A Locked Box

Chapter 23

   Devin held his face in his hands, his elbows leaning on the diner table. He had run blindly, finding himself in one of his favorite restaurants. The scene was replayed over and over in his mind. The way Kat seemed to lose control and merciless hurt that man. Yes, he had threatened his life and Kat's and yes, he had hurt Kat and almost poisoned him. But that still didn't mean she needed to do what she did. There were so many other ways to solve that situation and she chose violence and almost murder. He didn't move when someone slid into the booth opposite him.

   "Devin..." her voice was quiet, gentle. He had never heard her speak so softly to him or anyone. But that change didn't convince him.

   "Go away," he said hotly. If someone had told him this morning that he would have said those two words to Kat, he would have laughed in their face.

   Kat didn't move. "You have every right to--"

   "I have every right to be scared of you. Is that what you were going to say?" Devin snapped, looking up at her. Her face was clean and she wore a simple gray hoodie and the jeans she had worn yesterday. The smell of rusty blood still hung around her.

   Kat looked unfazed by his words but the hurt in her eyes betrayed that expressionless face she normally wears during emotional situations. "No," she spoke with a level voice. She moved her hands from her hoodie pockets to the table. "I was going to say you have every right to leave me if you want to." the sentence clearly pained her to say. As much as she would hate to admit it, she liked Devin more than a friend. The assassin's words of 'your boyfriend' rang in her ears as she watched Devin for his reaction. Devin stared blankly, how wrong he had been. Kat's hands shook as she met his eyes. "I-I lost control. This is what I was afraid of. That they...that they would hurt you and Mr. Nuzum and Axel and everyone that I speak to." she picked at her nails nervously as she continued. "I was so stupid th-thinking I could have defied them and get away with it. Even if that devil of a man hadn't succeeded in his mission, they won in the end." she sounded on the verge of tears.

   Devin's jaw fell open slightly. "How?" his voice was barely a whisper.

   A tear fell from her eye and pooled on the table. "They destroyed my life." she wiped her eyes quickly. "I don't have work, and now no one close to me."

   Devin felt guilty despite his 'right' to feel betrayed. "Kat..."

   Kat stopped him with the look in her eyes. "You can feel disgusted and curse my name if you want to. I won't do anything to stop you if you decide to forget about me." she looked up with red, puffy eyes. "It would be better for both of us. So I don't hurt you anymore." she was crying fully now, her tears falling freely. Her cheeks were burning with shame that she was crying in such a public place.

   Devin grabbed her hand. "Kat, I'm not hurt. You saved my life." all of his troubled thoughts left him and they were replaced by feelings of gratefulness and affection. He even managed a smile. Her words had shown him that she wasn't the cold stone killer that he had thought she was just seconds ago. "I'm sorry I ran out and left you there when you clearly were in pain." when she opened her mouth to speak, he interrupted her. "This is all a little cliche, isn't it?"

   Kat said nothing. This was a reaction she never thought she would experience. "S-So you aren't scared of me?"

   Devin grinned as he slid into her side of the booth, never breaking contact. "Oh no, I'm terrified but I know you would never intentionally hurt me." he chuckled at her surprise. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting her lean on his chest. "If you were one of those minions then I would have been dead a long time ago."

   Kat let out a relieved sigh. Her tears had welled up and all that was left were the dried up trails on her cheeks. "I'm still sorry."

   "I know." he pressed her closer in a quick comforting hug. They sat there for a couple seconds, content with each other's company. "How did you find me?"

   Kat looked up at him with a frown pulling at her lips. "I followed you." those simple words seemed to put a damper on her mood. She obviously hated being close to those devils. To have been one of them, a killer.

   Devin found himself smiling. "Now look who's the stalker," he said laughing. His action was cut short from the punch to the ribs Kat gave him.

   "Don't laugh at me." her cold gaze held a hint of light in them. "I only get to call you that."

   "How unfair!" he whined.

   Kat snorted, cleaning up her face. They sat against each other for a couple of moments. "You realize that me crying in front of you means you found the key."

   "What are you talking about?" Devin asked, chuckling.

   She smiled playfully. "I showed human emotions to you. I'm not that locked little box you said I was all those weeks ago." she actually giggled. Both of them were shocked by the sound.

   "Apparently I did." they burst into laughter. To avoid assumption, Devin moved back to his own side of the booth. "Do you want something? This place has the best milkshakes."

   Kat shook her head. "I'm not exactly..." she stopped, not wanting to ruin the mood.

   "You're still..."

   Kat nodded her head sheepishly.

   Devin mentally saved the moment of the confident Kat being embarrassed as he stared at her. Smiling, he gestured to the door. "We can leave and you can get cleaned up."

   Kat glanced at the door. Her shoulders tensed up and her white knuckles clashed with the brown table. Devin furrowed his eyebrows, following her gaze.

    When he found nothing, he rested a couple fingers on her tight fist. Kat's black eyes darted to his before returning to the door. "Is something out there?"

   She didn't respond as she relaxed her body. Devin's fingers slipped into her palm. Her mouth twitched as she tore her gaze away from the big glass windows. "No, not anymore at least."

   "Let's go then." Devin stood, giving the passing waitress a grateful smile. Their hands stayed interlocked as they walked out of the diner and towards Kat's apartment. Kat didn't want to let go as much as her instincts were telling her. Thousands of voices were shouting in her head to let go and sprint away to save his life. But the way he smiled and laughed with her made her hold on tightly and never release his hand. Devin couldn't see the war raging in her mind but didn't complain as they walked hand in hand.

   Kat sighed as they entered the apartment. The broken glass by the coffee table, the stain from the orange juice and blood were all still there. "I'll clean it up. I've had a lot of...experience," she said quietly, not meeting Namjoon's eyes.

   "I'll help you. It'll be a lot quicker."

   She met his eyes with a look that almost knocked Devin to his feet. "No! You can take the dishes in if you want to help. This is my mess to clean up." she spoke with force.

   Devin nodded. "Okay." he tried to hide the tiny bit of fear but it resonated in his voice clearly like the ringing of a bell. Kat was used to the sound and knew how to pick it out. A pang stabbed at her heart as she let the emotion sink into her. Without a word, she walked away and disappeared into her room and then her bathroom.