See Me - 9. Chapter 9: Remember

Liam walked out of one of the aisle's in the library and he spotted Emry sitting at one of the tables flipping through a book. His eyebrows lifted and he made his way over and grabbed the chair across from him and he sat down. "Hey..."

Emry looked up. "Skipping gym?" A small grin appeared. "I'm in study hall...I get to be here."

Liam slightly smiled. "I guess...I just wanted to make up for our ruined lunch."

"You could of waited until lunch, it's only next period." Emry continued to flip through the pages.

"Point..." He looked at the book. "Are you even reading that?"

"Nope...I am boredly flipping, it can be an addicting habit once you do it for a while." He took a deep breath and then he looked up. "Guess what?"

"What?" Liam asked.

"You don't ever have to worry about Kane again." Emry stared at him. "Apparently he went into a store, decided to pull armed robbery, took Lana hostage and...then he stole the cashiers car." He looked down and flipped another page. "I didn't think the guy could be so stupid..."

Liam's eyes slightly widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yep...Lana got in late last night, told us everything." He looked up. "It's almost like Kane was going out of his way to get as many charges stacked on him as possible, like he was hop scotching to catch them, kind of weird."

"Hop scotching to catch them?" He grinned at Emry. "Interesting way of putting it." He ran a hand over his head. "Well, damn...I wonder what will happen."

"He's going to the slammer, they found him at the projects with Lana, they found him with the cashiers car, money inside, gloves, mask, the gun..." He looked up. "Oddly a pink gun." He paused. "Oddly like the pink gun that belonged to Asia, the one that ended up being used to kill Merit's sister."

Liam made a face. "You don't think..." He trailed off.

"What? Asia came up with some plan to get Kane nailed for all those crimes and Lana talked him into doing each and every little thing he did?" Emry flipped a page and looked up. "It's...possible, I know my sister, I think she could talk him up to something. Could she talk him into that, though? It is pretty stupid."

"Well, if Asia had planned someone to be at the complex and planned for them to call the cops to catch Kane in the act, I would imagine Lana would of made sure it seemed like they would get away with it." Liam said.

"I don't know..." Emry shook his head. "Probably best to leave it as is. A dumbass teenager, star football player got caught and is going to jail." He almost laughed and looked back down at his book.

"Yeah.." Liam lightly drummed his knuckles on the table. "I don't want to waste our time going over theorise." He reached over and placed his hand on the book. "I need to know...about us."

Emry brought his hands up as he was prevented from flipping pages any further. "Uh..." He looked at Liam. "I thought I told you. I don't know, Liam."

"You don't know?" He sighed. "I know you said you were not sure about anything. I just mean...are we...exploring? I mean...what..." He sighed.

He stared at Liam. "I don't know, I just follow my feelings and I'm being in the moment, that is all I can know and I'm not going to beat myself around or hammer my head trying to understand any more than that." He sat back. "Truth be told...the only person I feel anything for right now is Dominik."

"Why?" Liam pulled his hand back. "What is it about him that I don't have?"

"What did you have that Merit didn't have?" Emry asked, quite simply.

Liam gave Emry a weird look. "Only you could tell me that."

"It's like a story book, there are parts and pieces, bits to understand." He sighed. "Okay first...Merit comes into my life, the first guy to ever..." He looked down. "Okay, that might be a little untrue."

"Go on." Liam nodded.

"Dolph liked me, I always knew he did, but he was such a great friend to me that I couldn't imagine him being anything more. And...I was crushing on you, so..."

Liam closed his eyes. "Right...and this goes to Merit..."

"Well, he wasn't you, but he was just as popular, not a bad substitute, he was a stranger to me, and it was a stressing time and having someone care..that felt good. Plus he was as new to everything as me, which was a surprise, but it felt good, what felt even better was that he was a little more nervous about it than me, yet confident enough to push."

Liam sat back and tossed this around in his head, trying to figure out a way to simplify it. "So, in a way...it was just an exciting first time experience, first kiss...and then..."

