Beautiful Wilting Flowers

Okay, Break It Up

Heyden POV:

"How could you do that?!" Greigh bellows.

Vek and I fluctuate around at him, but Ina stays focused on the paper, faking as if she didn't hear him. Which is basically unthinkable.

I have genuinely never heard Greigh as serious as this before. Sure, he's called, maybe yelled a few times, but the way he growled it as if he was also demanding something, (presumably an explanation), but the way he said it? That isn't Greigh.

Here's the thing about Greigh; he's a forty year old man in a teenager's body. He takes his every one of his enterprises very pensively. He's always been gravely serious about taking attentiveness of Liana that his parents never gave either of them. I think he covertly craves the love and affection of a parent; it's not something easily substituted. Your parents are the initial thing you learn to rely on. They're the first thing you identify when you come into our world. 

Liana has told me about their parents; very wealthy and justified to their work and only their work. I assume Liana is fine without the endearment of having parental figures; but as strong as Greigh is, I realize now that behind his require of maturing quickly to care for his other half, he's just the same as any other hurting boy. He's just as permitted to have those longing sentiments as any other person. 

But the concealed emotions never show; at least, I've never seen them do so until now. Now, all of his impaired, wounded little boy emotions that have been hidden until now cascade to light in the blood that's rushed to his face and the distress jeopardizing his usual straight and serious face.

"Ina, look at me." He tries again, but shortcoming in his attempt to calm himself down.

Ina silently refuses to turn his way, and keeps her scrutiny on the old newspaper, that's been worn down to the softness of a cloth. Her nimble fingers hold the paper to a point that if she tugs on either side any further, it might shred in two under the tension. But I watch as her lower lip quivers, tense and uneasy compared to her habitual even face. I know she's fearful about the probably well deserved monologue that's about to come from Greigh. I mean, come on, Greigh just bellowed. That's basically the equivalent of stripping in front of half the town when it ensues to Greigh. Ina has to have done something to set him off.

I want to deprive Ina of the evidence Vek and I went through mental trauma to collect, because if she shears it in two because of some dispute Greigh and her are having, I will personally lock her in the attic with the body bag. She can see how she likes it in there.

But before I can get the chance to take the article away from her, Greigh thrusts forward and rips it out of her tight clasp, wrinkling it under the compression. Ina recoils from Greigh's lunge, and stares down at her hands that have entwined themselves together, finger by finger.

"Velina." Greigh growls, letting my precious evidence fall to the ground, and I squat down to catch it before it hits the muddy pavement. I stand back up to perceive Ina finally staring Greigh directly and furiously in the eyes.

"That's not my name." Ina scowls, enraged at the use of her full name. "I never want to be related to that woman, no matter how much thicker blood is than water."

"That's not the point!" Greigh pounds his fist against a lamp post, causing it to sway momentarily. "The point is that you were associating with the enemy! Do you have no decency?!" He screeches without giving a regard to all of the other people on the court that are at present watching this debacle. 

I hear foreign whispers of Japanese, and feel myself get ruddy with mortification of being associated to this predicament. Even I'm getting second hand embarrassment. This has to be derailed before it get's any more extensive, but I know Greigh and Ina need this fight. But I really need to get the attention off of us.

"O-okay, guys, come on.." I step in between them. "Can we save this for later? We really have  to stay discreet for now." I try tugging Ina back, but she stays in place, threshing loose from my grip.

"I was not associating with the enemy, Greigh, and you don't understand what I'm going through right now, so trust me that everything will work out fine!" She jerks away from me.

I halt to a stop. Associating with the enemy?! I did not catch that in the beginning.

"Wait. Were you selling us out to the Turners?" I back away from Ina, as I try to hearten myself that she couldn't have. Wouldn't have. I hope.

She whirls around at me with a look of disloyalty and somewhere between appalled and mortification. Probably both.\

"No, how could you think that?" Ina demands, anger and frustration seeping through her words.

"Well, you are dating one of them." Greigh throws up his arms infuriatedly.

"Ew, please say it wasn't the husband." Vek pipes up while I'm appalled in shock. He's kind of smug about it.

We all go silent in disgust, and Vek takes a few steps back.

"Got it, shutting up," He says as Greigh and Ina turn back to one another. He pulls me away with him.

"Heyden, I know it's not the time, but I have to tell you something before I get cold feet." He says over the arguing, but only silently to me.

"What's up?" 

Honestly, nothing could be worse than this disaster of a mission. And also, is anyone else still reeling in revolted disgust at Ina's dirty secret? Come on, people. I mean, you couldn't have kept the fact that you were dating Jason in your pants, or at least from your ex, for the rest of the mission? Seriously? Did she think this was helpful?

"Um, well, there's something I should have mentioned at the beginning of this whole debacle." He nods, probably trying to reassure himself more than me.

"Out with it, Vek." I egg him on, tired of all of this.

"Um... well, my mother was Dr. Black who created the serums." 

So it can get worse. I love my life.