He Looked Back

by Hollandaise, Melissa

The ride come is agonizingly slow as my mind runs wild.

  If Alec is James’s uncle, did Dylan and James know each other all this time? Has Dylan known the entire time that I was in fact dating the nephew of the man that was after me? Why didn’t Dylan tell me?

  My hands grip the steering wheel as I park my car in the lot of the apartment buildings.

  I knock on Dylan’s door and he answers, nodding for me to come in.

  Inside, Oliver and Ethan sit on the couch, serious expressions on their faces. William and George have arrived as well. William leans against the wall next to the window and George sits in an armchair.

  What’s going on?

  “Alright, we’re all here now,” Dylan says as I take a seat next to Oliver on the couch.

  “This is serious shit,” Oliver says, shaking his head.

  “Do you think James told Alec what happened?” Ethan asks.

  “Of course he did. He’s a little fucking snitch, that’s what he is,” William snaps.

  “Wait,” I say. “You have all known James...all this time?”

  “He’s Alec’s closest executive,” George says. “And he’s annoying as fuck.”I look at Dylan. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Dylan looks down.

  “That’s not important now,” he says. “What’s important is that James knows that we’re planning on going against Alec, and Alec’s not going to be happy about it.”“James only knows that Dylan, Oliver and Ethan are going against him,” I point out. “He doesn’t know about William and George.”“This is true,” Ethan says. “If we can keep it a secret that William and George are with us, this could work.”“I think we need to establish some things here,” Dylan says. “This is an alliance now, we’ve got to stick together.” He begins to pace, like I’ve come to know he does when he’s thinking. “If this is going to work, we have to be on the lookout at all times, because we know how Alec works. He puts people everywhere, on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.”“I agree,” William says. “Without us managing his funds, he’s nothing. It doesn’t matter what happens.”“I think we need to prevent James from talking,” George says. “If we can stay on Alec’s good side for a bit longer, we can wait for a good opportunity to strike.”“That’s true, but James’s probably already talking,” Oliver says.

  “No,” Dylan says. “He’s going to wait for the perfect time. That’s how he does things, the bastard.”“Dylan’s right,” I speak up. “He’s not going to just tell Alec, because that would be too easy.”“Alright, so one of us has to prevent James from snitching, then what?” Ethan asks.

  It’s silent for a few moments as everyone thinks hard.

  “I have an idea,” I blurt. Everyone looks to me. “What if we spoke to one of the companies being conned by Lyone Enterprises? We could get them to be skeptical of Alec, which would perhaps cause him to throw a party...”“That’s it,” Oliver says. “If we can get one company to see through him, it could act as a chain reaction.”“It would have to be one of his biggest clients,” George says.

  Dylan nods. “Crane.”

  I stifle a gasp. “Crane is one of Alec’s clients?”

  They all nod. “That’s pretty much how Dylan and I got jobs a couple years back,” Oliver says.

  I am completely shocked by this—Robert Crane doesn’t seem like a man that is easily deceived.

  “It’s getting late,” William says. “We’ll talk soon.”

  “Definitely,” George says as the four gather their things.

  I stand by Dylan as they file out of the apartment, rain beginning to fall outside.

  As soon as the door shuts, I turn to Dylan.

  “How could you not tell me?” I shout. “I was dating Alec’s nephew for fuck’s sake!”Dylan avoids my gaze. “I..”

  “I can’t believe you,” I say, shaking my head. “I had just begun trusting you, and now...” I shake my head.

  I turn on my heel and storm out of his apartment.

  “Katie, wait—” Dylan follows me on my heels.

  I burst into my apartment, Dylan right behind me.

  “Dylan, I dated James for five months. All that time, he...you...” I run a hand through my hair.

  Dylan steps forward and grabs my wrists. I try to pull away but he uses one hand to hold my arms and the other to turn my face to look into his eyes. His face is merely inches from mine, his breath hitting my skin.

  “I’m sorry,” he says, catching me completely off guard. “I...I did know who James was, from the moment you said his name, alright? I didn’t tell you because it would have required you knowing about Lyone Enterprises early on, and after I told you about Lyone Enterprises...I knew he would somehow find out I told. He’s sketchy, and he’s sly. He weasels his way into everything.”I look down, a terrifying thought dawning on me.

  “What’s wrong?” Dylan asks, noticing my change of mood.

