City of Kinetics

TWENTY-FIVE ✴ Not So Good News

       Mila helped unpack the groceries as Jason and Hunter set them down on the kitchen counter. It wasn't a lot, but Mila figured it should last them at least a few days. Hunter stepped up beside her and put more shopping bags down while Leila stood on her other side, hungrily looking through them to see if she could find something to eat.

       "These are the last ones," Evelyn said, walking into the room while holding onto four bags at once.

       Jason quickly moved towards her. "I got it."

       Evelyn gave him a thankful smile as he took the bags from her.

       "Thanks," she said.

       He shook his head, a huge grin on his features. "No worries. You did us a huge favour getting these. It's the least I could do."

       "You helped out," she told him. "I really appreciate you coming along, by the way."

       "Wouldn't miss it," Jason said, his grin getting wider. "Besides, you're pretty fun to hang around."

       They stood there smiling each other, Evelyn laughing at his words even though they weren't that funny. Jason's grin also never left his face, his eyes sparkling and completely trained of her.

       Hunter's eyes shot between them with wide eyes as if he were seeing them for the first time.

       "Holy shit," he said, blinking.

       Leila elbowed him with a grin. "I told you."

       Jason walked over to them and set the bags down on the counter. When he noticed all three of them were staring at him, his grin faltered a little as he looked between them.

       "What?" he asked.

       Hunter gave him a pointed look. "Nothing."

       His eyebrows furrowed in confusion while Mila and Leila just grinned at him.

       "So, how was the drive with Ellie?" Mila asked, her eyes darting over his shoulder quickly to see Evelyn checking her phone.

       "Fine," Jason said, suspicion in his tone. "What's going on? Did I miss something?"

       Leila bit her lip to stop herself from breaking out into a full-blown smile.

       "I was just telling Mila and Hunter about this morning," she told him.

       "What happened this morning?" he asked.

       Mila raised her eyebrows. "Don't pretend like you don't know."

       Jason frowned at them, completely bewildered. His eyes shot to Hunter for help, who only shook his head.

       "Don't look at me," he said. "This is your problem."

       Just then, Evelyn walked over to them, her phone vibrating in her hand. She held it out for them to see, an unknown number flashing on the screen.

       "Is this your friend?" she asked.

       Hunter recognized Bowen's number instantly and grabbed the phone, hitting the answer button and putting it on speaker.

       "Bowen," he said. "It's Hunter."

       "Sorry about the wait,"  Bowen said from the other end. "I figured I should call you with an update."

       "Give us some good news," Jason said.

       "Right now, it's not good,"  Bowen told them. "I haven't pulled anything incriminating on Vincent Kane. The guy's clean. He doesn't even have a parking ticket."