"And then nothing, we kissed...it was innocent." Emry shrugged. "And then I thought about when you visited me in the hospital and I came to see you and...you...with you, I got to experience the sexual side of it...and you made me feel incredibly wanted. I mean...you wanted me to worship you...and I did, I fed your ego and in turn it fed mine because just knowing I was pleasing you...made me feel so good, I loved watching you feel good."

Emry suddenly drew in a gasp of air.

Liam looked alarmed and quickly leaned forward. "Emry?" Hell, he wasn't sure, every time Emry did something like that, he would think some kind of attack was about to come on.

"Sorry..." Emry leaned forward. "And as I spoke of that...and as I thought of it...I became aroused again."

Liam slowly leaned back. "You are?" He started to look down. "Right now?"

"No...the awkwardness made it go away." He frowned.

"Okay...so aside from awkwardness, there is still something." He said in a hopeful tone.

"Except...I feel nothing for you, it all went away after that, I didn't feel anything until I talked about what we did..." Emry expressed.

"So...you're saying...you can have the sex with me?"

"I haven't even wanted to, the feelings went away just like they went away with Merit. That only happened because I was talking about it." He brought his hands up towards his face and rather than covering it, he pressed his palms together. "I guess that means...if we are to have anything...I have to be put in the mood."

"Okay..if that is your guess." Liam stared at him. "And Dominik?"

"There was so much sympathy." He looked up. "After seeing him, finding out everything that was done to him. I took his clothes and put them in the wash, then I took him to my shower and we talked and...I wanted, I felt like he had no one and I wanted to be someone and I became someone." He looked up at Liam. "I lost it...with him."

Liam slowly nodded, unsure about how he felt about this news. "So, he was your first."

"Yes...and those feelings are still there, knowing he is all alone, has no one, I feel this need to take care of him, to love all of his pain and hurt away, to keep him and..." He lowered his hands. "I don't know what I'm going to feel next, this is just how I feel now, about you...and Merit...and Dominik."

"Maybe you'd have a hell of a perfect guy if we were all mashed up into one." Liam managed a smile. "At least it's good to know that you aren't completely numb to me."

"And I don't ever want to be, at least not right now." He shut the book and sighed. "Now I'm scared that I'll feel for people and then become numb to them. For whatever reason I feel, if that reason goes away, I lose what I feel." He looked up. "What if that is how it is for me?"

"Don't think like that." He reached across the table and took Emry's hand. "I just need to know where we go next, where am I in the scheme of things? What is our next move?"

He looked down at their hands and then he shrugged. "It's not the same as with Merit. I feel like I would be cheating on Dominik, I feel like he is this gentle fragile soul that is cracked and came so close to breaking, I just want to take care of him."

"You need time...I understand." Liam nodded. "I can give you that time, and since Kane is gone and Talia dumped him before that, I guess we can be each others comfort for a while."

Emry smiled. "I'm glad to know you will have a friend, I don't want you to be alone." He slowly pulled his hand back. "Lunch is about to start and I don't even know where to go."

"Why not go to Dolph? You've got the time...fix a friendship that you cared so much about, one that you would of remembered had Merit and I not changed your life or made you confused or...whatever we did."

Emry nodded. "That's probably a good idea." He pushed the book away and stood up. "Thanks for having this conversation with me, I think it was important that we did and...I don't think it's the end, not yet." He turned around and headed off and away from the table.

"Hopefully not." Liam watched him go off and then he looked down at the book and his eyebrows lifted and a grin appeared. "Witchcraft For Warcraft.." He picked it up and opened it, looking inside the cover. "When your lover is addicted, maybe real magic is the way out..." He looked up and quietly started to laugh and walked off.

Lana walked into Principal Morris' office and she smiled as the woman walked out and shut the door and then her eyes traveled over to the Investigator. "This isn't about the robbery, is it? Because I already said all I know, which was a lot...being a hostage.."

"No..." Trace shook his head. "Not about that, I just had a couple of questions, we're at a very desperate point in the investigation..."

