Sarahtopia

Chapter 15: Lily

Ryan and I were walking to my workplace, the police station. He needed to get registered into the system, so I took him with me to town since I also needed to drop by and check on some things. Even though he wanted to come, we left Ethan back home to catch up with the family. That guy needs to learn that one does not just simply disappear and not tell his family anything. 

Ryan and I didn't exchange any words during the journey. He was admiring the scenery, and both of us were lost in our own thoughts; it wasn't excatly an uncomfortable or awkward silence. There wasn't much to talk about anyways.

"We're here," I said when we reached our destination. Ryan didn't seem to hear me. He kept walking. I jogged after him. "Ryan, we're here."

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at me then at the police station then back at me. "Oh," he said softly and sheepishly. "Sorry."

We then walked back and entered. 

"Lily! Hey there!"

I turned around to look at the speaker.  It was my friend, Kacey Harrison. Despite being only seventeen, she was a police trainee. It seemed that she was currently on a break from her training.

The girl was jogging towards us. When she reached in front of us, she grinned mischievously and fake-pouted, "Lily! That's cruel! I know I annoy you but that doesn't mean that couldn't have at least told me!"

I groaned slightly.  Kacey was obviously up to no good. "Told you what?"

That irritating smirk of hers widened. "That you got a new boyfriend! I'm so proud of you! Kids these days. They grow up so fast! "

I mentally facepalmed; of course she would say that!

"One: I've never had a boyfriend before. So if he was my boyfriend,  he would be my first. Two: I only met him yesterday! Three: We are almost the same age. I'm just a few months older than you!"

Kacey (fake) gasped, "You just met each other yesterday and are dating already?!"

I groaned. Ryan was blushed and sputtering next to me, embarrassed. Before I could say anything else, my cousin, who worked as a police officer, came and made the situation worse. "Lily-flower has a boyfriend? Oh my God! I'm so proud of you, darling. Is that the lucky guy? I've never seen him before. But he's quite the looker. Good job!"

Ryan blushed even harder. "He is not my boyfriend, for Godsake! Why do you immediately assume that any male I walk in with is my boyfriend? He's just Ethan's friend!" I cried out, exasperated. 

Kacey and Shelly, my cousin, looked at each other with smirks and a raised eyebrow.  "Suuuureeeeee," they said teasingly.

I just sighed. Nothing was ever gonna make them let it go. "Come on, Ryan. Let's get you registered," I muttered and grabbed his arm and pulled him away from my insane friend and equally crazy cousin.

Perhaps I was too eager to get away from them, or perhaps I was too caught up in my thoughts; either way, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Consequently, I slammed into someone. The two of us stumbled back, causing me to trip. Luckily, the person I bumped into caught my wrist before I could hit the ground. "You okay?" he asked with a concerned voice as he pulled met upright.

I looked at the man in front of me. He seemed to be around my brother's age. Coal-coloured, messy hair; olive-ish skin tone, tall, muscular and glasses covering his dark amber eyes. If it wasn't for the numerous bandages on his body, he would have been quite handsome.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," I replied. "Sorry for bumping into you."

"It's fine. It was an accident,  and no harm was done," he assured me with a smile.

I don't know why but something about that smile triggered a thousand sirens to go off in my head. My detective instinct was crying out: begging me not to let this man go. He knew something. Something important. That unsettling smile -though unseen by most- was almost telling me that, too.

Before I could blurt out something to the man, a voice piped up, "Lily?"

I turned.  The voice belonged to Quinn. "Hey, Quinn," I greeted, temporarily pushing my thoughts away. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh. Lily, meet Logan Black. He's the President's personal guest," Quinn introduced me to the ravenette. "Logan, this is Lily Alexis, the President's lawyer and a professional detective. She also works here in the police department. Lily, Logan and I are here to get him registered into the system since we didn't do it yesterday. "

"What a coincidence! I'm here to get Ryan registered. You remember him, right? Ryan Grayson, from the meeting?"

Quinn nodded, "Yeah, I do! Hi Ryan! I'm Quinn Sasha Roofer, the President's secretary! "

Ryan replied, "Yeah, I remember you. Nice to meet you."

The two shook hands. "You know, you have really beautiful eyes, Ryan," commented Quinn after a moment of thought. "As beautiful as Lily's!"

We both blushed lightly." Thanks, but I think Ryan's eyes are more beautiful, " I replied.

" Thanks, but I think Lily's eyes are more beautiful, " replied Ryan at the same time.

The two of us stared at each other in surprise. Quinn blinked and flickered her eyes from me to him and back again.

"Both your eyes are pretty, so stop flirting, Lovebirds!" teased the amused voice of the person who had jumped onto my back.

"Kacey, we were not flirting!" I groaned. "And please get off me."

The weight on my back disappeared. "Keep telling yourself that, Lily. Your connected minds are proof of your love for each other," she smirked.

"Well, we better get back to our business," said Quinn. She and Logan then turned around and walked away.

"That man," mumbled Ryan, more to himself than me. I looked up to find him staring at Logan Black's back pensively . "I feel like I've seen him before; it's strange."

'What a coincidence. I also think of him as an enigma. I wonder of our minds are connected after all, Ryan Grayson.'