She Belongs To Him

Chap. 24: What Do You Think?

• Lane's cigarette above •

The sky brightened up and rain clouds moved away, but a damp chill still remains. Katie sits outside with Rebel on the wooden railing, telling her everything that has went down between her and Margo.

"Holy shit!" Rebel exclaims every vowel, her dark eyes widening. "And Lane just winked?"

Rebel chuckles at the blonde, who smiles giddily. "Well, yeah."

Both girls giggle excitedly. Katie looks off into the woods, snuggling in Lane's warm sweater. She wonders if he would want it back.

"What?" Katie turns to see Rebel giving her a knowing look, a smug smile on her plump lips. "You're thinking of something. Spill it! Tell me!"

"I don't know." The blonde chuckles with a distant smile, shaking her head as she stares at the nature around them. "Everything feels...different."

Rebel burst out into giggly laughter. "I know what it is!"

Katie turns to her amused, grinning. "What is it?"

"You like Lane." Rebel can't fight her bright smile, "And I don't mean just like him like him, I mean you like him like him."

The blonde's cheeks go bright pink, heat in her cheeks. She bats her long lashes at her friends words.

"Huh ah." Katie shakes her head, her brows furrowing. "No way."

"Denial? Classic." The pink tipped girl smiles smugly and looks away, biting her lip.

"Wha-" The blonde gives her friend a shocked look, "I'm just his little play thing-a pet, if you would. Something to entertain himself when he's bored from the rest of you."

Revel playfully pushes Katie, laughing at her friend's light tease. Both girls look onto the woods. Katie wonders how far from town they are. She was out cold when they brought her to the cabin.

"How many hideouts does Lane have?" Katie wonders out loud.

"More than any of us combined know of." Rebel answers her, "But this place is one of his favorite places to hideaway to. I guess for the solitude."

"Yes," Katie nods, her voice full of cheer "and perhaps a fireplace in each room. I assume there's one in the bathrooms too."

Rebel smiles sadly. "I wish."

"You don't have a fireplace?" The blonde says in shock, "There's one in his office, the living room, the bedroom..."

"All of Boss's favorite spots in the cabin." Rebel explains, tapping her combat boot against the wet leaves. "Jett and Max have heaters in their rooms, but the rest of us have quilts and blankets."

Katie slowly nods, looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry, Rebel. I didn't know."

The pink tipped girl smiles at her friend warmly. "No harm, Angel."

"Why doesn't Lane provide you guys better?" Katie reminds herself that she can't trash talk Lane, not after what happened only an hour and a half ago.

"Boss provides." Rebel swings her short legs that dangle off the chair, looking off into the distance. "But if we want something that isn't necessarily a necessity, then we have to buy it ourselves with our own cut we worked for."