Lana made a face and walked around, sitting down in the chair. "Oh, that girls murder? I really couldn't tell you anything about it."

"Well, you could verify a story for me possibly. Honestly I wouldn't bother to verify it because it would have been a stupid lie...but I'm just going in the best direction I can." He shrugged. "At the party, you attended, right? Was there...shooting beer bottles?"

"Um...yeah." Lana nodded. "I heard guns...and then I was told by some other girl and she dragged me out to the terrace and...when the guys missed their shot they had to strip and go over to the terrace and the girls got an opportunity to dump iced beer on them, if they missed, they had to strip and pour it on themselves."

Trace's eyes widened and he simply stared at her.

Lana's eyes shifted around. "Hey, they made a game of it, wasn't my idea. I poured a couple of cups on them, I landed every time...but it's hard to miss, not like they were allowed to dance around, they had to be a still target, like the beer bottles." She briefly laughed.

"Did you see him?" Trace slid a picture of Tyler across the desk. "Or notice a pink gun around?"

"A pink gun?" Lana questioned and then leaned slightly forward to look at the picture. "No...never saw him...and I didn't see any pink gun. Like I said, I dumped a couple of cups, I was out there very briefly and then I went inside, I wasn't about to start missing and strip down. My boyfriend would of had a fit."

"So, your boyfriend was there?" He asked.

"Inside the house, he wasn't out there with them and...he never went out there, as far as I know." She took a deep breath, shifting in her seat and crossed one leg over the other.

"Okay...and you never noticed this guy?" Trace nodded to the picture.

"I think...I saw him talking to Asia, that is really all I know, Detective. I couldn't tell you anything else. I went in, I partied, got a couple of guys sexy and wet, and then I left shortly after."

"Did you drive drunk?" He asked, wondering if he could get under her skin just a little bit, the guy needed some sort of amusement while on the job.

Lana's eyebrows lifted. "Uh...no, I called a cab service."

Trace grinned. "I can't arrest you for what I didn't see...Thanks for your time."

"Sure..." Lana stood up and headed right back out of the office as quickly as she came, not a good way to spend the beginning of her lunch period.

Principal Morris walked back inside and she looked over at Trace. "Not having much luck?"

"You have a girl killed at a party with, who knows how many people, and a gang shooting beer bottles, and the only two people you can confirm handled the gun, both lost it." Trace frowned. "Not an easy thing to figure out. I'm thinking I need to leave the party alone and circle back around to her personal life."

Savanna nodded. "Probably a good idea...because what I know about kids, rape...date rape, whatever..." She shook her head. "They usually don't kill, the poor girl just wakes up to find out what the hell happened, and sometimes it's not even a simple story."

"Not with camera phones and social media." Trace looked up at Savanna. "Supposed to make us all so much more connected...Thing about being too connected is that you get the good and the bad of everything." He stood up and moved around the desk.

"Isn't that the truth?" She stepped out of the way as he headed out the door. "Stop by any time you need to speak with anyone else." She let go of the door and it fell shut and then she turned around. "Hopefully I don't have to take my candle with me again." She shook her head and moved to sit down.

Trace headed out of the office and he looked down the hall, seeing several students walking about, since it was lunch period, but out of all of them, he noticed Tyler heading down the hall towards the office.

"You here again, Inspector Gadget?" Tyler grinned, smacking on a piece of chewing gum, as he always did. "Get anymore new leads?" He asked as he walked by.

"New information...not so much a lead." Trace said, watching as Tyler moved on, that was when he noticed Emry coming from the opposite way down the hall. His eyes squinted curiously and he leaned back into the door frame as the two boys headed towards each others paths.

Emry hummed along and he hadn't noticed when Tyler took a curve in his step to purposely bump shoulders with him. "Woah!" He slightly stumbled and twisted to the side, turning around. "Are you blind?"

Tyler stopped and he turned around, a grin appearing. "Why? You want to make some kind of conditions club?" He stepped closer. "Yeah...you see, you might have a few people around here forgetting the past, but I remember it all too well."

