Be Alright

Twelve

Twelve: Kiss Me

"Are you out of your mind?" Haley shouts at me as she stands from her seated position on the chair beside me.

I had just broken the news to her about me accepting the undercover job. I didn't expect her to react well, so her shouting isn't really a surprise to me.

What was a surprise to me was how calm and quiet Jace was beside me. He had hardly moved or said a word from the moment I told my story on what had happened during the meeting.

"Haley, I'll be okay," I assure her.

Haley laughs and begins pacing back in forth on the small strip of free space between the coffee table and entertainment center.

"What is okay for you? Even if you don't get hurt physically you can't possibly tell me that this won't stress you out and make you a nervous wreck!" She continues to shout, her pacing growing faster as she speaks.

"If I don't do this then how am I suppose to prove he's innocent?" I ask with a huff.

Haley stops in her tracks and raises a finger at me.

"Yeah, except you don't know if he's innocent. There's a reason he's being investigated. Plus, you don't know anything about his past or personal life. His favorite color is purple? That sure is some specific details about someone," she rambles.

As much as I didn't want to agree with Haley right no, I knew she was right. I don't know Tyler like that. He hasn't 'let me in' to his life. I haven't been asking to, though. I had hoped he would just tell me things on his own like I did to him, but he never did.

I still don't think he's guilty of anything. Ive looked into the eyes of psychopaths before and Tyler is far from a psychopath. Tyler has a warmth to him.

"Even if I don't go undercover I would still be spending time with him," I defend. "So why not kill two birds with one stone?"

"After everything you've learned you would still keep seeing him?"

"I would, yes. Innocent until proven guilty."

"You get a crumb of good dick and lose your damn mind," she tells me as she plops down back in the arm chair.

I smile, knowing she's given up on her argument. I was stubborn and Haley knew it. Once my mind was made up it was no use even bothering to get me to change up. I know what I needed to do, not just for me, but for people around me.

If Tyler is innocent, then that still means someone else murdered people at Joeli's. If he isn't innocent, then he's off the streets and can't cause anymore harm.

I'm just thrown in the middle of solving a crime.

"Can't you at least talk some sense in her? She listens to you more than me," Haley asks, turning her attention towards Jace.

Jace still hasn't spoke a word this entire time, nor has he even moved. I wondered what was going on in his mind and what his thoughts were on everything. I knew that when Jace was bothered by something that he shut down and tried his best to ignore it. I've always hated that about him.

"I think she should do it," he replied.

"You what?" Haley and I ask at the same time.

Jace sighs and adjusts his seating so that he's leaned forward with his elbows pressing in his knees.

"Octavia's right. He's innocent until proven guilty. If she's going to be spending time with him she can at least get information off him. Plus, this way we can keep an eye on her and make sure she's safe."