Chapter Four

Claire’s Point of View

“Thanks again Nick,” I said stepping out of his car.

“No problem, see you tomorrow,” he said, and I nodded, shutting his car door. I still couldn’t believe Caiden left me at the beach. Actually, on second thought I could. That’s something he would definitely do, but only if he was really pissed.

“Caiden!” I called, opening the door and locking it behind me. I knew he was here because both of our cars were in the driveway. When I didn’t see him on the first floor of the house I went upstairs and saw him sitting on our bed with his back against the headboard. “Caiden?” I called again this time softly.

“I love you,” Caiden said suddenly, completely surprising me. I thought he was furious with me?

“What?”

“I said, I love you. I know I don’t show it often, which is why you decide to fuck my enemies, but you should know you’re the only reason I even did something with my life. I could’ve been some alcoholic and just sat in my apartment drinking my life away, but then I met you and I hated you.”

Was that last part suppose to be sweet?

“I really did hate you and I wanted nothing to do with you, but then you followed me into the park that day and just talked to me. You didn’t speak to me like I was some person who just escaped from some insane asylum, you spoke to me like you actually wanted to get to know me.”

Caiden’s eyes turned away from me and instead focused out the window at the setting sun.

“Why are you telling me all of this now?” I asked, taking a seat at the end of our bed.

“Because I don’t want to lose you. Everything in my life has been going great. And if you leave then I’ll just turn back into the man I was,” he said, shaking his head in disgust. “Just answer one question for me: Are you just doing this to spite me?”

I was offended that he would think such a thing, but then I remembered he’s never been in a relationship and part of him will always feel like everyone is trying to hurt him.

“Of course not. Caiden, I will say this once and once only. I would never sleep with anyone besides you. I love you, and  I wouldn’t ruin what we have for some low life like Jesse,” I told him, moving so I was sitting on my knees in between his legs. I grabbed ahold of his hands.

“That’s good to hear,” Caiden said, still not looking at me. He removed my hands from his and picked me up, moving me so I was sitting next to him.

“Are you seriously still upset?” I asked, throwing my hands up.

He smirked. It wasn’t a charming smirk that would make my heart melt; no, it was a sinister smirk.

“Claire, you know so much about my past, but I’ve come to find out I don’t know much about yours,” he snarled, making me confused.

“There isn’t much to know. I’ve pretty much told you everything,” I said frowning.

“Yeah, everything you say, but it seems you failed to mention anything about your exes,” he hissed, letting his hazel eyes snap to my blue ones.

I wasn’t sure what he was worried about, but it was starting to irritate me. We’ve been together for years, yet he still doesn’t trust me.

“I’ve had like two boyfriends my whole life, not including you,” I said, raising my eyebrow. I had no idea where he was even going with this.

“Yeah, you told me that you had two boyfriends in your middle school life, but you didn’t ever mention anything about the other one. You know like how he ended the relationship and not you. And that he fucking left you because he had to, not because he wanted to,” Caiden said clenching his fists.

Liam. I knew he was talking about Liam. I wouldn’t lie – he was definitely an important part of my life at one point. Thinking back I remembered how I meant to him at such a strange time.

I wiped my tears as I sat on the swing rocking back and forth. I was thankful the park was empty because I’m sure people would laugh if they saw me crying. I was suppose to be a strong, stubborn girl, yet here I was crying over a little conversation with Nathan. I’m pathetic. At age seventeen I’m over here crying over a boy for the first time in my life. I should’ve known he would always think of me as his best friend. I mean, how dumb could I be to not realize he liked Mia.

“You okay?” I immediately sat up taller and focused on the handsome man in front of me with midnight blue hair.

“I’m fine,” I replied, wiping the tears.

“Your tears say otherwise,” he said, taking a seat on the swing next to me. I looked at him carefully and studied his appearance. I could tell he was definitely not a high school student.

“Like I said before, I’m fine,” I said, standing up. I wiped my hands on my jeans and put my hands in my coat pockets. I started walking down the path watching as little snowflakes started to fall.

“Whatever it is, don’t let it ruin your day. You’re too pretty to be crying over some guy,” the man said from behind me. I narrowed my eyes when he was suddenly next to me.

“I never said I was crying over a guy,” I told him, pursing my lips in irritation.

“You didn’t have to. My guess is you’re about sixteen or seventeen and some highschool fuck boy broke your heart and that’s why you’re here crying,” he said, making me pause and look at him. I stared at him for a minute before cracking a smile and letting out a small laugh. I expected him to call him a player – never before have I heard someone call a guy that’s with a lot of girls a fuck boy. Maybe it’s a UK thing.

“I’m seventeen and he isn’t some fuck boy. He’s my best friend, and I made the mistake of falling for him,” I said.