  “I just remembered,” I say. “I gave James a key to my apartment when we were dating, he...he could get in...” Fear shoots through me. How could I have been so stupid? I didn’t even love him, yet I gave him easy access to my apartment.

  “Shit, Katie.” Dylan lets go of me and runs a hand through his hair.

  My bottom lip trembles and I try not to cry.

  “Alright,” Dylan says finally. “Pack a bag.”

  “What?”

  “You’re staying with me for a few days until I can get the key back from him.”“What? No. I couldn’t—”

  “That wasn’t a question. You’re staying with me until I get the key, it’s not safe for you here.” He turns back around and meets my eyes.

  “How will you get the key back from him?” I ask quietly.

  “I don’t know yet, but I will. Let me worry about that. Just pack a bag.”

  I sigh and nod. “Alright.”

  “Be over in ten minutes,” Dylan says, walking out my door.

  I hastily throw clothes and other items into a bag, my nerves highly strung. This is all such a mess.

  I notice the photo of James and I on my dresser, a crack down the center from the time my apartment was ransacked.

  Anger courses through me as I take the picture from its place and throw it in the trashcan in the corner, the sound of breaking glass echoing through the place.

  A few minutes later, I tentatively knock on Dylan’s door. I’m worried and a little scared, and I don’t know what to expect from Dylan. How long am I even staying with him?

  He answers the door, a small smile on his lips. “You can put your stuff in my room,” he tells me and I nod.

  I drop my bag in Dylan’s bedroom, taking this time to look around the room. His room—his whole apartment, really—is impeccably neat and organized. The navy blue sheets are made cleanly on the bed. No clothes are strewn anywhere—the opposite of James’s apartment.

  My eye catches on a single photograph on his dresser, next to the TV. It’s of a girl—long, blonde wavy hair, clear blue eyes, and a mysteriously haunting smile.

  Abigail.

  Dylan was right. She is beautiful. Her eyes seem to draw you in, the half smile on her face alluring.

  “Katie, are you—” Dylan stops short when his eyes land on the photo in my hand.

  “Sorry,” I say, placing the photo back on the dresser.

  Dylan’s jaw tenses. “You found that, did you.” His tone isn’t angry, like I had anticipated—it just sounds sad.

  I nod.

  He sighs, walking over and picking up the picture, looking over it.

  “She’s beautiful,” I say quietly as the two of us stare at the photo.

  “She is,” he agrees. I watch as his eyes move up and down the photograph, examining it over and over. “I remember the day I took this.”I find myself yet again intrigued by Dylan and his dark past.

  “It was maybe a month before she left,” he says quietly. “We went to the coast for the weekend, and she was half drunk on white wine, hell, we both were and...I just snapped the picture. The o
nly picture I ever got of her.”“You really loved her, didn’t you?”

  Dylan meets my gaze. “I’ve come to realize that I didn’t really love her,” he says, his brow furrowing. “I was more infatuated with her.” He laughs a bit, without humor. “I mean, I’ve spent years of my life convinced I loved this girl, when really...I loved the idea of her. I loved the idea of...being loved.” He looks back at the picture. “Except, she didn’t love me.”The next thing he does completely and utterly shocks me.

  He opens the back of the picture frame, sliding the photo out of the glass. I watch as he turns around, pushing open the window.

  Rain pours outside harshly, and wind blows into the room.

  I walk over next to him, confused.

  “I’ve held onto her for too long,” he says. He holds the photo outside into the rain, and lets go.

  At that moment, I see a change in Dylan. It’s almost as if a heavy ton has been lifted from him, setting him free. His eyes dilate, the green pigment becoming just a bit lighter, and the smile that spreads across his face is just a bit wider than before.

  Watching Dylan let go is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

  He shuts the window, still smiling.

  “That felt good,” he breathes.

  I smile. “That was big of you, Dylan.”

  His eyes move to me, and something else replaces the joy in his eyes.

  The smile slowly falls from his face as his eyes ignite with lust, and the next thing I know, his lips are on mine.

  Chapter Fifty Two

  My first response to Dylan’s kiss is to pull away.

  But so many thoughts flood my mind—the way he looked at me, how he’s letting me stay here, how I even admitted to myself that I have fallen for him.

  And I remember I’m not dating James anymore—hell, James’s the reason I’m here, instead of across the hall.

