When Perfect Meets Crazy




We decided to walk and talk. We were heading to the trapdoor. Townsend wanted to make the bust immediately provided it ended up being what we hoped it was. He wanted to verify now while the matches for the day were still going on, then come back later with his men if it checked out. Hopefully, there would be documented information implicating all the players involved wherever that trapdoor led. According to Townsend, that was how these things supposedly worked. Apparently, it was custom to keep blackmail material in case anyone tried to turn against the rest.

"Last time I was here, I was in a hurry to leave and I got lost following this group of guys. I thought they were heading out but I ended up losing sight of them. That's how I eventually found you that day." I pointed to lan.

He nodded, listening with unwavering attention.

"I didn't think there was more to it obviously. If anything I wanted to put the whole experience behind me so I didn't even consider the possibility of it being something sketchy. I already had a stalker on me. I wasn't going to go look for more trouble. Until I found out the whole story. Then, I looked back and started considering the theory but... I wasn't really invested." I shrugged deprecatingly. "It wasn't my business and I didn't know I could trust you so I kept the theory to myself."

lan muttered something along the lines of you and your theories. The look Townsend shot him in response could only be described as 'shut the hell up.'

"Anyway, I got know you over time." I shrugged, shooting lan a small smile. "You said you were having trouble so I decided to... test the theory. That's why I came today."

"Why didn't you just tell me? I could've done it. You didn't have to put yourself in danger," he chastised, looking at me like no matter how hard he tried, he'd never have me pegged.

I liked the idea a little more than I should have.

"If the theory proved to be true, good but if it didn't, I didn't want to send you on a wild goose chase. You know, give you false hope and all that. Especially when you were already feeling so low," I answered.

"You're smart," Townsend grudgingly admitted.

"Here,” I announced, stopping in front of the trapdoor.

"You sure?" Townsend asked skeptically.

I rolled my eyes. They really never learn. Sighing, I awkwardly placed my hands where the man had placed his. It wasn't overly obvious from my pose that I was trying to do something. I had to admit, whoever came up with it was quite smart. If someone came around at that moment, I'd look like I had my hands against the wall, trying to catch my breath or steady myself. Not at all like I was trying to open the door to a room that housed a drug trade headquarters.

"What are you doing?" lan inquired. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Townsend seconded.

Soon enough, a small patch slid open and the dial was revealed. "How did you do that?" Townsend hissed, taking a step back.

lan, for all he was worth, had his mouth hanging open. I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe if you did a little less talking and a little more watching, you'd figure it out," I countered, turning the dial the way I had seen it done earlier with my hand covered by my cloth.

I'd seen a few crime scenes and I didn't want my prints there when the FBI did its sweep. Eight o'clock. Ten o'clock. Four o'clock. Two o'clock. Nothing happened. I could practically feel Townsend's smugness permeating the air.

So I tried the other code. Eight o'clock. Eleven o'clock. Four o'clock. Two o'clock. For a second, nothing happened and my spirit sank. I hadn't caught the code correctly.

I heaved a sigh, disappointment spreading through me.

Suddenly, with a low mechanical whirring, the wall panels pulled apart, revealing a rectangular doorway. I breathed a sigh of relief, my eyes drifting shut. Oh, thank God.

I let Townsend lead the way in case an ambush was waiting ahead. Thankfully, none

was.

The room was more or less a jackpot. It had everything. Piles of documents on transactions involving certain corporations that shocked even me, as well as flash drives that I hoped contained more.

Townsend stepped out to call it in.

"You're welcome." I addressed him as soon as he returned. "But I'm out of here. Whatever happens, my parents cannot find out about this little escapade. I mean it. I don't care what you have to do but... keep my name out of the reports. You owe me that much."

He dismissively agreed.

With that parting shot and a glance at lan that communicated that I'd be seeing him when he finished here, I left the arena, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

I could see why law enforcement agents chose the field. The high was thrilling. The knowledge that I had more or less single handedly brought down a drug trade filled me with a certain level of pride.

The whole drive home, I found myself smiling foolishly. I was grateful lan wasn't there to witness it.

I couldn't sit still long enough to continue the novel I had been reading nor to try my hand at studying. It was a miracle I was able to manage cooking dinner without absent mindedly burning it. I was brimming with that much excitement.

Eventually, I settled for playing the game while I waited for lan to show up. There was a tournament going on and since I had little else to do, I decided to participate. "You're here," I called over my shoulder on spotting lan's reflection on my laptop

screen.

He hefted himself into the room, landing less than gracefully. I pressed my lips to a thin line to contain my smile. I hurriedly finished off the battle and turned to him.

