Freaks

8- Life Decisions

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Harper sits in her bed with her phone to her ear, biting nervously at her nails, "Andrew stands between us, Alice wants him dead and we just want Landon alive. So what do we do?"

Malakai blows air through his lips, "Go along with it."

"Really?" She questions, "Why not call the cops now? We know where Landon is and Alice's intentions."

"Because if the cops choose one side the other side will come for us. If they tend to Alice and Jackson's situation first then Andrew will most likely hide Landon and himself somewhere else. Vice versa, Alice's dad goes to jail and we all get killed by her because she wants him dead."

"This sucks."

"I know it does, kid. I wish I could put anyone else in your place but you're the only one who can get answers. Just keep doing what you've been doing and ask a lot of questions. We just have to follow through with their stupid plan and protect Landon from going anywhere other than that house."

"So we aren't with them on the whole murdering the kidnapper thing, right?"

"Yeah, we don't want him to die, we'd rather him be in jail. But at the same time, if they're the ones with the guns, what are we gonna do about it?"

"Right. I'll find out more about him, what all he's done badly. There has to be a bigger reason Alice is doing this."

"Seventeen years with a brain like hers is reason enough."

"True."

He pauses, "I need help with something."

"With what?"

"Okay, so, I lied to you about Aster."

She snorts with sarcasm in her voice, "Wow, really?"

"What?! I thought you fell for that."

"I did. But it's definitely not surprising. Luka told me it was obvious."

"Hm." He chuckles under his breath, "Well I'm only telling you this because Luka's not being very open like he usually is and I usually would ask him for help but you're my only option right now...so."

"I can deal. Spill it."

He sighs and she can hear the tightness in his throat, "I've been trying to hold it in from Luka and basically everyone. Something from this morning made me think about it, but there's still so much fear holding me back from telling her."

"Fear?" She sneers, "Of what?"

"I don't know. Of her not liking me back and just making it awkward between us. It's worse because we've been friends forever."

"Uhm. Obviously, she does." She raises her brows, "Have you seen the way she looks at you?"

"I have. But that's not good proof." He thinks and sighs again, "I'm just always trying to keep a good distance from you or any other woman on this earth because I don't want her thinking I like anyone else."