He stared at Tyler and then crossed his arms. "I really don't care what you remember."

Tyler nodded. "More importantly...what I remember and what I learn. Kane and Liam beat you up, steal your medication...and then bam..." He grinned. "Your very own sister gets him caught and thrown in jail because...wait!"

He held up a hand. "She so happens to be in the store he robs! And what is her story? He wanted to take her to a hotel and do her?" His eyes narrowed. "So, he went to the store intending to do that? Not even knowing she'd be there? And luckily for him, she just was?"

Trace listened to everything Tyler said and it caused him to look down briefly in a thoughtful manner, his eyes then shifted up to watch the pair further.

Emry grinned. "Look...my sister told them what she knew and all she knows is what he said. Doesn't it make more sense that he just went in to steal some money and then decided he was going to spend it on a hotel to...do her, as you so put it?"

Tyler's eyebrows lifted and he slowly nodded. "That'd be a real chance of fate. What's even more odd...is that your sister is his rivals girlfriend. God knows he'd mush it in Athen's face if he could have pulled it off."

"Sometimes fate happens...and it's weird...but that's why the word coincidence exists, look it up." Emry forced a smile.

"Before or after I look up hot gay brother, fucks sisters boyfriend, porn?" He slowly nodded. "Yeah...you and Athen, went into the locker room together. Why would you even be in the locker room? You don't take gym because..." He then clapped his hands together. "You have conditions!"

"Look...I really don't know you...and I don't care to. If you had gotten there earlier or stayed later, you would have known Kane was in the room and so was Merit, and then Asia decided to wander in with a very big revelation for all of us."

Tyler's grin didn't falter, yet his eyes seemed to spark with curiousity. "Asia's revelation? Do tell."

"Do wonder..." Emry turned around and started walking off.

Trace watched the whole thing and his mind was tumbling with thoughts as he went over the robbery again. Both of them made valid points and logical stories, if left alone, but when the stories were thrown at each other, as they were, one couldn't really say one way or the other.

The robbery wasn't even his case, he wasn't sure if he should give it any thought, there were definitely connections between these kids, though, ones that he could possibly use, and Asia seemed to be the tie all, the Queen Bee in the middle.

Siera walked along side Merit and moved through the trophy lobby just outside the gym and she headed over to a small bench that was encased in the wall. She took a seat and smiled, patting the bench beside her and looked around as Merit took a seat.

"Sorry for getting sick at the game and totally having to bail on the game. I wanted to be there for you." She looked over at him. "Aside from that, are things getting less awkward for you?"

Merit took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess...maybe. As long as we're taking it slow." He looked at her. "Though, I am kind of disappointed with myself, we stopped everything, we don't even kiss, not much different than before, and that is still my fault."

"I just don't want to push you." She frowned. "Though, it would be nice if we could move a little forward."

"I can try, I want to...I have to." He looked up at her.

"Part of me questions..." Siera trailed off with a pause and then she looked over at him. "I have to wonder if this is about Emry, if this is about getting hurt by him, if being with me is just a way of dealing with it or possibly trying to get back at him."

"Get back at him?" Merit's eyes widened. "That sounds so vindictive, you know I'm not that kind of person. And there are other gay guys in school that I have found out about since I..." He shook his head. "Like Dolph, for example. So, if I didn't want to move on with you, don't you think...maybe I would have just gone to him?"

"He's Emry's best friend." Siera shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to have my doubts or throw blocks at you every step of the way."

"Well, you threw a block at me just then...and to jump over it, Dolph and Emry aren't such good friends anymore, Emry isn't even all that..." He trailed off, realizing what he had almost done.

"Isn't even all that...what?" She looked over at him.

"And I can't finish that sentence, it's not about Emry, and it's not my place to tell, because by saying it, something will come out about someone and it's unfair to take the control of that information out of their hands."

"Fair enough." Siera said, however as she looked up, dread suddenly took over. "Great."

