Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 31

"I was also going to tell you that Greyson arranged for us to be flown home tomorrow morning, instead of Tuesday."
That caught my attetnion. I turned to face Damon, keeping my face blank as I looked at him, trying to gague if he was telling me the truth. "It's pointless to stay here, if they know where we are." Damon said, seeing my expression.
I hesitated, "What happens when we go home?" I breathed, suddenly aware of how dire the situation was. It was likely that even when we returned home, that I wouldn't be able to see my family.
Though my room was dark, I could easily see Damon's face, and the way it sobered at my words. "Greyson talked to one of Pablo's men. They agreed on a sort of truce, until my brother can sort things out." He told me. This brought tears to my eyes. I wanted desperately to believe what Damon was saying. "So I can see my family?" I asked quietly, almost scared to ask the question. Damon's green eyes softened and he nodded.
*
I pulled off my shoes, setting them, along with my single suitcase onto the rubber belt for inspection, as I waited in line for my turn to walk through the body scanner.
"I call window seat."
I turned to look at Damon behind me, as he finished setting his things onto the belt, and fell into line behind me. His smirk sparked my competitive side, and in response I raised my eyebrows.
"As if." I retorted, turning away from him, and walking through the scanner. Waiting for my things to come through, I started putting on my shoes, and gathered my things, until Damon was ready as well. When he was ready, we headed off towards our terminal to find some seats. Of course, we were early. It was an estimated twenty minute wait before we could actually board the plane. I took a seat closest to the terminal, but before Damon could take the seat next to me, an elderly couple walked in front of him and sat down. He cocked an eyebrow at me, but flashed the couple a smile, and moved around them to take the next seat. The moment the announcer came over the intercom, telling first class passengers to begin boarding the plane, I stood quickly, and made my way into the tunnel. I was determined to get the window seat now. For no reason really, other than the fact that Damon had called it. Stepping into the dim hallway, I started on my way towards the plane, pulling my suitcase behind me. Yelping, I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to Damon with a glare.
"I didn't mean to scare you." He chuckled, as we arrived to the plane entrance. I rolled my eyes and stepped in front of him, into the plane, blowing out a breath when I heard him greet the flight attendants. He said something to them, and they laughed, high-pitched femenine laughs. I didn't bother to look back. I knew they were batting their eyelashes and bidding him a marvelous flight. No doubt they would be flocking to our seats just minutes after takeoff. I found our seat numbers, and moved towards the side of the aisle to slip into the row. Before I had time to slide into the seats, I felt Damon's hand on my shoulder.
"I called it." He murmured in my ear, but I scoffed and pulled my shoulder away.
"Hands off," I scowled, to which Damon did not respond. I knew there were people behind us waiting to be seated, so I let out a breath, before I jerked quickly agianst Damon's hold on me once more. He hadn't expected me to do that, therefore, I broke away and thrust myself into the window seat, annoyed. Lifting my eyes to Damon, I almost laughed when I saw the way he was looking at me. I smiled to myself and looked away from him shaking my head, still cheeky because I'd won. After a moment, I turned back to Damon with a serious expression. "Now we're even."
His expression hardened, before his eyes glinted, and he slowly shook his head. "No, we're not." He muttered as the plane lurched into motion down the runway. I let out a breath and shrugged.
"Then right now, I'm winning."
That seemed to put Damon to silence, but every so often I could feel his eyes on me, until the first flight attendant came. Damon put in his order, and I shifted towards the window to try to nap. Closing my eyes, and the window shade, I lay my head back against the seat, hearing the flight attendant return. She gave Damon his drink, and conversed with him a moment, before she left again.
Soon, the hum of the plane engine, and my closed eyes lured me to sleep. I welcomed the nap. It was going to be a long flight, and I had no intention of staying awake and listening to Damon flirt with flight attendants the entire time.
*
The thing that my head was resting on shifted, and my eyes fluttered open.
I frowned for a moment, trying to get my bearings, before I remembered I was on a plane. Glancing up, I inwardly groaned when I saw what had happened.
In my sleep, I'd shifted over onto Damon, and my head was resting on his right arm, which meant my entire body was draped across his lap. His eyes were closed, and the shade from our closed window helped hide the fact that I was awake, but his left arm that was draped over my waist made getting up much more difficult. Biting my lower lip, I started to move, but stopped myself when Damon stirred. I did not want him to wake up to me laying all over him, so I froze. Adjusting myself into a slightly more appropriate postion, I let out a breath and closed my eyes.
