Refusing Help

'Hey Kaden. I don't know if I should be asking this, but I just guess that I am very curious. Do you have a girlfriend? I am in love with my heart and I don't want anyone tampering with it. Also, we need to talk. When are we meeting?'

Storm read the text three more times, after the first two times, before sending it to Kaden's number.

It doesn't seem desperate, does it?

She jerked a bit when her phone started to ring.

For a second, Storm thought it was Kaden, until she saw the name.

Lucy.

Her friend must be calling about her father's death to offer the condolences.

Sighing tiredly, Storm answered the call.

Lucy was her friend, and even though she wanted nothing but to end the call and keep waiting on Kaden's reply, she still had to show Lucy the respect due to a friend.

"Storm, are you okay? I heard what happened. I am very sorry." Lucy started, and Storm hummed, not exactly knowing what to say.

"Do you want to come stay with us for perhaps a week, till after the burial? My mother thinks that would be best for you. According to her, Jess doesn't care a hoot about your father's death and is just putting up a facade. Mom thinks she might make life hard for you this season." Lucy pointed out and Storm sighed.

When hadn't Jess made life hard for her? The woman was like a freaking goddess of misery sent to ruin her life.

And even though Storm was touched by Lucy's kindness, and that of her family, she knew that they couldn't protect her from whatever her step mother had in stock for her. If they had lived continents apart, then perhaps she would have considered giving them the trouble, but seeing that they were neighbours, she wasn't going to take that risk.

"Storm, are you here with me?" Lucy inquired, and Storm shook her head. Then remembering that this was a phone call, she spoke:

"Yeah, I heard you. Send my thanks to your mom for her kindness , but I am sorry, I have to decline. I don't want to inconvenience you both or make you have trouble with Jess. I will sort it out on my own." Storm sighed again.

Lucy and her family couldn't protect her, but she had a feeling that Kaden could. He seemed…well…protective. She thought, aware of the silence that was prominent over the phone.

Was Lucy angry that she had turned down their request?

"Storm, why are you always turning down our help? My father is a policeman, and I am sure that whatever happens, he could take care of it. Remember, nobody is above the law, not even your step mother.'' Lucy said, still trying to make Storm see reason and change her mind, but the latter's mind was already made up.

She wasn't going to bring misery into the family of her friend. They were good people.

"I am sorry, Lucy. but I can't. I just need to be on my own for now.'' She answered, her eyes resting on her window.

Should she go over to his place now?

Though, It had been a while since she had jumped down from a window, she guessed that she should have the mojo still.

"You want to be on your own, in your aunty's house?"

Lucy's incredulous voice sounded over the phone and Storm bit her lips, not blaming the disbelief in her friend's voice.

There was no way she would be on her own if she continued to stay here.

Look at Miranda.

Her sister had barged into her room, just a few minutes after she had heard of her father's death, not caring about how she felt, but what she thought about the new neighbour.

Well, she was going to make sure that Miranda never has Kaden whether Kaden liked her or not. Although, she doubted that Kaden would want her stepsister. He didn't seem to be as fickle as Curtis.

"Lucy…" Storm called out to her friend in a calm, knowledgeable voice.

"Yes, Storm." Lucy answered, after hesitating for a second.

"I will be fine, girlfriend. Quit worrying about me. Nothing out of the ordinary is going to happen." Storm said. "Now, I want to take my bath. I will catch you later, perhaps in the evening."

"Okay, Storm. See you then."

Lucy ended the call.

Storm exhaled from her mouth before putting the phone down to the bed.

A ding sound alerted me to a message. It was from Kaden.

Quickly, she opened the message, her breath catching in the process as she read over the message in a jiffy, before reading it again at a slower pace.

'There is no one, love. just you. And yes, we are still meeting in the evening. I will come and pick you up. We can talk then. Stay fine till then, love."

Storm could feel her cheeks redden.

The guy could really play around with words. She thought, landing back on the bed. Her heart rate sped up and her mind raced as she ruminated on where he could be planning to take her, on what they would be doing there.

She has been to every corner of the town, and there weren't many tourist centres.

Unless he is planning to take me on a ride outside the town.

A goofy smile appeared on her lips.

An idea crossed her mind, and she rose from her former position.

A bigger smile on her lips now, she walked to her wardrobe, opened it, and stretched her hand to the furthest part of it, grinning sheepishly when her hand touched and grabbed the exact thing she was looking for.

"Now, let's go for some spying job." She mused, setting up the small telescope on her window without further ado. It was the only thing she still had of her father. He had gifted it to her on her thirteenth birthday, before he had run into the clutches of Jess.

Storm know that spying on Kaden was weird, but she was just damn curious about what he might be doing at the moment.

So, having set her instrument properly, she looked through it with one eye, her heart falling deep into her stomach the next second when she saw him kissing a beautiful woman.

A beautiful woman, who was trying to get rid of the white polo he had worn earlier to see her, to offer his condolences to her.