Revenge (Fanfiction)

Chapter 4 - PART II

I listened to Declan's melodic laugh as we both shared a joke. He grinned, his brown eyes twinkling as he did. We were both sitting at the window of a friendly looking cafe with white stone tables with metal French styled chairs.

"You really don't get out much, do ya?" he asked as he sipped his soda. 

"Just because I don't know how arcades work..." I pouted at him as I sipped my own chocolate milkshake. His grin grew wider and he shrugged. 

"No, it's not that but... you seem to be so..," I waited in anticipation as he wiggled his eyebrows for the right word. 

"Pure?" I felt myself blush. 

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I asked, knowing full well what the other meaning meant. 

"Sure," he simply replied and continued drinking his soda. I glanced at my cheap blue watch that I still had on from the airport. It had been about an hour and a half since I left the beach house. Time to head back. 

"Pressed for time?" Declan noticed me still looking at the watch. I gave a nervous smile and nodded reluctantly. 

"But I'll walk with you back to the Stowaway," I offered and slurped up the last of my milkshake. Declan shook his head as he laughed. 

"You know, it's normally the other way around," he grinned at me as we both stood up, pushing the chairs in and thanking the staff. 

"Oh, trust me, not in my case," I told him as the years of martial arts training went through my head like a fast forward movie. He cast me an amused and confused look before we started to make our way to the Stowaway. But a voice called out to him. 

"Declan?" Both of us turned to see a young girl, in a dark pink shirt and jeans, walk towards us, being accompanied by an older middle aged man. Her hair was long, a shade of chestnut, as it curled it's way down her chest. Her lips had lipstick on it, a dark pink, complimenting her pale skin. 

"Charlotte," Declan's voice sounded pained as he said her name. I looked back to Charlotte as she flinched. She could sense the pain as well. Charlotte's brown eyes scanned me from head to toe before giving me a slight smile and putting her focus back on Declan. 

"What are you doing out here? I thought you were still in rehab?" Declan asked. She gestured to the man who was standing still behind her, watching the scenario. 

"I'm just taking a walk, needed some fresh air," she shrugged. 

"Who's this?" she asked. Declan immediately cleared his throat as he did the introductions. 

"Charlotte, this is Alex. Alex, Charlotte Grayson," Declan used his hands to gesture to both of us. I held my hand out and Charlotte took it with a pleasant smile. Immediately, my mind whizzed back to the day Emily told me about Charlotte and how she was her half-sister, a daughter that was the result of Victoria Grayson and David Clarke's affair. I searched her face, looking for a sign of jealousy or deception, but everything seemed sincere. I gave a grin back as we both let go. 

"Oh, are you guys heading somewhere? Don't let us hold you," Charlotte said, as Declan's face lit up, remembering what we were doing before she came. 

"Yeah, just heading back to the Stowaway," Declan explained and Charlotte nodded. The atmosphere between them was strange, I had no idea what happened between them, but whatever it was, it ended badly. 

"I'll see you around?" Charlotte offered. Declan hesitated for a few seconds before he nodded and put his hand behind my back to gently guide me towards the harbour. He stopped and turned his head to Charlotte.