He gave me a sad smile.

“Like I said before, a pretty girl like you shouldn’t be wasting her tears on a guy,” he said, moving his hand to wipe my tears. But before his hand could touch my face I smacked it away.

“Thank you, but I don’t know you so don’t touch me,” I told him before starting to walk away again. I wasn’t some pushover girl who would let any random guy touch her.

“How about you let me get to know you over dinner tomorrow?” he asked, giving me a charming smile. I raised an eyebrow, silently thinking about it.

“That’s always the best idea, dinner with a stranger.”

“How do you expect someone to become something more if you don’t take the time to know them?”

“You’re just some guy who showed up at a park,” I said slightly amused.

“True, yet something tells me you’re not going to say no to my offer,” he said smiling.

I couldn’t help but return the look before narrowing my eyes.

“Fine. Steak and Shake tomorrow at five,” I responded.

He smirked.

“Deal.”

That time when I walked away he didn’t follow, making me crack a smile. Something about him intrigued me.

I gasped suddenly when I realized I didn’t know his name. Turning around, I was about to ask, but he was already gone.

Liam was there for me at a time when I needed someone and that’s why after getting to know him it didn’t take me long to fall in love, but the thing is it only lasted a year. During that year I found out Liam was an agent, and he was there on a mission. And when he had to go back to London that was where our connections had to be cut off, just like Caiden said. We broke up because we had to not because we wanted to. Agents aren’t allowed to date outside the agency, which is why I didn’t understand why Caiden was worried.

“I haven’t talked to him in years,” I said softly. I wasn’t going to sit here and fight with him. I’m tired of fighting.

“Which is why you can’t promise that you won’t have any feelings for him if you see him again,” Caiden said, picking me up, moving me to the side of him, and standing up.

“I can promise you because I haven’t seen him in years! When I hear his name I don’t feel anything. When I think about him I don’t feel anything. Don’t you understand Caiden? I don’t feel anything at all for him because I was a teenager when I had feelings for him!” I said, following him out of the room.” I’ll never see him again so this conversation is completely irrelevant. Caiden simply scoffed and shook his head almost like he knew something I didn’t.

“Fine, let’s just drop this then,” he said, grabbing his keys.

“Where are you going?” I asked, frowning as he slipped on his shoes.

“Out,” he said before the front door slammed closed.

Shaking my head, I went upstairs and took a quick shower before getting into bed. If he wanted to act like a child then he could, I definitely wouldn’t stop him.

Riley’s Point of View

“Are you coming with me today?” I asked Joey as he tried to style his hair in the mirror.

“Yeah, it’ll be nice to get out the house. We’ve been here for four days already and I haven’t got to do anything,” he complained, making me roll my eyes.

“You could go undercover with me,” I suggested.

He shook his head.

“Not yet. Jesse will figure it out that it’s us and then this whole mission will be ruined and will take time that we don’t have to finish it,” Joey said.

I nodded in agreement.

“Good point. Now come on, I don’t want to be late,” I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the front door.

“I hope your brother likes me,” he said almost nervously.

I smiled at him.

“He will. But remember the focus of this meeting is to talk to him a bit about the killings around here. He needs to know about me being undercover in case he sees me and decides he wants to yell out my name or something,” I said. He nodded.

It only took us about fifteen minutes to arrive at the little cafe. I narrowed my eyes when I caught sight of my brother and some girl. This meeting was suppose to be private. What was so hard to understand about that?

“Nathan,” I greeted. He nodded in acknowledgment.

“Riley? It’s a pleasure to see you again. I haven’t seen you in years. You look so different,” Nathan said, sending me a bright smile and giving me a quick hug.

“Yes, it’s been a while,” I said before turning my attention to a familiar looking blonde. “Who might this be?”

“This is my best friend Claire,” he introduced. She smiled and shook my hand. Joey and I took a seat, getting straight down to business.

“I don’t mean to sound rude, but you do know this meeting is suppose to be private. Right?” Joey said. Nathan raised an eyebrow.

“And you are?”

“I’m Joey, Riley’s fiancé.”

He introduced himself and I grabbed his hand from underneath and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

“As I said before, Claire is my best friend. Whatever is said here will only be repeated to her later,” he said. Joey and I shared a look. That was like us.

“Okay then. I just wanted to make it clear that I am here on a mission to find the serial killer, so as long as I look like this you will not know me. Okay?” I asked. He agreed.

“Out of curiosity who do you think it is?” Nathan asked me. I hesitated. I really shouldn’t have told him, but I thought I could trust him enough to keep this a secret.

“A man by the name of Jesse Farone.” The blonde choked on her drink, making Nathan hit her on the back a few times. After she calmed down and was breathing okay she turned her attention completely on me.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Why would I kid about a serial killer?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. Why did Nathan trust this girl?