"How'd it go?"

He turned on the full force of his sunny beam.

"Great. They found everything they could possibly need. Video tapes even and my dad isn't in a single one."

In his excitement, he bound across the room, wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me out of my chair, twirling me in the air. I stiffened, eyes going wide. Logically speaking, I knew he was unlikely to drop me. He was somewhat of a trained fighter after all but I couldn't shake my irrational fear. I wanted my feet firmly

on the ground.

"That's nice. Put me down." I smiled at the first part and scowled at the second,

pointing at the floor in urgency.

"Right." He nodded, getting a hold of himself.

Gently, he set me set down, slowly sliding me down his body. Very unnecessary and

very annoying. Regardless, I pasted a sunny smile on my face and took a step back

before making the mistake of looking in his eyes.

"I'm glad it all worked out," I said stiffly, officially.

"Thanks to you." He smiled softly.

"Yeah, well." I shrugged.

"I have no idea how you put it together so fast. It's like the universe wanted you to. It took Townsend and I a month to find out about the people leaving mid game but you

waltzed in and figured it out immediately."

"Some of us are gifted like that," I joked.

Everything had wrapped up quite

nicely and it was all thanks to me. I

had earned gloating rights by every standard but for some reason,

vel.n

didn't particularly feel like it. I

frowned, unsure where the sudden wave of melancholy was coming

from. Content belongs to

Novelxo.org

Everything had wrapped up. The mission was over. It was the end of an era. There

was no longer a need for lan to follow me. He could, would go back to school.

"I won't see you again, will I?" I tilted my head to the side, masking conflicting emotions behind a smile.

He seemed to come to the same conclusion judging from the frown that blossomed

on his face.

"I have two weeks before I'm due back," he offered. "Besides, you'll be so busy with

your new relationship, you won't even notice I'm gone. Honeymoon phase."

I frowned, awarding him a confused look.

"What relationship?"

"Trevor."

"Oh," I mouthed. "We broke up. Well..., technically, we called it quits, not really broke

up. I didn't tell you?"

His eyes widened.

"No, you didn't mention that." His gaze met mine. "When? Why?"

If I didn't know better, I'd have said he was happy about the development.

"While you were MIA. We... got into an argument," I hedged.

"About?" he pressed.

I sighed, then shrugged as I made the decision to tell him the full truth.

"I was worried about you. It was kind

of my fault, kept checking my phone for an update about you during our date. He felt threatened.

Asked me to choose." I shrugged, not meeting his gaze. "He's gone now. I don't like being pressured. Anyway, technically, our falling out was your fault so don't go feeling guilty or special." Content belongs to Novelxo.org

He didn't so much as try to hide his grin. I rolled my eyes exasperatedly. Lucky for

him, I wasn't that invested in Trevor or I'd have made him pay.

"Anyway, I miss texting him. It was really cute. Possibly the cutest thing ever." I shrugged, smiling at the memory.

"Pray tell, how so?" He rolled his eyes.

I drew in a deep breath, then smiled.

"We had this thing going where we texted in song lyrics. We tried movies quotes but

it was way too hard so we just settled for song lyrics. It was fun. Made me smile."

"I'll text you in song lyrics if you want," he muttered.

"It doesn't work that way. It was 'our' thing. Trevor and I. I shouldn't just replace him like that," I refuted, shaking my head. "Besides I don't

even have your number. Not to

het

mention, now that the mission is over, you have no reason to text me." Content belongs to Novelxo.org

"Right." He said it in a way that made it seem like I had said something wrong.

should go. Home home. I'll see you tomorrow. Pick you up at noon. For the tea party. The colors are turquoise, pearl and something that means pink."

He scrunched up his nose at the last color he couldn't remember.

"I

It felt like he was making a fast getaway but I couldn't exactly tell him to wait. It was

night-time. He had finally wrapped up his mission. He had earned the right to go

home to his family.

"Good night," I said quietly.

He didn't reply.

I sighed, closing my window a full minute after he was gone. I stifled the urge to

watch him as he crept down the street. It was unnecessary. I pulled my blinds

forcibly.

I shut down my laptop, then crawled under the covers. On my bedside table, my

phone buzzed. I ignored it, snuggling deeper into bed. I was suddenly tired, drained.

The excitement of the day was nowhere to be seen anymore.

My phone buzzed again.

I sighed, reached over and unlocked it. It was a message from an unknown number.

Good night.

Followed by;

See, I have a reason to text.

I smiled reluctantly. He really was an idiot.^^^