07-19-2018, 01:57 PM
She tipped her shoulder into a dismissive shrug. "I don't know what you're talking about, of course. It was only a hunch."
Not exactly a facet of her nature she was proud of, nor worthy of much praise considering how little effort it had required on her part. Jay's laughter worked something loose in her chest, like rushing starlight; a freefall through the night. But it only made her think about the roughness of the inevitable landing. His touch started an accidental brushfire, only to break away ignorant of the consequences. She focused on his relief instead. Not the residual warmth of her palm.
"Iowa? Jay, I've never been to America at all. It's hardly at the top of my family's list for vacation spots."
She didn't have the sorts of contacts that were going to help if things turned sour. That was simple fact. All she had was the motivation to try, and thanks to Brandon, a stake in the outcome. Jay knew she was a Patron's granddaughter, but did he know the rest? Did he realise what she'd risk? It didn't much matter; it had no bearing on her decision, and she didn't want to feel any shade of his guilt. She made the choice to follow him into the eye of the storm regardless of the consequences.
The door moved of its own volition, the empty corridor yawning beyond. The sound of strings rose in a new melody, and all the echoed sounds of a party she had no enthusiasm for rejoining. "You're just showing off now."
She smirked, running her finger's along the door's edge. She already knew she could sense nothing of what he did, or how, but there was fascination in the unfathomable. "There's no magic in manipulation, believe me."
She laughed a cynic's laugh, then glanced back up to find him grinning.
It was because of the way it squeezed her chest that she did not take his arm.
Her expression shifted. Masks kept others at arm's length, not because she had something to hide, but because she so rarely had something to share. Beneath the artifice was blunt honesty; not what people usually expected to find once her cold demeanour swept away. She hadn't planned on being here tonight; had fought it until only bare-boned duty remained. Would he have sought her out if need and coincidence did not conspire? Unlikely. But need and coincidence did conspire. Standing on the precipice, staring down, she took the moment. Not the one offered, but one she chose to claim; the one that had been burning her up since police cuffed him in the back of a car.
"I looked for you. But you weren't anywhere."
It was difficult to say, even as something primal in her nature revelled in the pain she caused herself with the honesty of admitting it had ever affected her. The memory of fear in his voice was like a brand, still strong enough to leaden her stomach. Not that she was going to remind him of the voicemail. Nor reveal that seeking quiet enough to hear the message had placed her beyond the relative safety of the crowded club. "That probably sounds foolish to you. You were paid to keep me safe, I know that. But I looked anyway. Only I didn't find you in time to make a difference."
A painful truth; not one she'd anticipated sharing. But it was a promise of sorts too. That this time, they would not be too late.
Not exactly a facet of her nature she was proud of, nor worthy of much praise considering how little effort it had required on her part. Jay's laughter worked something loose in her chest, like rushing starlight; a freefall through the night. But it only made her think about the roughness of the inevitable landing. His touch started an accidental brushfire, only to break away ignorant of the consequences. She focused on his relief instead. Not the residual warmth of her palm.
"Iowa? Jay, I've never been to America at all. It's hardly at the top of my family's list for vacation spots."
She didn't have the sorts of contacts that were going to help if things turned sour. That was simple fact. All she had was the motivation to try, and thanks to Brandon, a stake in the outcome. Jay knew she was a Patron's granddaughter, but did he know the rest? Did he realise what she'd risk? It didn't much matter; it had no bearing on her decision, and she didn't want to feel any shade of his guilt. She made the choice to follow him into the eye of the storm regardless of the consequences.
The door moved of its own volition, the empty corridor yawning beyond. The sound of strings rose in a new melody, and all the echoed sounds of a party she had no enthusiasm for rejoining. "You're just showing off now."
She smirked, running her finger's along the door's edge. She already knew she could sense nothing of what he did, or how, but there was fascination in the unfathomable. "There's no magic in manipulation, believe me."
She laughed a cynic's laugh, then glanced back up to find him grinning.
It was because of the way it squeezed her chest that she did not take his arm.
Her expression shifted. Masks kept others at arm's length, not because she had something to hide, but because she so rarely had something to share. Beneath the artifice was blunt honesty; not what people usually expected to find once her cold demeanour swept away. She hadn't planned on being here tonight; had fought it until only bare-boned duty remained. Would he have sought her out if need and coincidence did not conspire? Unlikely. But need and coincidence did conspire. Standing on the precipice, staring down, she took the moment. Not the one offered, but one she chose to claim; the one that had been burning her up since police cuffed him in the back of a car.
"I looked for you. But you weren't anywhere."
It was difficult to say, even as something primal in her nature revelled in the pain she caused herself with the honesty of admitting it had ever affected her. The memory of fear in his voice was like a brand, still strong enough to leaden her stomach. Not that she was going to remind him of the voicemail. Nor reveal that seeking quiet enough to hear the message had placed her beyond the relative safety of the crowded club. "That probably sounds foolish to you. You were paid to keep me safe, I know that. But I looked anyway. Only I didn't find you in time to make a difference."
A painful truth; not one she'd anticipated sharing. But it was a promise of sorts too. That this time, they would not be too late.