It's Complicated

Chapter 7: Kacey Eton

What have I done?

I stare at the wall of my apartment. I just arrived back at my apartment after the jewelry heist. I am still in my outfit. I was too stunned to change out of it. I am sitting on the bed, just staring at the blank wall. What have I done?

I get up and pace back and forth. He saw me. I know he did. He looked right into my eyes. He said my name for Pete’s sake! He knows!  I stop and crouch down on my toes, pressing my face into my hands. I shake my head back and forth.

He can’t know. It’s too dangerous for him to know. I flinch as my hand shifts and hits the side of my nose where the robber had hit me. Another injury to hide from him. I uncover my face.

Why do there have to be secrets between us? Why can’t I just be open with him? I stand back up.

I wish it could be that way. I walk over to the bed and sit back down.

But wishing doesn’t solve anything. It only hurts you more. I run my fingers through my blonde hair. Why does life have to be so difficult?  I smile. I guess it could be worse.

I tap the rhythm on the bed. I’ve been tapping the same rhythm over and over since the jewelry heist. I don’t recognize the rhythm, but it seems to calm me down. I tap it over and over again. It seems like an hour later that I finally change out of the outfit and change into my pajamas. I notice that I accidentally left the mask on when I glance in the mirror.

This is a part of my life. And if Travis is going to be a part of my life, he needs to know. I take a deep breath, knowing what I have to do. I have to tell him. I pull the mask off of my face and throw it in the bag with the rest of the outfit. And I’ll have to do it soon.

~ ~ ~

I open my eyes, shaking from fear and the cold, my cheeks wet with tears. I had another nightmare. This time, I was bound to a wall by way of a rope tied around my wrists. Travis stood on the opposite side of the room from me, and he was tied up as well. Another person was in the room, and he held a gun to Travis’s head. No matter how hard I pulled on the rope, I couldn’t get free, and the man shot Travis right in front of me. And I couldn’t stop him. I shiver and stare at the vent. I need to fix that.

I stare at the ceiling, conflicted. Earlier, I was so sure that I would tell him, but now, I’m not sure. He wouldn’t be safe anymore. If someone were to figure out who I was, he would be put in extreme danger. They could try to pry information from him, or use him to get to me, or use him to get something from me. I shiver again, but this time, it’s not from the cold.

I glance over at the clock, wondering what time it is. I jump out of bed and almost sprint to the bathroom when I see that it’s 8:37. How could I have missed how bright it is in the room? I run through my morning routine at double speed, making sure to put extra foundation on my nose to hide the bruise that is a dark shade of purple. It hits me that I have no way to get to school. I run and grab my phone, texting Phil and asking him if he could drive me to school. He replies back within a minute, saying he would be glad to.

Within a few minutes, I am waiting outside of my apartment and Phil is pulling up into a parking spot in a shiny white Sonata. “Nice car,” I say as I climb in the front seat. He winks at me playfully. His short red hair spikes in all directions, obliviously uncombed. His hazel eyes are a bit tired looking. He’s wearing a red NBA shirt and black shorts, obliviously thrown on in a rush.

“Only the best!” he says jokingly. I smile and he peels out of the parking spot. I know he has multiple cars because he drives me to crimes in tons of different ones. “So, this is the second day I had to drive you to school. Is something up?” he asks.