"What?" Merit looked up and saw Asia coming down the hall and into the lobby area and then he slowly shook his head, knowing that trouble was only going to stir and Miki was right there with her to be her echo, although Miki often didn't say much, more of a commentator than anything.

"Oh my god..." Asia grinned as she approached the couple and crossed her arms and a look of fake confusion appeared. "Merit, help me here because I'm confused. They sent you the wrong blow up bitch in the mail, why have you not returned her?"

"Seriously?" Merit stood up. "First of all, that joke has been run into the ground, and honestly you and your friend are the only ones who found it funny to begin with."

"That's because shes your...blow up doll." Asia laughed softly and took a step back. "Personally, I wouldn't insult myself with a fake person, I'd just get the raw deal, the dildo to do the job, and fuck the rest."

Her eyes widened. "Now that Kane is in jail...Talia is going to need something to keep her from getting rusty. Tell her to try a cucumber until she gets around to buying one, they work just as well."

Siera stood up and walked around Merit. "I am sick and tired of your bullshit! Can you not find anyone else in this entire school to mess with?! What have I ever done to you?! I barely even know you! It's Talia you hate! Talia, that you have the history with! So, why don't you go and take out your bitchiness on her?!"

Siera had screamed at the top of her lungs, causing everyone around to go dead silent and all the attention turned on the scene at play as Siera brought a hand up and slapped Asia straight across the face, sending the girls head flying to the side, leaving a mean red hand print right on her cheek.

Miki's eyes widened. "Oh man...you are going to get beat down...and no sympathy seizure to stop her..." She slowly shook her head.

"Sympathy seizure? Is that what everyone is calling it?" Emry walked upon the scene and looked between those around that he knew, noticing Liam coming out of the gym and slowly making his way over to the forming group.

Asia brought her hand up to her cheek and all amusement fell from her face as she looked back at Siera and her eyes had watered up, but not a tear fell, she had the widest eyes on her face, a look of shock and yet so much rage. "You have no idea what you just did...you bitch..."

"I think I know what I did, something I should of done the first time you opened that mouth of yours." Siera stared right at Asia, not appearing afraid one bit.

Jesse walked up and threw an arm over Miki's shoulders. "Sorry I'm late meeting you, apparently I missed the highlight of the show."

Miki looked at Jesse briefly. "It's okay." She mumbled and quickly shifted her gaze back to Siera and Asia.

"You didn't miss the highlight...I'm going to pop this bitch!" Asia then balled up her hand and brought her arm up and swung it around only to feel a force yank her back and she spun around as Talia grabbed her arm, pulling her back and then shoving her.

Talia watched as Asia fell onto the floor and she shook her head. "Leave her the fuck alone. Kane is gone, he is in jail...and now a girl runs this school. I fucking run this school, it will never be you, Asia. You will never be the queen, ever! You can try with your little gifts that you whore from some guy from New York, you can drive around in your car that your Aunt bought for you from your dead Grandma's inheritence...but at the end of the day, you're still a white trash bitch from the projects, no one will ever forget that!"

Asia stared up at Talia. "Forget..." She slowly pushed herself to stand up. "Funny that you, of all people, should talk about forgetting! Remember...you came from the same place before your daddy got his big bonus and all those nice little upgrades that came with his, by chance of fate, promotion, that sent you moving on up like the fucking Jeffersons!"

Talia grinned and started to laugh, shaking her head. "By fate? My dad worked hard for years to earn what he got to get us to where we are at."

"Yeah, but then...there are some things you did forget, some things that are so bad...you brain fucked yourself hard to get them out, make sure they stayed away." Asia stepped closer. "Maybe it's time I punch you with a wake up call that will send you running down the hall at ninety miles an hour?"

Talia crossed her arms. "The hell are you talking about?"

Liam stared at Asia and his thoughts began to drift, wondering if she was thinking about the same thing that he was thinking about, as much as he hated to think about it, he hadn't thought about it once since it had happened. "Asia..."

