Endless: REWRITTEN

14. Serpentine

Natalie

Something didn't feel right when Robin told me about his conviction.

I don't know if it was in his tone of voice or his words or his facial movements, but a red flag sprung up for me. And as someone who married a walking red flag, I'd like to not revisit those days.

I could do a background check, but it's like an invisible force is pulling me away from the database where I could pull it. Like the devil on my shoulder is pulling me one way and the angel is pulling the other way, shouting 'trust him!' and the devil is shouting 'trust no man!'. But then I examine the puzzle pieces in front of me that make me want to listen to the devil.

The other day, Mordecai said he knew something I didn't. This happened to come the day after Robin was at the bar, getting drunk and crying about his brother. I pull out my phone and go on Cheyenne's Facebook account. I find pictures of her and Mordecai together and compare. Mordecai and Robin do have an eerie similarity to each other, just enough for it to be feasible that they're related. But is that really the case?

I open my laptop and pull up the criminal records of Mordecai that I found years ago. I glance around because I'm at work and can't be caught doing things outside of work. I glance through the reports to find his name, and then a Robin Harper.

Robin never told me his last name. He expertly changed the subject when it was brought up. Does this mean he knows that he's keeping something from me?

And if this is the case... Mordecai's offense was an accessory to a murder that his brother committed. So... is his brother—?

There's a loud knock on my office door and I look up to see Mordecai entering my office with some papers. "We were supposed to meet?"

"Oh... s-sorry."

"Oh, my God, she knows how to apologize?" he jokes. "Someone call the press."

I look at him closely. They do look so similar... the same blue eyes and dark brown hair, but everything else is only slightly different...

"Hey," he snaps. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"Fuck you," I spit.

He smiles, and then snorts, "You wish."

"You're disgusting," I seethe, approaching him. "I wish my niece could see you acting this way."

A phone rings within the office, and we realize that it's Mordecai's cell. He answers the call, stepping out of my office to talk to the person on the other line. I take the time to relax, trying not to make a scene within the office. I sit down on one of the chairs and focus on breathing, calming my boiling blood.

He reenters after a few seconds. "Viola wants to talk to us."

"Us?" I question, and he nods as a response. I sigh and pull myself out of the chair, following him to Viola's office.

Viola is, naturally, busy handling other business when we enter her office. "Take a seat, guys." Her tone is incredibly casual, which brings me mild comfort until we actually sit down and she begins with, "I hear you two have been having some problems working together?"

Mordecai and I look at each other to see who's going to reply first. He decides to be the good guy first. "We have history."

That's all you're going to say? "And we acknowledge that it shouldn't be discussed in the workplace," I add, giving him a pointed look. "So we apologize if we've been unprofessional."

"Is it a..." Viola circles her hand, finding the words. "Ex-lovers situation?"

Just after I say we're going to be professional, we both burst out in hysterical laughter at her accusation. Viola whips around to us curiously as our laughter dies down. She lifts an eyebrow and I clear my throat.

"No, no," I dismiss. "He's dating my niece."

"Cheyenne, right?" Viola grins. "What a sweet girl."

"She's very sweet," I agree. "A little naïve, but a sweetheart."

Mordecai is aching to reply, because over the past month, I've discovered that he's furiously protective over Cheyenne, as I am. But for the sake of his job, he keeps his mouth shut for once.

"Forgive me for prying, but is that a bad thing between you two? I'm just trying to figure out where the animosity is coming from." Viola sits across from us behind her desk, focusing her attention now.

"It's a long story," Mordecai leaves it at that. Yeah, you could practically write a book about it...

"My niece is twenty, at the moment. And they began dating three years ago. You can do the math."

"I'm not going to explain myself to you again," Mordecai snaps. "You know what happened, it's not my problem if you refuse to listen."

"The point is that our personal lives have nothing to do with our professional lives," I conclude. "So if you could act like you don't despise me for eight hours out of the day, that'd be great."

"As long as you do the same."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Viola sighs. "Are you sure you two weren't lovers in a past life?"

"If we were, I probably died an early death because of it," I scoff. "And don't insinuate that this is some sort of lover's quarrel. We're both in happy relationships with other people."

At least I think so...

"Well, you've made me this promise, Natalie. So I would appreciate it if I didn't have to call you two in here for the same issue after this. I think you two are phenomenal at your jobs, but we're also working to maintain a healthy work environment, and that means getting along with your co-workers. We're on the same page?"

We agreed, because it's true. I have to stop letting Mordecai aggravate me, especially at a job I'm depending on right now. Okay... you know how to deal with people who irritate the ever-loving shit out of you... just turn on your political mode.

As we're climbing the stairs to the second floor, Mordecai speaks up. "Cheyenne is having a birthday party on Saturday. At her apartment."

"Oh... she didn't tell me that." She doesn't tell me anything...

"Yeah... at seven P.M. If you want to come, you can, I guess."

"Is this supposed to be your olive branch?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I've never cared about your opinion, Natalie," he brushes off. "I've extended that branch months ago. It's up to you to take it."

We get up the stairs and I turn to him. There's almost a resignation in his eyes, like he truly is tired of the war. But that same force within me is telling me not to trust him.

"We'll see how the party goes," I tell him.

He nods. "For what it's worth... Cheyenne wants you there. She just didn't invite you because she was afraid you wouldn't want to be there with... me there."

"I don't, honestly." I swallow. "I don't hate you, Mordecai. I just love my niece more than anything. And I was young, just like her, chasing after older men. It doesn't usually end up well."

His gaze pins me to my spot as he says, in the most serious I've ever heard him, "I love Cheyenne more than anything in this entire world, and the last thing I want to do is hurt her. I just wish you can see that."

He walks away from me. His words make an intrusive thought enter my head: if Robin is his brother... would he approve of me dating him?