6 Chapter Five

Kyle's POV

Ever since Erik told me to stay away from Devyn—that she is broken and guarded—I can't get her out of my mind. I don't like being told what I can and can't do, especially when it comes to her. He knows I've missed her as much as he has and he has the audacity to use the brother card on me? To command me not to get close to her?

When the school day ended and Erik informed me that he couldn't find her, he didn't even have to ask, I jumped into action to find her. I scoured every classroom, closet, and hallway until I saw her.

She was huddled in a ball in the secluded hallway, and if you weren't looking for her, you wouldn't see her. She was shaking uncontrollably; the little bit of light shining in reflected on her face giving me the inclination that she's been crying, sobbing for a while.

How long has she been here?

"Ah, Devyn," I muttered as I got closer to her. She looked up at me and whimpered, scooting away from me, trying to keep her distance. My heart cracked from her facial expression alone. I squatted to her level. "I'm not going to hurt you," I whispered trying to get her to trust me.

"S-Stay away from me!" She shrieked and scooted into a corner.

"C'mon, please. Erik asked me to help find you. He's worried. So is Candor. We're all looking," I said and I could tell she didn't want to, but her resolve was so low—which made me upset at who did this to her—that she let me pick her up bridal style and carry her to the car where Erik and Candor were waiting. "What happened?" I asked her on the way to the car.

"He followed me! I'll never escape him now!," She cried, grasping my shirt and burying her face into my shoulder. I growled involuntarily and grasped her tightly. She cried silently as I placed Her in the backseat of the car. Erik and Christina looked at me questioningly but I shook my head and muttered, "I have no idea."

I may not know now, but i will at some point. She will not carry this burden alone.

Dev's POV

When I opened my eyes, I was still laying in the hallway. I could hear the shuffling of students in the surrounding hallways, but I was by myself. Pulling my knees to my chest and placing my head on my knees, I thought about what just happened with him.

He followed me. I should have known it wouldn't have been that easy to escape him.

A silent sob wracked my small body as the realization set in that no matter what, he was right; I would be his no matter where i went. I was his Kitten. I cried until I had nothing more to cry, until all I had in me was disgusting thoughts. I sat there until the last bell rang, knowing Erik was probably looking for me by now, but I didn't care. I sat my head against the wall and closed my eyes, zoning out the chaos of the release of school.

"Ah, Devyn," I heard someone mutter to me after I opened my eyes finally of what seemed like hours staying here. I looked up to see Kyle staring at me with eyes of sympathy, much like his. I whimpered and scooted away from him, trying to keep my distance. "I'm not going to hurt you," He said trying to get me to trust him.

"S-Stay away from me!" I shrieked and scooted into a corner.

"C'mon, please. Erik asked me to help find you. He's worried. So is Candor. We're all looking," He said and as much as I didn't want to, I let him pick me up bridal style and carry me. "What happened?" He asked me on the way to the car.

"He followed me! I'll never escape him now!," I cried. Kyle growled and grasped me tightly. I cried silently as he placed me in the backseat of the car. Erik and Christina looked at him questioningly but he shook his head and muttered, "I have no idea."

We rode the rest of the way home in silence. I apologized to Erik and Christina, but I explained to both of them that something happened today that I didn't want to talk about and that i also wanted to be alone for. I didn't address Kyle at all. I know it was unfair, but there was something about him I cannot put my finger on; until I figure that out, I need to put some distance between us.

I immediately went up to my room and collapsed on my bed. I clutched my pillow and thought about writing about this in my journal, but before i could get up to do so, sleep over came me with a very insightful dream.

"Devyn!" My mother scolded. "You may be five, but you are still a lady and ladies don't rough house like boys. Especially not in your frilly dress your Aunt got you,"

"But Mommy I'm only this many!" I exclaimed and held up my whole hand to represent the number five. "I will worry about being like you when I am old," I said as I tackled Erik again.

"Devyn Nicole! Listen to your mother," Daddy scolded in his mean voice, but I didn't hear him.

"Harry is here, sir," The butler said walking in and walking back out after my father told him to send him and his son in. Erik and I kept rough housing.

"Devyn!" Daddy boomed and I immediately jumped away from Erik and looked down at my pink high tops. I felt bad for not listening to my mother and causing daddy to yell. He coughed which caused me to look at him. In the midst of looking up, I noticed a little boy looking at me from behind his father.

"Kyle, introduce yourself," His father told him. The boy named Kyle walked out from behind his dad and smiled at me causing his dimples to show.

"I'm Kyle," He said smiling like an idiot. I remember thinking that I loved his smile. I remember making a secret vow at the age of five to always try my best to make him smile like that all the time. I waved at him and my father nudged me from behind. I knew what that meant. I stepped up to shake Kyle's hand and slipped on my shoe lace. I fell on my butt and suddenly there was a hand in my face offering me help up. I looked and saw Kyle with that stupid grin on his face. It was infectious. He smiles, I smile.

A knock on my bedroom door woke my from my nap. I rolled over, groaning slightly. I was slightly surprised to see that it was Kyle, the boy i had dreamt of, at my door and no one else. I sat up, raising my eyebrow questioningly.

He came and sat down next to me on the bed. "So uh sleep well?" He asked me, scratching the back of his neck. I smiled softly, knowing he is nervous. It was a nice sight to see the most popular bad boy nervous in the presence of normal ole' me.

