Heartbeats

Chapter 16

Quick A/N: LISTEN TO THE SONG. IT'S PERFECTION. Like Foster The People? The Kooks? You're going to love it. Okay, anyway. You may now read. :)

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“Yeah,” Garrett continued, as if it was nothing.

Meanwhile, thoughts were crashing one over the other in my mind. He had been there. He had seen me. Had I danced with him? Probably not, I’d recognize him. Had I bumped into him? Had I seen him?

How could I have missed him?

My chest ached, and I cursed it over and over in my mind. I was over him, there was no doubt of that. But I had loved him, and that wasn’t something the heart easily forgot.

“Are you listening to me?” Garrett broke through my thoughts.

My eyes latched into his for a second, before fleeing to the floor. “How do you know?” I quietly asked.

“Caleb bumped into him in the bathroom. Recognized him from the photos. He had taken off the mask and the scar isn’t easy to miss.”

I frowned. He would have loved a masquerade ball where he could hide his scar. No curious glances thrown his way. No pitying looks. Had he enjoyed it?

I tried shaking off those thoughts. That wasn’t important. Especially not now.

“We thought he was there with you.”

I shook my head, biting my lip before raising my face. I inspected their faces. Miles, with his floppy hair and piercing. He had the most open face of the trio. Probably the friendliest. Garrett, their confident leader with beautiful eyes. And broody Caleb, the bruise marring his handsome features, so similar to his brothers. My attention returned to their leader, zeroing on his face as I prepared to ask the question that had bothered since Garrett had pulled me close on the dance floor.

“I’d ask you what do you want from us, but its not us you want, do you? You want James. So let me ask you, what do you want from him?”

I saw how they met each other’s eyes, as if they were weighing their options. I clenched my teeth in exasperation.

“It was our deal,” I reminded them. “So get on with it.”

Garrett sighed, but it was Miles who spoke. “You’ve probably heard of ‘the plans’ haven’t you?” he said, putting an emphasis to the plans. “The object every thief wants, the millions of euros prize.”

I frowned. “Yeah, I’ve heard of it. Foolish thing to want, when everyone is after it. And nobody even seems to know what’s on them.”

Miles grimaced, and my suspicions on whether or not they were involved in that were confirmed.

This time, it was Garrett who spoke up. “Searching for them is becoming more dangerous by the minute. The feds are on to them, and are also searching for them. It’s becoming a huge mess. Nobody is even sure who’s offering the money anymore. Well, except for a select few. Those who actually know what the ‘plans’ are for.”

I tried making sense of what they were telling me. “Wait, you both say plans like you think they’re not.” I grimaced, trying to explain myself. “These plans are not really plans, are they.” I stopped. “I’m not even making sense to myself.”

Garrett was grinning. “Good. You caught on. Plans suggest that the papers carry an idea, a plot, for a better word. Right?”

“Right.” I confirmed.

“We think,” he grimaced, quickly glancing at Caleb before looking at me again. “We know they’re not plans. The papers contain, well, codes. Codes that are necessary in order to open a vault.”