The Enemy Beside Me + The Liar Beside Me (Book 1 and 2)

B2 Chapter 12

  CHRIS POKES my cheek. He could've shaken me a bit or gently told me to wake up, but no. He has to jab my cheek, my forehead, and my neck, causing me to laugh. 'Stop, OK, I'm awake.' He cheekily grins, his left hand is back on the wheel.

Rubbing my eyelids, I shake off the sluggishness and press my face to the window. Chris did his promise. I don't see a single building, only tall trees with green and brown leaves. The rays coming from the sun fierce through the gaps, giving the illusion of purple and yellow streaks. I blink, letting my eyes adjust. This feels like the first time I'd gone camping with Dad. He'd wake me up too because he knew I loved counting trees, he'd even slow down because I was a late learner. He had so much patience for me. I still wonder where had all it went. Yes, he was afraid of me, but Mum has stayed and has never stopped loving me.

'I love looking at the sky.' My body involuntarily shivers as Fumihiro speaks three rows behind my seat. He's sitting beside Alasdair, who's busy reading another book I don't and won't ever understand. Something to do with numbers, I guess. 'Cumulus,' he says in English but with the Zone 1 accent. 'I've always liked that word. I thought it was a common name in the Western.'

I don't know why he's suddenly talking to me. Gingerly, I scan around, hoping he's addressing someone, but no, it's me. He may not be looking at me, but his words are directed at me.

'Believe it or not, there are people who are named as Cumulus.' Fumihiro ducks his head, his face scrunched into concentration as he mouths the word, 'Cumulus' in my accent as though he's tasting and testing it.

'Cumulus,' he repeats louder, this time with a lesser accent. 'I like it.'

I blink. I have no idea what to say. So I rub my nape and try to find the right thing to say when Fumihiro slides back to his seat and fishes out a book from his bag. Oh...

Is he exerting an effort to bring back the normalcy between us? When were we ever confident with each other's company, anyway? Well, there was one time, we were getting close to it until he had to wreck it by abiding by Kaito's order. I'm aware this is an idiotic thought...but what if he's also being eaten by guilt? What if he chose to lose his hand to atone for what he has done?

No. That can't be it. That's too severe. No one will ever be willing to sacrifice a part of their body to ask for forgiveness. At least, that's what people won't do.

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'I don't like the sun that much these days. I don't remember it being this hot,' Declan exclaims. He takes long steps to catch up with me and Eien. He slings his arm around Eien's shoulders. 'Why are you wearing two shirts? Didn't you hear what I said? It's hot!'

'Then you should not be hugging me. It's too hot.' Eien playfully pushes Declan off him. Declan pushes back. They do this for quite some time—whilst I'm just mindlessly watching, still thinking about Fumihiro—until we reach our cottage. If you can call it a cottage as it's more like a house for a big family, only that it's made of flourished woods and built upon a big-arse tree. So it's a treehouse... luxurious cabin then. I mean, I'm only a model, not a son of a billionaire with a questionable laboratory and a questionable team. So what do I know?

Noritaka races us and climbs the ladder as if we were in a competition. 'I'm very fast,' he shouts over his shoulder and using his lightning, bolts himself up, kicking the door open.

'No kicking the DOOR!' Fumihiro transforms into a green snake, leaving his clothes and glasses behind. I gag as I pick them up and watch him slither his way upstairs.