colin do it?”
Both girls whirled their heads in his direction. They had been too focused about the people in the room. They weren’t the only ones who knew Skye’s existence. They forgot that allies also existed outside of it. All of them were only a call away.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea to have more people know about my secret, Jae” Alex replied skeptically. In theory, Colin had the gentlest demeanor. He’s the guy everyone approached because they felt comfortable around him. He did sound like the best person for Skye to open up to.
Jae shook his head and his hand, “We don’t need to tell him that. We’re focused on her motives for Logan. That’s all he needs to know. He’s not in the dark about what happened years ago. He’ll cooperate.”
“He does seem like the guy you’d trust” Emily nodded slowly, her eyes staring at nothing, “I think Skye would want him on her side. Sucker up to him so he’d give a good word to Logan. That’s it. I’m convinced.”
Alex pressed her lips together. When her cousin placed it like that, it did sound like the best plan. Her other intention would have to go to the back corner for now. What mattered first was Logan’s safety—physically, mentally and emotionally.
They needed that pest out of his life.
