Daddy Issues

53 - Betrayal of the beast

'You're early.'

'You know me, I'm nothing if not punctual.'

Dan snorts loudly, so I stick out my tongue in his direction while I step past him into his apartment. I still make sure not to hug him whenever we meet up. It's easier that way.

'You're the first. I don't think the others will be here for another 15 minutes or so.'

'Oh,' I say, trying to keep the relief from my voice. 'Didn't realize it was that early.'

Actually, I did. For about the first time in my life going anywhere, I made sure to leave extra early. First of all, because I wanted to be sure I'd be gone before Mom brought her date over. And second of all, I didn't want to walk in here when everybody was already here. I just imagined all their eyes on me as I walked in, possibly having talked about me and about how bad of an idea it is for me and Dan to be friends. I thought it'd be better to get here first and not give them the opportunity.

'Want me to wait outside?' I joke, following Dan into the kitchen.

'Nah, you can help me finish up the charcuterie board.'

'Charcuterie?' I snort, grabbing a grape off the richly loaded board on the kitchen table to pop it into my mouth.

'You've never heard of the word?' he asks, sounding a little defensive.

'I have,' I say, reaching for a piece of cheese. 'Just never met someone who actually used it.

'Well, now you have.'

I gasp when he suddenly catches my wrist in his hand to keep my reaching fingers away from the board. Stupidly, I find my heart skipping a beat when I look up and find him smirking at me.

'I said you could help me finish it,' he says. 'Not eat it all before the others even get here.'

'Fine,' I say, snapping my hand back. I quickly cross my arms and turn away to hide the blush that rose to my face at the unexpected touch.

'What can I do?' I ask, trying to look cool while I let my eyes wander through his living room, keeping my back to him.

'Actually, stay away from the charcuterie, I don't trust you with it.'

'Dan!'

Hoping my face has cooled off enough, I turn around to glare at him. He just laughs while he arranges some slices of salami on the board.

'If you want to help, could you grab some extra wine glasses from my study? I haven't unpacked them yet.'

'Are you sure you trust me with that?' I ask him sarcastically while I sweep past the table and manage to swipe another grape from the board. He scowls at me when I turn around and grin at him before I toss it into my mouth.

He raises his hand, but I disappear into the hallway before he can flip me off. Grinning, I open the door to his study and head for the last few unpacked boxes, stacked against the wall. But as I pass his desk, I get distracted.

His laptop is open and unlocked and on the screen there's an entirely filled page starting with Chapter 27 - The Reckoning.

Curious, I take a step closer and read the first few sentences.

This was it. Seven years of training, four years of searching, months of imprisonment and torture, losing Yfer, it had all led to this. But for some reason, Mya couldn't move her feet. She just stood there, her eyes wide as she stared at the bridge ahead, the last bridge she'd have to cross to get to the fortress. Her fist closed around the timepiece Yfer had given her. The sharp edges of it cutting into her skin until she-