Pink Walls

Day Four [Part VII]

"They're my apology."

The sound reverberated through me, everything in me silently acknowledging that I would never ever be faster than a bullet.

My fingers tightened around the burner phone. Daniel was right, I couldn't leave Olly here when we were close enough to danger to hear gunshots... when I couldn't be sure whether he'd get to safety in time.

The accelerated beating of my heart within my chest, the heaving of my lungs to compensate for the stress I felt, fear was putting my body through a race it couldn't afford to run.

"Olly..." I walked up to him and took his hand.

I couldn't bring myself to be the Kayden that was nothing but Daniel's shield. My two lives had collided with each other, leaving me stranded in the middle of the chaos.

Drop off the streets. Move through the alleys. Avoid fights. Avoid the police. Keep your head down. Don't cause trouble. Frank's mantra flashed through my mind and the sting of his cane teased the exposed skin of my fingers. What I needed to do now had been burned so deeply into my memory that my muscles ached to be put into action.

"Yes?" Olly didn't pull away like I expected him to.

Even though we've held hands a couple of times already, I was always left with the feeling that I was being too forward, that any second now I'd scare him off and that'll be the last time I'd ever see him.

"I…" I stared at his hand, much smaller than mine, cold and soft. Completely different from the last memory I had of them, wrapped in bandages and smeared with ointment.

He took a step towards me, close enough now that I could feel the warmth of his breath.

I felt his gaze trace a path along the bruises splattered along my jaw and cheekbones. There was no longer enough distance between us to keep them hidden and I could almost see the questions whirling about in his mind. Suddenly, the weight of my lies felt too much and I hadn't even told them yet.

Just three more months, Kay. Just three. But that didn't stop the ache building up behind my eyes. I pressed the heel of my palm to the bridge of my nose and tried to clear my mind.

Looking into his eyes, at the sea of green blinking back at me, I forced myself to breathe. Things are going to be fine. We're far enough from the grocery store. We still have time. "I... want to buy flowers."

His eyes drifted away from me towards the ground, and for a moment I thought he would ask why but he just smiled and said, "Okay."

Before the word had even left his lips, Daniel plucked the burner phone out of my hand and laced his fingers through mine.

Even without him saying anything, I could tell that he was happy that things had gone his way. Smart as he was, he should have known that this made things worse for him. Why was he so eager to have Olly and Arleen around?

With us three holding hand, Arleen stood a little far off her arms crossed and gaze downcast as she pretended to be occupied with watching the snow. I could tell that she wanted to ask exactly how I and Daniel knew Olly but she held her tongue out of politeness.

I also knew that she wouldn't agree to us taking Olly with us and leaving her behind.

I couldn't just tell her that Olly was covered in my scent, Daniel was a target and she was just collateral that didn't need to be caught up in this mess, and even if I could, she seemed like the type to get offended at being left out.

"I want to buy flowers," I repeated myself, just so she could hear me. "We're all heading in the same direction anyway, so a little detour won't change things. Right?"