In Too Deep(42)

Carlos' eyes didn't even move from Hank's face, and he had that sort of quiet look that lit up my warning board. Carlos was the sort of kid who would talk and yammer and yell, and you didn't have to worry about it. But if he got quiet, the talking was finished, he was ready to fight.

I stepped in between them, turning my back to Hank who I knew was still a little bit away from swinging. I leaned in close to Carlos, whispering in his ear. "Come on, it ain't worth it. Not on the first day of school."

He eyes pulled away from Hank for an instant, which I wanted. He looked me in the eye, and I looked back at him. It was a sensitive balance. I had to be strong enough that he would listen to me, without being threatening enough that he had to snap at me or risk losing face with his crew. "You know what he said about my sister?”

I shook my head. "Nope. But I know what your sister would say about you catching another assault charge on the first day of school. You know you would, too. You don't want to be wishing her Merry Christmas from the Roswell Juvenile Center, do you?"

Carlos thought about it for a second, then nodded. "All right, for now. But this ain't over."

The two groups broke apart, and I had just enough time to get my water bottle from where I'd left it before the bell rang, and I went inside. I needed to tell the office about what went down, and I only had fifteen minutes to do it before next period began.





Chapter 25





Melina




I was jittery with nervous energy when Cam came in the door. "How was your day?"

"Broke up a fight before it could start, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary," he said, slinging his backpack onto the couch. "Come here, you."

It was nice to feel missed, and being with Cam was like that every day. Even the few hours that we were apart while at work felt like forever, and coming together like we did in the living room was completion. He wrapped his arms around my waist, a smile on his lips before he kissed me softly. "That's the way to not worry about the day."

"I bet," I replied, my arms around his neck. "So how were classes themselves?"

“As I expected. What about your day? It's not that I don't want to share, but the first day is so boring there’s almost nothing to talk about.”

I laughed. "I got to play the housewife, if you can imagine that," I said. "I did laundry, cleaned up the place, and did that workout you showed me the other day."

"Housewife, huh?" Cam asked with a grin. "That sounds kind of presumptuous."

I shrugged, smiling as he didn't let me go. "Maybe the idea sounds like a good one. But we do have a few steps to go first."

"We do," Cam said. "So if I wanted to take that next step, I wonder what would happen?"

"You have access to the most powerful computer system in the world, an IQ double the average man, and yet you want a hint in figuring that out?" I teased him, letting go of his neck and stepping back. "Sometimes Cam, you've just got to take a chance."

I walked away, smiling slightly as I gave him a nice little hip wiggle. I knew I was asking a lot, but I also knew how I felt about him. The secrets of his past, the world threatening laptop in his spare bedroom, the super secret agents coming after him, they didn't really matter to me. What mattered was the way he held me in the morning or the way he looked me in the eyes, and the way he talked with me. He never talked down to me, even though he was smarter than all but a handful of people on the planet. Best of all, Cam accepted me without judgment.

I waited in the office bedroom, hoping that my instincts about Cam were correct. I was just about to give up and go back to see what he might like for dinner when he came in, his eyes twinkling. "I see you’ve made decisions about us that are pretty long term."

"I have," I said, strangely not concerned at all. The time for being afraid or worrying about things was over. "And you?"

"I have," Cam said quietly. “But I tell you what, go get dressed. Nothing fancy, I'm leaving my work clothes on. Let's go out to dinner."

It felt strange, getting dressed for dinner. In my mind, I knew what we were going to do. Yet, it didn't take away from the anticipation nor the romance. If anything, it added to the whole experience, as I had the chance to actually appreciate each little thing more.

It took me nearly a half hour to get ready, putting on my second best dress. I took a little bit of time to style my hair and put in my best earrings, diamond chips that I'd gotten from my grandmother when she passed away. Looking at myself in the mirror, I was surprised at the woman looking back at me. I looked... elegant?

Cam was appreciative when I came out. He'd gotten a sport coat from his closet that went well with his shirt and khakis, and even produced a tie from somewhere. While it wasn't the suit from the island, he still looked like a million bucks. "Shall we?"

The drive to the restaurant was nearly silent, both of us not needing words. Cam took me to the best restaurant in town, which honestly wasn't anything Michelin starred but was a decent little steakhouse. Taking our seats, his eyes still were still twinkling. "Aren't you worried about our search?"

He shook his head. "No. If we get anything, I'll get a ping on my phone. But that's not what's important right now."