  So I let go of Regular Katie, who is bitching at me in my mind, and I wrap my arms around Dylan’s neck.

  And I let myself go, much like Dylan let Abigail go moments before.

  I let him lift me, and set me gently on my back on his bed as he peppers soft kisses down my neck. I let myself twirl my fingers in his soft hair, running my fingertips through the delicate curls. I let myself giggle when he nips at my earlobe, and he laughs too. I let myself shiver when he bites down gently on the skin of my neck. I let myself flutter my eyes shut when his lips find mine again, his tongue slipping delicately into my mouth. I let my heart beat rapidly, overwhelmed by Dylan and his intoxicating kiss.

  Regular Katie is dead and gone.

  When we finally pull away, Dylan’s blazing eyes still bore into me as he rests his forehead against mine. I shut my eyes, breathing him in.

  “I don’t know why I did that,” he finally says, his voice huskier than normal.

  I open my eyes again, looking up at him. “I don’t mind.”

  He smiles a bit. “I came in here to tell you I was done with dinner, actually.”This causes me to laugh, which makes him laugh, too. He pushes himself off of me, offering me his hand to help me up off the bed.

  I can’t help but compare this kiss to our first, outside the casino-like place where he took me to play poker with his friends. I had pushed him away then, with thoughts of James in my mind. After that, he had distanced himself from me, and probably hate me more—but now, he’s smiling at me like we’ve been friends for years.

  I wonder if he’ll speak of this kiss again, like he never did the other one.

  I follow Dylan into the living room where he hands me a plate of food—chicken, to be exact.

  We sit on the couch, our thighs almost touching, as Dylan flips through the channels on the TV.

  Yet again, the air has changed between us. Maybe there was sexual tension about beforehand, and the kiss we shared cleared up some of that.

  “All the shows on are shitty,” Dylan criticizes.

  “Just pick one,” I groan.

  “Fine. Next channel, I will.”

  He flips the channel again and it lands on a rerun of the Office.

  “Oh my God!” We both shout.

  We look at each other, then laugh.

  “Let me guess,” Dylan says. “Your favorite show is the Office.”

  “It is,” I say, smirking. “And let me guess: it’s your favorite too.”

  “Right you are, Katherine.”

  Dylan and I seem to be similar in such odd, wonderful ways.

  “I’ve seen this one,” we both say simultaneously and laugh again.

  “Alright, we’ve got to stop that,” I say.

  “Agreed.”

  We finish eating and just sit and watch the show, laughing and commenting every so often.

  I look over at Dylan, the light of the TV reflecting in his eyes. His lips are upturned in a small smirk as he watches the show, his dimples only slightly showing.

  I want to kiss him again.

  Just as I’m thinking this, he turns his head and looks down at me, our eyes locking. He swallows, blinking lazily as I smile up at him, and he smiles back.

  This is the same boy that I told myself I hated for so much time, the boy who taunted and insulted me at every chance he got. The boy that greeted me by telling me to keep the noise level down, when I’m sure our other neighbors would have liked to tell us the same thing, with all our constant arguing and shouting at each other.

  “Katie.”

  Dylan’s rough voice snaps me out of my train of thought.

  “Hmm?”

  “I never noticed what lovely eyes you have.” His own emerald eyes search mine, a small smile on his lips.

  “They’re not lovely,” I scoff, sitting up slightly. “They’re the color of dog shit.”Dylan laughs. “No, I believe dog shit is a bit darker.”

  “That depends on the type of dog shit.”

  Dylan smirks. “Well, no matter what type it is, your eyes are the most beautiful color of dog shit brown I’ve ever seen.”I laugh. “I’m flattered.”

  I turn my attention back to the show after that, sighing and leaning on Dylan’s shoulder. We watch the characters on the screen, and I laugh constantly.

  Dylan always looks down at me when I do, laughing, too. It’s like my laugh triggers his, and vice versa.

  After awhile, my eyelids get heavy, and I find myself falling asleep on Dylan for the third time now. I desperately try to keep my eyes open, but the events of the day are catching up to me, and I fail.

  Dylan notices my battle with consciousness. “Hey,” he says softly. “Do you want me to go get you some blankets, now?”I shake my head, not moving off of him. “No,” I say, not wanting him to leave.

  “Katie, you’re falling asleep.” He begins to shift underneath me, but I grab onto his shirt.