The Trouble with Love

❝ it's getting harder to believe in anything ❞

(unedited)

Seems like it's getting harder to believe in anything
Than just to get lost,
In all my selfish thoughts.
I wanna know what it'd be like,
To find perfection in my pride,
To see nothing in the light.

"Turn It Off"–Paramore

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Devon asked when he found me in his office the next day.

I shrugged. "I had Art and a spare so I skipped." Technically, I had English, but we had a substitute teacher again, which meant it would just be extra time to work on a project I had finished last week.

He stared at me. "You've never skipped before," he said.

I shrugged again.

"Are you-" Oh no, not this again.

"No, I'm not being bullied, or doing drugs, or pregnant," I interrupted before he could finish.

Devon raised an eyebrow. "I was just going to ask if you were planning on staying. I have a client at two." He looked away for a moment, to pull out his lunch and put it in the microwave.

I glanced at the clock. Forty-five minutes. Long enough to ask everything I wanted. Probably. "That's fine, I just wanted to ask you a couple things," I told him.

"Hearing you say that makes me nervous," he said, leaning back against his desk as he waited for his lunch to head up. I pouted. He sighed. "Fine, ask away."

Do I start of slow or go straight in? I decided on the former. "Do you know about Kaden and Ashton's case?"

Apparently, it was the wrong choice, because his expression hardened, and he gave me a short, clipped nod.

I ventured on anyway. "How?"

"How did you find out, Elena?" Devon asked, ignoring my question.

"You can't answer my question with a question!" Oh hell, I sound like Ashton.

"If you want an answer, you're answering my question first," he said. The microwave beeped and he pulled out his pasta, then took a seat across from me.

"That's not fair!" And now I sound like a five year old. I'm not sure which one's worse.

He raised an eyebrow. "I think it's perfectly fair, Elena." I glared at him. He ignored it. "We can do... What's that game that Kaden used to always play? Raine complained about it all the time..."

Game of Truth. For the second time in a week. I wasn't sure which was worse, going at it against Kaden, who was a lawyer, or Devon, who was a psychologist. And the most annoying part was that it was probably the only way to get answers out of either of them.

I protested anyway. "Do you even have any questions to ask me?"

He shrugged, not even bothering to lie. "I'm sure some will come up as we go along."

"Fine." I sighed. "I caught Kaden and Ashton talking. Now how so you know?"

"Kaden asked me hold anything Ashton found until he came back," Devon said. He took a bite of pasta, chewing slowly in a way that made me want to scream at him. Just a bit. "Is that really how you found out?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes!" I felt like I should've been more offended then I felt, but I guess I had been expecting the question, a bit. It still hurt a little though.

Devon held up his hands. "Sorry, I didn't know what else to ask."

"Why can't I just ask the questions and you answer them like a nice person?" I asked.