“I know him,” she said after a minute, making my eyes widen.

“What do you mean you know him? What type of relationship do you have with him?” Joey asked immediately, and she bit her lip nervously.

“He was a man that I had gotten to know a few months back before I found out that he has a past with my boyfriend and wants to get some type of revenge,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

“What type of past?” I asked.

She quickly explained her boyfriend, Caiden’s past of drugs, and all that.

“Do you still have any contact with Jesse?” Joey questioned. She scowled.

“No, I try not to,” she said.

Nathan snorted.

“He tries to contact her all the time. The man’s practically in love with her,” my brother said.

“Claire, this could be very very useful information. You could even be a useful person to us,” I said as my mind started thinking of all the ways we could get Jesse back into prison with her help.

“How would you feel about going undercover?”

“Undercover as what exactly?” she asked after a minute.

“You’re going to get close to Jesse for us. If he wants to be friends, then you’ll be friends. If he wants to be your boyfriend, then you’ll be his girlfriend. You need him to trust you so he can tell you all his secrets and plans,” I said.

She shook her head immediately.

“Caiden would never be okay with this,” Claire said.

I sighed and looked at Joey for help.

“Make him okay with it. We won’t kill you if you tell him. We need you Claire,” Joey told her. She looked at her best friend. After giving her a moment to think and him sending her encouraging smiles, she nodded.

“I’ll do it,” she said, making me smile.

“Good, because I’ve already got a plan set up. But I’ll make it all official with a contract,” I told her seriously. She couldn’t mess this up for us. I couldn’t have her deciding she can’t do this in a week and then just quit on us. It doesn’t work like that. Especially because she’s too valuable to our plan.

“Gosh Claire, what’s up with you always going undercover,” Nathan said, playfully elbowing her.

“You’ve been undercover before? As what?” Joey asked curiously watching her narrow her eyes at Nathan.

“She was undercover as a –” Her hand covered Nathan’s mouth and gave us a tight smile.

“It’s not important now.”

“How about we meet here again tomorrow at the same time,” I said.

She shook her head.

“I have to work.”

“Lunch break?”

“At one, but I have multiple meetings tomorrow so I probably won’t be able to make it,” Claire said, looking at her phone.

“Then I’ll fax you the papers and you’ll read through them and sign them and get on with this case. Once the contract is signed and in my hands, you will be begin fixing your relationship with Jesse,” I told her. She frowned.

“You do realize I hate this guy right? He disgusts me and I can barely hold back that disgust around him, so if I’m gonna do this I have to do it right and do it my way. I have to slowly go back into this friendship thing or he’ll be suspicious,” Claire said, causing me to look at Joey. I had a bad feeling she wouldn’t be able to pull this off. She was focusing more on her feelings than the case itself.

“Okay then, I’m glad it’s all settled,” Joey said standing up.

“It was great seeing you again Nathan. I know we’ll see each other before I go back to London,” I said, standing up and giving him a hug.

“Yeah, definitely,” Nathan said releasing me. Claire stood up, about to leave with Nathan, but she swayed a bit.

“Hey are you okay?” Nathan asked her, placing a hand on he shoulder. She quickly shook her head and ran to the nearest garbage with her hand in her mouth. I watched as Nathan rushed over to her, pulled her hair, and rubbed her back.

“Isn’t he married?” Joey asked me.

I nodded slowly.

“Yeah, he’s married to some Mia girl, but it’s strange. The way he looks at her and cares for her isn’t in any normal friendship way,” I said. Joey agreed.

About a minute or two later she was finally done puking and was wiping her face with a few napkins we found.

“Were you feeling like this this morning?” Nathan asked her. She shook her head.

“I was feeling a little sore, but not sick,” she said frowning. “I only feel a bit nauseous now.”

“You probably have food poisoning,” I told her.

“Yeah, probably. It’s probably those fries I ate at the beach yesterday,” Claire said frowning.

“I wonder if Mia’s sick too?” Nathan said, pulling out his phone.

“Well, I hope you feel better and it was nice meeting you. Try to get sone rest. You have a big job to do now,” I said, shaking the hand that wasn’t holding her stomach.

Nathan excused the two of them, mumbling something about getting her home.

“I could definitely see them together,” Joey said smirking. I shook my head. “No, don’t shake that head at me. I know you could too!” he insisted, watching as I tried to hold back a smile.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s been married happily for a few years now.”

“And we both know divorces aren’t rare,” he said, sliding into the driver’s seat of the car.

“Yeah, I feel bad for the other girl though,” I said. He nodded in agreement. I turned up the volume on the radio and blasted Twenty-One Pilots throughout the car.

I had a feeling things wouldn’t turn out for the worst. We could definitely do this. Right?