An Eye For An Eye

Trente-Six

“What’s the address of your house?” I asked as I turned to the back of the notebook. Deucalion told it to me and I wrote it down. Staring at it, I furrowed my brow. “That’s not far from my apartment, actually.”
“Your apartment?” he asked.
“I don’t still live with my… with Gerard usually, only when we’re on hunts together. We were only supposed to stay for less than a month, I need to pay the rent in a week or so for next month.”

All of my other things were at home, more weapons, more of my belongings like my computer and all of my writing. I’d need to sort everything out. It seemed as though I’d be staying with Deucalion for the foreseeable future.

I wrote down that I was okay above the address and ripped the note out, folded it and put it in my pocket. I put the cap on the pen and set it and the notebook down on the coffee table.
“I’m going for a walk, I’ll be back in half an hour or so,” I said as I headed to grab my jacket and put on my boots.

It was a warm afternoon, the sun was a little too bright and I regretted putting on a jacket as I started to sweat. Spotting a familiar house, I slowed my pace and stared at it. Chris might be inside, or Gerard. Maybe even Kara or her mother.

My red car was still on the drive, I had the car keys in my pocket. I could get in and drive away if I needed to. Chris’ car was parked on the road and I walked over. After quickly glancing around to check no one was watching me, I tucked the folded piece of paper beneath the windshield wiper. Hoping Chris would notice it before Gerard, I walked to the end of the street at a relatively normal pace, trying to look normal and not suspicious.

And then I started walking back to the penthouse.

It was still insane to think that he had his own house and could afford to rent a penthouse for a few months. I wasn’t sure how I had managed to get to this point in life, sneaking a note to my brother as if we were children in school. I could only wish Chris found it and understood what it was. He should recognise my handwriting, I made him read enough of my stories as children and it had only gotten a bit neater since then.

Stepping back inside the penthouse, I immediately took my jacket off and tossed it onto the bed in the guest room. I rummaged around in my bag for deodorant, I hadn’t bothered unpacking it properly at first since I hadn’t expected to stay for long. But then I discovered we weren’t staying in Beacon Hills for long and as a part of his pack, I felt obligated to move with him.

Leaving the bedroom, I spotted Deuc cooking. I could smell pasta sauce.
“That smells quite nice,” I said as I walked over to him. He smiled.
“How was your walk?” he asked.
“It was good,” I replied. “Want any help?” He shook his head so I took a seat at the breakfast bar so that I could still talk to him.

“Just good? Go anywhere special?” I had the feeling he was suspicious of something.
“I left Chris a note,” I said. I couldn’t lie to him. “Just telling him I’m okay.”
“You gave him the address, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” I said. “Just in case, he won’t give it to Gerard if he knows I’ll be there.” He looked distrusting, as if he didn’t believe that Chris would keep the address to himself.
“You should have told me first,” he said. I nodded, I should have told him, it was his house, after all.
“I’m sorry.”

It fell to almost silence as he cooked.
“Do you trust him?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. Chris was the only person in my family I trusted. “I do trust him, he’s the only family I trust.” If Mom was alive, I’d trust her too.

“What is it?” He must have noticed the sadness.
“I was just thinking about my Mom,” I said. “If she was alive, she’d be in charge of everything, things might have gone better. No one ever mentions her though.” I wish they would have, it was why I didn’t know how to deal with people dying. They just neglected to deal with it entirely.

“A shame,” he said. “I’m sure you take more after her than your father.” I smiled and laughed.
“Yeah, I hope I do. I don’t want to be anything like my father,” I said. “But I wish they’d have talked about her more, she used to make up stories and read to me. Stories about adventurers and witches. I know I get that from her. And… you probably don’t care about this, I’m sorry.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t mind, you can talk about her if you want.”
“Oh, okay,” I said with a smile on my face and he smiled back. “She used to be really good at chess, she had promised to teach me but she never really got the chance. I was never very good anyway. And she taught me how to bake too, I should make you her brownies, I’m the only one who learnt the recipe, Kate wasn’t bothered and Chris isn’t the type of person to bake.”

“It sounds as if you’re a lot like your mother,” Deuc said as he started put put the pasta and the sauce onto plates.
“I guess I am,” I said with a shrug. I had never really thought that I was like my mom that much but it seemed we were a little more alike than I had first thought.
“And I suppose you’ll have to make me those brownies once we move back to the house.”
“Well, you’re moving back but I’ve never been there,” I pointed out.
“I suppose so,” he said, laughing a little. “But you’ll like it, there’s an entire room dedicated to books that you make use of since I can’t.”
“Don’t tempt me, I will sit for hours reading sometimes,” I said, shaking my head. Sometimes it got a little worrying, I tended to forget to eat or sleep or both.

He set my plate down near me and I reached over the counter to pull it in front of me. He held out a fork for me and I thanked him as I took it.

“And if you want to stay in one of the guest bedrooms, you’re very welcome to,” he said as he sat down next to me with his own plate of food.
“What if I want to stay in your room?” I asked with a grin. He just shook his head slightly.
“I wouldn’t complain, my love. I just thought you might like a room to yourself.”
“I mean, I can have a room, I just have the feeling I wouldn’t be spending too much time in there,” I said honestly. I didn’t spend too much time in the room I was supposed to be staying in at the moment. I had been sleeping in his room for the last few nights.

Deuc smiled and I smiled back. “Then you’re welcome to share mine.”
“I might take you up on that offer.”
“You’re smiling again.” I laughed a little but it was my turn to make him speechless.
“How can I not when I’m looking at you?”