Asia looked over at Liam. "I'm sorry...but it's time for a soap opera revelation." She looked at Talia. "That's right, because you are a selfish sensitive little bitch, need a little reminder, a bunch of people are about to find out some dirty laundry and Liam is the one that's going to take the fall for it."

Talia frowned, as bitchy as it may have been, and as selfish, all she could think about was what Asia had to tell. "Just fucking spit it out before I call bullshit."

Asia stared at her with the biggest eyes and then a twisted little grin appeared. "Summer camp...we were twelve. Remember the night we were going to the boys camp to start a little trouble? Bet when you think about it now, you blank." She nodded. "There's a reason for that."

"Asia!" Liam stepped forward. "Please...don't." He stared at her with a pleading expression.

Emry's eyes shifted between Asia, Liam and Talia and then he looked over at Merit and Siera, both who seemed to be quietly watching on, taking the scene in, as much as everyone else, all the strangers around.

Talia's eyes shifted to the side as she thought about it. "I don't understand, what could of possibly..."

"Shut up and I'll tell you." Asia interrupted her. "We headed into the woods to cross the borders, joked about being Mexican's...breaking the law." Her grin faded. "Then we saw it, one of the camp masters as he finished molesting Liam."

Liam's eyes widened and a breath was sucked in and held and he froze right where he was, not being able to bring himself to look at anyone, his gaze merely remained fixated on Asia, though he could feel the eyes on him, Emry's eyes, he could sense the shock, not just him, but Merit as well, even the brief glances from Siera, Miki and Jesse.

"He saw us...and you ran before you could get caught, some how...brain fucked it out of your head so you never had to remember it. He got to me, though. He had to make sure Asia never told a soul...and poor Liam already knew better. Just have to beat the fear into me really good to keep my mouth shut. So, it was left that I got into a fight with one of the girls, not too hard to believe, given who I am. I got a beat down and I had to go home early...and that's how the story goes."

Talia stared at her with a look of horror and shock, clearly disturbed by what she was being told. "And that's why you hate me..."

"I pictured you the whole time, watching your hair swing back and forth as you ran away while I cried from every kick and every lash of that man's belt, and that one punch to the face that hurt so bad...I thought of you every single time. Then...you never even came to check on me, obviously because you didn't remember, and yes, I hate you for that." Asia nodded and then she looked at Liam. "Blame the bitch who couldn't handle the memories like we could." She grabbed her purse from the floor and turned around, walking off.

Liam had ran off, ashamed by what everyone found out and Emry had began to chase him. Liam just wanted to find some where that was private, some where that no one would be at, he wanted to be alone. That brought him out to the courtyard.

"Liam!" Emry pushed through the door and headed outside. "Please?! I could go into attack...:" He stumbled forward, breathing heavily.

And with that warning, Liam stopped in front of the fountain and he turned around. "You would do that? Run after me? Risk going into an attack?"

Emry slowly walked forward. "I just did..." He said, a tired yet sympathetic expression on his face. "I did...for you." He then leaned forward and began to fall.

Liam quickly wrapped his arms around Emry as he fell against his chest and he lead him over to the nearest bench and sat down with him. "Why? Why would you do that for me? If something happened to you..." Liam looked down, his eyes watering up.

"Because...you need someone." Emry lifted his head and he looked up at Liam. "I am so sorry...what happened to you...when you were a kid, that it came out like that..."

"People are going to think I'm a freak." He shook his head. "I'd rather had myself forced out of the closet than for that to have been found out." He sighed. "Then again...until you, I didn't know that I'd ever be in the closet."

Emry brought a hand to Liam's shoulder and pushed himself to sit upright. "Do you blame me for that?" He asked, not offended, but curious.

"No...in fact, I wonder if that man had something to do with it." He looked over at Emry. "What I wonder is if my interest in you is just the...reaction. You're what? Fourteen? So innocent...and then I ask you to worship me. When you know what happened to me, it makes that seem really fucked up."

