Roses

Chapter 12

Adam

I watch Zoey's back make its way to the end of the hall and then disappear around the corner down the stairs. I stay rooted where I stand, probably owing to the surprising anger I feel flooding my veins. But then, is it really that surprising?

I think deep down I have accepted that my reaction to that girl will never be rational.

This morning ever since she stepped out of the car, she made me feel a buzz that was so addictive I had to drag myself away from her. The whole day my thoughts kept going back to her. What was she doing? What was she talking about with my father? Did I cross her mind even once, or was I alone in this.... obsession?

I had to be. I knew her longer than she knew me.

And it's not enough for her to leave me alone in this, she also always has to dismiss me so quickly everytime someone else is around. I think that's what's grating on my nerves so much right now. The way she just ran off with Sam.

Have they bonded already? How much time have they spent together exactly?

I close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. Anger is a useful tool but it should never be the only tool you use to get something done. I'm aware of that, so I wait till my head is back in the game and come up with a solution to how I'm feeling.

Three hours later, I smile at my handiwork--a wide angle camera with voice recording sitting inconspicuously on the dresser in my father's bedroom. It is one of several I've installed in my home, sending live feed to my phone and laptop.

The need to know everything that Zoey does when I'm not with her runs so deep I'm tempted to put her home under my surveillance too. But that sounds inconvenient, at least right now. So this will have to do.

I glance at my father's sleeping form on the bed and then leave the room quietly.

The next morning I catch Zoey on her way to my father's bedroom in the hallway. I nod at her as I pass her and then leave without saying anything. Part of me hopes my silence affects her.

As is usual since Zoey Kirby decided to return to Roses, everything about my day other than the thoughts of her I have goes by in a blur. It pisses me off how much power she has over me. It's supposed to be the other way around!

I still have a meeting left on my day's agenda and at least an hour before I'll see her face. Sighing, I pull up the live feed from the cameras in my home.

I spied on her all day, watching as she resumed the serial killer art project with my father. And that's exactly what it is--an art project. I have no doubt they are putting their all into it but it seems doubtful to me they will actually be able to find out who the killer is.

Then I watched her persuade my father to go for a walk with her around the front lawn. I haven't checked the feed for a couple hours but they probably came back, ate and then resumed their project.

I turn the live feed from the camera in my father's bedroom to full screen on my phone and go back to spying again. Zoey is cleaning up the mess of newspapers and pens from the floor as my father lightly snores on the bed. Perhaps their work on the project is done for the day.

She is just about done putting everything back in its place when her phone starts vibrating in her pocket. She pulls it out, glances at my father's sleeping figure on the bed and then decides to take the call.

"I'm at work, Jack. I can't really talk right now."

Jack? Who the hell is Jack?

"What? God, what has gotten into him?" She mutters into the phone.

Now who the hell is this him???

The urge to drive back home and demand she tell me who the fuck these guys are makes me grip my phone so tight I'm afraid it might break.

"Look, we'll talk about this later okay? Thanks for everything." She smiles into her phone and disconnects the call. I watch her for a couple more minutes as she goes back to tidying up my father's room, before closing the camera feed and putting my phone away. I flex my fingers and close my eyes.

Of course she had a life back in New York. I just assumed she left it all behind when she came here. Evidently not.

Who is this guy she was talking to? Who's the guy they were discussing? How many guys...

I snap my eyes open before I can finish that thought. I don't wish to intensify the anger that is simmering under my skin right now. I hate the fact that she has other men in her life and I hate that stupid smile one of those motherfuckers brought on her pretty face.

Almost makes me want to put an even bigger smile on Zoey's face. Almost.

I shake my thoughts away and start on my way to my last meeting for the day. Then I'll get to see the girl who has become the bane of my existence lately and maybe demand she tell me all about the phone call she had.

                                                                         ***

Zoey

I look up from my notepad and watch a sleeping Abraham for a moment before going back to scribbling about the characters of my new book. The flowchart we were making is now complete and from tomorrow we'll be making our suspect list. Adam and everyone else at the Thorns household may look at what we are doing as a silly art project, but it's actually far deeper than that. Abraham is really passionate about finding out who this person is and I have a feeling we won't stop till we do that.

"Zoey?" Abraham opens his eyes and looks around the room till his eyes settle on me.

"Hey. Rosa came to say that dinner will be up in a few minutes," I say as I close my notepad.

He nods absentmindedly as he sits up, his eyes trained on my hands. "What were you doing?"

"I was coming up with characters for my book."

"You're writing a book?" His eyes seem to light up as he asks.

"Yes. I want to be an author." I look away from his face. Admitting my dream has always been nerve wracking for me. Partly because deep down I don't believe that it will ever come true.

"That's great, Zoey." I look into his eyes to see the kind of admiration I can't even imagine for myself. Who am I to him for him to believe in me so much? "What did you come up with so far?" His eyes twinkle with excitement and it's so infectious I feel myself get more delighted at the idea of my book.

"A man," I mutter, smiling to myself.

"Tell me more."

"He disguises his pain with his anger." I see his face still with every word I utter and for a moment I wonder if he sees himself or someone else in the protagonist I'm describing.

"Will he get a happy ending?" He asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll have to write the book to find out."

He gives me a small smile and nods. Then he picks up the book sitting on his bedside table and opens it on his lap. We sit in companionable silence till Rosa brings us both dinner on a large tray.

No matter how many times I tell her that I can get it myself, she never agrees to it.

I'm about to get up to leave when the bedroom door opens and Adam peaks his head in. I give him a tentative smile which he returns with a slow nod as his eyes bore into mine as if he's trying to assess my sins. God, is this man ever not intense?!

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow," I tell Abraham and make my way towards the door. Adam watches me for a beat, not stepping aside to let me pass. I'm on the verge of saying something when he does though, so I just shake my head and walk into the hallway.

My nerves that always get worked up whenever he's around don't get any reprieve though, as he wraps his hand around my wrist and stops me in my tracks.

"I talked to Sam. I'll be driving you home tonight."