Missing The Mark ✔

14

"Danny!" Kol's shout echoed up the stairs. I kept my gaze on Lukas, who seemed annoyed. Despite Kol's repeated calls, I stayed put, my eyes locked on Lukas. He blinked at me, then shifted his attention back to his laptop. "You can go to him," he finally said.

I got to my feet just as the door swung open, revealing a rushed-looking Kol. He hurried over to me and enveloped me in a tight hug. "I'm going to kill you," he whispered in my ear. "I thought something was wrong." In that moment, I was ecstatic. All the worries about Monster, Boris, and Har faded away. Kol cared about me, and that was all that mattered. I felt a warm flush spread across my cheeks, and I didn't care one bit.

"You care," I said with a smile as we pulled away from the hug. Kol shot me a questioning look, and I couldn't help but chuckle. His fingers gently brushed against my cheek, and in that moment, I wanted to smile at him forever. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to fall for Kol. God damn, Kol, how am I supposed to not like you?

"What is it?" he asked, "You aren't dying, so why did you call me down here?" Kol actually looked worried. I'll admit, for a moment I was dazed by all of this. I was actually in my own world. All I could see was his eyes. All I could focus on was his hand caressing my cheek. His touch on my cheek sent shivers down my spine, and for a second, I felt like I was in love (but I knew I wasn't). I should not be feeling like this. That snapped me out of my little daze and I blinked toward Lukas who unsubtly looked away from us to his laptop. "Not here. Let's go to your room."

"Danny, this better be important."

"Trust me, Kol, this is really fucking important."

"Okay..." he muttered and moved away from me. He left his brother's room, leaving Lukas and I. I walked to him and took a seat at the edge of his bed. He didn't look at me. I rest my hand on his thigh to get his attention and stared at him. "What's up with you, man?"

"You can't possibly be asking me that, right?" he asked me with a forced chuckle.

"What?"

"What do you mean? He's never been that way, ever, with any of us. He just fricking met you, and... Whatever. You two can go do whatever you do. I don't even care," Lukas replied dismissively, his attention firmly on his laptop. I watched him for a moment, trying to make sense of his reaction, but eventually, I turned and left the room.

I headed to Kol's room and locked the door behind me, feeling a mixture of confusion and frustration. Kol's room was predictably messy, a stark contrast to his brother's neat and organized space. Piles of clothes were scattered around the room, spilling over from his bed to the chair and even onto the floor. It was a familiar sight, one that had become a part of his daily life. He was sat on his bed, with his phone in his hand. He looked so captivated by that tiny device, if only he knew I was coming in here to reak havoc with my words.

"Okay, so I'm in deep shit." I said instantly, forgetting his messy room. Kol rose his eyebrows and looked to me in confusion. I remained against the door, keeping my palm and back pressed against it. Kol was standing now, still with that perplexed look.

"What now?" he asked me. He leaned against his small table and folded his arms across his chest. "You're in some deep shit as well." I said and walked away from the door to sit on his bed, shoving away a few pieces of clothes. He turned his head to look at me.

"What?"

I didn't waste any time getting to the point. "Boris and Har. The guys you owe money," I reminded him, my arms folded across my chest as I leaned against the wall. Kol's reaction was immediate. His jaw dropped, and a string of curses escaped his lips as he processed the implications of my words. He eventually moved to sit beside me on the bed, and I raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to respond.