"I don't think that man made you any way. It just happens and...I just helped you realize it." A slight and brief grin appeared. "Only until the summer, at least someone gets my age right. Most guess thirteen and then just assume I skipped a grade or something."Emry sighed and he shook his head. "Depends...were those things that he said to you?"

"No." Liam shook his head. "He never said anything like that to me, just told me to shut up, told me what to do, warned me what would happen if I didn't and...what would happen if I ever told." He shrugged. "Still, it makes me liking you entirely weird, people like Merit get to do that and it's okay, people like me, you question their motives."

"You're not weird...and all that matters is what I think, right? You don't...or shouldn't care what anyone thinks." Emry looked down.

"Actually I should." He looked over at him. "I break the law by being with you, now who is to say that people won't look at everything I do? Watch me all weird? Take the least little thing that happens with us, blows it up?"

"That's not forever...I'll turn fifteen in the summer." Emry shook his head.

"Yeah, then it's legal until my birthday." Liam stood up and he walked around and brought his hands over his head. "And Merit will have the same problem, if that ever starts back, his birthday comes before yours." He turned around.

Emry looked down and his shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I don't think any of it matters right now. I mean, we settled everything before, with us...and about Merit and Dominik and I pretty much put everyone in their place for you to understand."

"You did." Liam crossed his arms and then shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I guess we don't have to worry over it then."

"And even so..." Emry looked up. "If I were to come to you...it would be at your house, like the first time, no one would ever know it." He brought his arms down and curled his fingers under the edge of the bench.

Liam nodded and then he looked up. "Sure, I think I'm starting to see things in my own way and I think, for our own reasons, the idea of just giving things time and creating a little space, it might not be such a bad idea. Besides..I wouldn't want you to want me for a sympathy factor. If Dominik is cool with that, good for him, but I don't want to be a pity case."

"I guess I have a bad habit of that." Emry pushed away from the bench and he walked towards Liam. "I won't lie to you...I feel this need to make your pain go away and the feeling is very similar."

"That is my point." He stared at Emry and then he shook his head. "I don't want to be a charity case, and you shouldn't make people be that. I bet Dominik doesn't even know that is the way that you see him, does he?"

He slowly shook his head. "No, I've never told him that, I just care for him as best as I know how." He took a deep breath. "I guess this is where the fork in the road is, for now?"

Liam nodded. "For now." He stepped closer. "I want to kiss you...but I don't want that blown up."

Emry nodded. "I want to kiss you too." He looked up at Liam. "But I understand why."

Liam leaned in close. "Just remember what it felt like..." His hand slowly glided up Emry's arm. "And imagine it now..." He whispered and pulled back and that was when he turned around and headed off.

Emry wondered how such a simple gesture could feel so good, how being so close to someone, hearing them whisper, being close enough to feel their heated breath, how it could create such a heated moment. The fact was that it did, but as Liam pulled away, despite the warm weather, the coldness set in as the separation and the distance between them began.

Dominik sat on the couch, his eyes on Cedric, who sat in a near by chair, they had been in a deep discussion when there was a knock on the door. Both of them looked towards the door and Dominik stood up. "I'll get it?" He asked.

Cedric stood up and nodded. "Yeah, go ahead..." His eyes drifted towards the wall above the couch. "I guess I need to find a picture to uh...cover that." He paused. "But remember what I've talked to you about."

"I understand." Dominik nodded. "And I'll be looking for a job, I don't expect to live here free, I'm just thankful to have anywhere to stay." He then quickly looked at the door when the knocks became louder and more aggressive.

"Better get that." Cedric nodded and headed off towards the bedroom.

Dominik walked over and he pulled the wooden door open and saw a girl standing outside, someone he thought was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't really say that he knew her. The screen door was pushed open. "Can I help you?"

The girl was Asia, and as with everywhere she went, she wore a grin on her face because most of the time she had a plan to be happy about. Her arms crossed and she looked up at him. "More like...can I help you? Going to let me in?"

His eyebrows lifted and he stepped to the side and waved his arm and Asia made her way up the steps and walked inside. Her eyes traveled over to Cedric who was coming back with a picture, a nail and a hammer. "Anywhere private?" She turned towards Dominik.