I'll give him a few minutes, just to make sure he's sleeping again...
*
"Oana," I heard my name being called, and peeled my eyes open. As I did so, the room around me lurched sideways, and I shot into a sitting postion. "Easy," Damon chuckled, as I pushed myself quickly onto my side of the seats, "We've encountered-" he was cut short by another sudden jerk in the plane. I caught my breath, and stared at him with wide eyes. "turbulance." He finished with a half-smile, steadying his water glass. I let out a breath and gripped the arm rest beside me. "How close are we to landing?" I asked quietly, my voice slightly hoarse from my nap.
"Half an hour at most." Damon checked the golden watch on his wrist. "Do you need a ride home from the airport?" He asked me, and I started.
I'd forgotten to text David that I was coming home. "No, my brother can come get me, I'm sure." I shook my head, still gripping the armrest, as I pulled out my phone.
Once I texted David, he responded almost immediately saying he would leave now to meet me at the airport, when I landed. Dropping my phone into my lap, when another gust of wind knocked the plane sideways, I inhaled slowly and reached to open the window shade.
The reason for the jolting wind was obvious. Large blackish grey clouds were pressed up against the window of the plane, and I saw lightening flashing in the clouds below us. It was a big storm.
Turning from the window, I checked my seatbelt- not that it would do me any good if we crashed.
After half an hour of terrifying flight,  the captain was finally able to get us to a landing strip, and though it wasn't the smoothest landing, we landed.
Soon after that, Damon and I were moving down the terminal and into the airport with the rest of the plane's passengers. My phone lit up to reveal a text from David, and I glanced up as I neared the front doors of the airport, searching for my brother. He said he'd just pulled up.
"I'm heading out, are you sure you don't need a ride?" Damon asked me, pulling his suitcase in front of me, to cut me off. I shook my head quickly, gesturing that he go on.
"My brother is already here."
Damon took the hint and nodded a short goodbye, heading out the glass doors. Not a moment later, I saw David and his friend Jared tumbling through the front doors, soaked by the rain.
"David!" I called, and both the boys started in my direction, David taking the lead. He reached me in seconds but didn't stop, instead he yanked me into a hug.
"Finally, I can eat something other than cold pizza and granola bars!" He grinned, stepping back and taking my suitcase from me. I glanced to Jared when he snorted, and both the boys laughed. When I demanded that we waited to catch up until we were driving, the boys and I headed out into the rain towards the car.
"How was your trip, Oana?" Jared asked me, as I climbed into the backseat of his car, rubbing raindrops off my shirt. David buckled his seatbekt, before he turned to look at me.
Oh boy.
I had at feeling that telling them I had gone to a party, been harassed by one of Damon's friends, seen two men get shot, and stayed two days on a yhat, wouldn't go over well.
"It was good." I smiled, fixing my hair and buckling up. Jared exchanged a glance with David, before David spoke up.
"That's it? That's all we get?" He frowned. Searching my face, he raised his eyebrows, and I knew he wanted me to tell him more about the trip.
"I went to the beach a lot, and met some new friends..." I shrugged.
David frowned deeper. He could tell something was off, I could see it in his eyes, but for the moment, he let me off the hook.
"You definitely got a tan." He laughed, sitting back in his seat.
I frowned, glancing down at my arms sarcastically. "Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Your face is all red," David snickered, but when I didn't retort, he prompted me to delve into more details about my trip. I stayed as close to truth as I possibly could, avoiding any encounters with Damon or things relating to the Lawsons at all. Fortunately, David seemed to believe me and after I'd finished, he didn't bother me for the rest of the ride home. Instead, he and Jared talked about some new song that had just been released by their favorite artist, and how their friend's new girlfriend was super hot. I tried my best to ignore that end of the conversation.
After Jared dropped us off at my apartment, David and I headed upstairs and I took my suitcase into my room to unpack. After Damon and I found out when our flight was, Damon called Grant and had him pack my stuff and bring it to the airport.
Sitting in front of my closet, I unzipped my suitcase, but David walked into my room and jumped onto my bed.