I grinned at him and nodded. "I did actually. I had a very insightful dream. I think it was more of a memory actually." I stated. Hi eyebrows shot up in surprise. I knew he did not expect me to be so blunt, not after... "I was five I think. Erik was there, my mother was there, and so was my father. And then in walks this boy I've never seen before. Except maybe I have; maybe, just maybe, he's a five year old you." I stated and he took an intake of breath. I continued, "I had this stupid pink dress on and my mother kept—,"

"Reprimanding you for rough housing with your brother because you were having company over." He whispered. I was right, it was a memory.

"The only way you would have known that..." I started not knowing how to finish that sentence. Kyle chuckled, rubbing his chin.

"You knew me as child, Scarface. You knew me just as well as you knew Erik." He told me and for once, I had nothing to say. "It's okay that you don't remember. You aren't the same person you were a decade ago and neither am I. But what we can do, is start over." He explained. I nodded, understanding.

He just wants to be friends. I can do that. Friends have distance.

"Since it's about 6pm and I want to get to know you better, how about you and I go get dinner?" He asked me. I looked at him strangely. "As friends of course!" He clarified.

"Sure." I confirmed. "Where are we going anyway?"I asked when we got in the car.

"A diner my mom used to take me to as a kid." He informed me.

"Oh." I was going to say something else but we pulled into a parking lot. I read the name of the diner out loud. "The Lotus Flower Diner? Kyle, please don't tell me this is like the casino Annabeth, Percy, and Grover stopped at in Percy Jackson."

"No, but I thought it was a hotel."

"In the book it- WAIT A BLOODY MINUTE!" I yelled turning to look at him. "YOU READ PERCY JACKSON!"

"Yes, I did. Is that so hard to believe?" He rolled his eyes, smiling at me.

"Actually yes, yes it is. And honestly, I don't think you did." I pointed a finger at him, glaring playfully. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who wasn't staring at my scars or who had questions about my past in their eyes.

"So you don't believe I did?" he asked in mock hurt as we walked in and sat down.

"Nope" I said popping the 'p'

"Fine quiz me. Any book."He dared.

I was about to ask a question but the waitress walked up. "Hello, my name is Andrea. Here are your menus. What can I get you to drink honey?" she asked eyeing Kyle.

"Sweet tea please." He purred. His playful nature towards me almost made me forget his playboy persona—almost.

She turned to me with a scowl. "And for you?"

"I'll take a coke."

"Okay, a sweet tea and a coke." She said walking away, swinging her hips as she went.

"What are you going to get?" I asked him, looking at the menu.

"The burger and fries. Now I believe you were about to quiz me on Percy Jackson?" Was he itching to lose?

"Oh right." Andrea brought our drinks and as she walked away I think I saw her wink at Kyle.

"So you were going to ask me a question?" What is with him?

"Yeah. In book one, what three words: did Percy's mom say his dad disappear?" This is easy.

"Lost at sea." Told you.

Andrea came to take our orders. I ended up getting the same thing Kyle did.

"What is Thalia's last name?" C'mon Kyle.

"Grace." Hmmmm.

"What two offerings did Percy give to the Last Olympian?" This is the tough one; if he gets this one, I'll be impressed.

"Hades' sword and Kornos' sythe." Color me impressed fangirls of the world.

"Damn. You have read them."I muttered, not letting my impression out to where he can see; I don't want him getting a big head from this.

"Told you" He said. "So I don't think it's fair for me to call you Scarface if I don't know where your scars came from. So how did you get them, if you don't mind me asking?"

I took a deep breath, and started to explain what I remembered; I explained to him the memory I got of my father the day I met Erik. I informed him that's how I got the scar on my face, right above my eyebrow and collarbone. I confided in him about the letter my father sent to Erik and I even though i knew he probably already knew about it.

"What about the scars on your heart, Devyn?" He asked me, his hand snaked across the table to take mine in his. My heart thudded loudly in my ear as I tried to think of an answer; I didn't want to explain the heartbreak and trauma I've suffered the past decade to him, not yet. I don't know him well enough.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, looking down. "I just can't; not yet. It's too much." I pulled my hand from his and he nodded in understanding.

"Well," He said standing, after throwing a couple twenties down on the table, "are you about ready to head out?" He asked me. I nodded my head and stood, walking behind him as he lead the way to his truck.

He dropped me off at home and thanked me for coming along. I thanked him for taking me and wished him a goodnight. I made my way up the stairs and fell into bed, wishing nothing more than to have a dreamless sleep for once.

3rd Person POV

Walking up the steps he was at mere hours ago, he felt nervous. Why? He doesn't even know himself. All he knows is she's been on his mind since the moment they met. Now, 12 o'clock at night, wasted and confused, he does the one thing he argued with himself not to do. He knocked on the door. He heard footsteps and the door being unlocked. The door opened and he saw the girl that had been on his mind longer than any.

She gasped. "What happened to you?" she asked. He didn't respond verbally. Or at all for that matter. He did something that shocked them both. He kissed her; she kissed back. When they pulled away he looked her in the eye and said, "I haven't known you long, but I think I am falling for you." She gasped as he turned around ready to walk away when she stopped him.

"You can't walk home like that. Come in and stay the night. I'll take you home tomorrow." He knew she was right. He turned and walked in with her. He laid his head and whole body down on the couch. When she thought he was asleep, she went up to her room.