"Back here." Dominik closed the door and turned around and headed off into Emry's room and then he turned around. "So, what is it that you think you can help me with?"

Asia grinned as she walked in and spun around, closing the door, keeping her palm pressed against it. "Well...inheriting everything for starters." She pushed away. "Your little bro is going away for a long time for the things he did...I don't care what he says."

He slowly nodded and leaned back against the dresser. "Yeah..and I'm not even sure why he did something like that. I kinda wonder if that girl had a part in it and she fucked him over."

Asia looked at him. "Would you care if she did? After what was done to you..." She shook her head. "If it were me...I'd say he's getting what he deserved." She smiled and walked closer. "Armed robbery, kidnapping, grand theft auto...lots of charges, maybe some we don't even know of, but...you have the power to seal his fate for the rest of his life."

He crossed his arms and he nodded. "You..what? Want me to go to the cops? Tell them what happened? I doubt they would even believe me."

"Well, if you did that...you'd add one more big charge on top of the stack, like a cherry to the cake, assault with a deadly weapon? Or maybe even attempted murder...he would never step outside that fence again." She shrugged. "Plus it would put your mean old daddy right there with him." She looked up. "They don't have to believe you or take your word...not when the neighborly blow up doll saw what happened."

"Neighborly blow up doll?" He shook his head, confused.

Asia waved her hand. "Kind of an inside joke, nevermind." She crossed her arms. "Point is that there is a witness that saw what happened, her name is Siera Brannon. She is a witness, saw the whole thing. They can subpoena her to testify. She also told that bitch, Talia what happened. So, all you have to do is go to the police and tell them and give them her name and tell them that you saw her, she was riding her horse and she was at the border of your field. Tell them and she is a credible witness, trust me...the bitch is so sweet that it's sick."

"And that stacks one more charge on Kane, condemns him for life and puts my dad away." Dominik slowly nodded.

"Exactly...and then where does the money and the house go? Or what about that autoshop he owns?" She asked.

"His ownership doesn't go away just because he's in prison, he would likely sell it all." He frowned. "He'd rather sell it than to let me have it."

"Yeah? And what would his dumbass do with the money?" She asked.

"Give it to a random person? A fellow cellmate? Maybe buy protection?" Dominik looked up.

Asia stared at him. "He hates you so bad that he'd rather take thousands and thousands of dollars and give it to another cellmate, who also can't do anything good with it, and pay for protection?" She rolled her eyes. "Whatever guy he picked would probably betray him and kick his ass for it."

"Hey...some of those people would take that money and give it to their girlfriends or their kids or who ever they care about on the outside, most of them have people on the outside who could use it." He shrugged.

She frowned and sat down on the foot of Emry's bed. "Well, then...what about for the sake of punishing him? He was awful to you!" She waved her hands out. "And hey...I bet you could get to that autoshop and atleast empty the safe out before he gets rid of it, go through the house, get all the goods you can, clean him out for all you can get."

He grinned at her and crossed his feet at the ankle. "You really want Kane condemned bad...Why?"

"Because I hate him...and I want him to suffer." She looked around the room. "Are you going to do it or not?"

Dominik sighed and looked towards the window. "It's something I'm really going to have to think about. It's not because I don't want them punished, I do. It's more about...if I want to put myself through the drama of law and order."

Asia looked at him. "Cute way to reference it." She stood up. "Fine, you keep thinking it over..." She paused. "But, I'd suggest...just in case, you take pictures of any marks you might have left, for evidence. Trust me, blow up bitch is only good for as much as you can get out of her...and shes a cheap make." She turned around and headed out of the room.

Dominik watched Asia leave, waiting until the door shut. "Blow up bitch..." He mumbled and then slightly chuckled as he shook his head and walked over and laid down on the bed, his gaze shifting up to the ceiling. "How do I decide something like this? Let Emry decide it for me? Man...that would be really co-dependent of me..."