"You're going to have to remake that." I told him, turning back to unpack.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened on your vacation?" He asked, completely ignoring my last statement. I faltered, but quickly shoved some socks into my sock basket, hoping he didn't notice.
"What do you mean?" I tried the innocent card, knowing if I had to lie, my brother would definitely know that I wasn't telling him everything.
David rolled onto his back, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "Exactly what I said, Oana," He stared at me, "I want to know what you're not telling me."
"What do you think it is that I'm not telling you?" I frowned, turning to face him, while folding a shirt.
"I don't know. I just think you're acting weird. You said all you did for almost two weeks, was go to the beach." He raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms and tucking his hands into his armpits.
I thought back to what I had done, and other than shopping, eating, and going to the beach, I had gone to a party and stayed two nights on a yhat. "To be very honest, that's basically what I did..." I gave a small laugh, and David frowned.
"Seriously?"
I nodded.
"That's lame. I would've at least gone to a beach party, or learned how to surf- or something." He said, pursing his lips. I rolled my eyes and set another shirt on the shelf in my closet.
"Some people like to relax on vacations." I retorted.
David and I sat in my room and talked for a little while, while I unpacked, and when I was done, we decided to go get some groceries. While we were out, we grabbed sandwiches for lunch, then headed back to the house to unload the food, and make some dinner.
"Nose-goes on cooking dinner!" David said, shutting the fridge as he put away the milk.
"I am not cooking tonight. I'm too tired." I crossed my arms. David shrugged and walked over to lay down on the couch.
"We could order pizza..."
"Let's just go out, I already had pizza this week." I sighed, and David grinned.
"Fine with me."
*
"Why are you dressed up?" I frowned at David, brushing out my wet hair.
"Because if I'm buying, we're going somewhere with good food." He told me. "Now get your butt in gear, I'm leaving in twenty minutes."
"Really? With what car?" I cocked an eyebrow, but David smirked.
He held up my keys, rolling them around his finger, "Yours," He pointed an accusing finger at me. "Move it."
Laughing, I closed my bedroom door behind my brother and hurried into my bathroom to change.
*
David parked my car outside the nicest restaurant in this entire end of the city- and the nicest place that I'd ever been to. I frowned.
"What now?" David sighed, catching my frown.
"Nothing, it's just that-" I hesitated, and he grinned.
"Are you worried about my wallet?" He asked me with a sly smile.
I snorted. "Not at all."
David and I went inside the restaurant, and the hostess greeted us with a big smile.
"Hello, table for two?" She asked us, glancing between David and I.
"Yes ma'am." David nodded, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes.
"Right this way."
We were seated near the center of the cream-colored room, at a table with a white covering and plush red chairs. Once we had placed our drink orders, David started telling me about his two weeks with Jared. About midway through some story about how Jared asked him to cover for him while he snuck out, the waitress came for our food order, bringing a bottle of wine with her. We placed our orders, and as she left, David reached for the wine.
"Drink?" He asked, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Not funny."
He chuckled and shrugged, pushing the wine back to the edge of the table.
Neither David or I drank alcohol, even though he was old enough. His dad, my step-dad, had cured us both of the want to ever taste any strong drink ever.
"So, when do you go back to work?" David asked, shaking me from my thoughts, and I inhaled.
"Tomorrow."
"What do you even do for him, anyways?" David frowned, leaning back against his chair.
I raised my eyebrows and shrugged,
"I file papers, schedule meetings, cater his meetings, organize his calander, things like that." I told him, glancing up as the waitress set my plate of pasta in front of me. "Thank you." I smiled at her, and she nodded, returning the favor, as she handed David his food off her trey. He thanked her as well before she left, and we resumed conversation. "So, besides helping Jared sneak out, messing up his mom's cubbards, and trashing two tires on his car, what did you do for two weeks?" I asked David, a smirk playing at my lips.
David grinned and shrugged. Just as he was about to answer with some smart remark, his phone buzzed, and he glanced down at the screen, his grin fading.
"Hello?"
The person on the other end started speaking, and David's eyes darkened.
"What happened? Is she okay?" He asked quickly, and the person mumbled again on the other line.
"What hospital? How bad is it?"
My heartbeat skyrocketed, and I gripped my hands together, before I managed to make out one word the woman was saying.
Accident.
"We'll be there." David hung up the phone, and his eyes met mine, a grave expression covering his face.
"What happened?"