AN: I don't know if I will get a chance to update this week and I'm going camping next weekend so this chapter is a gift in case I don't get another one up for a while. Enjoy!
Caleb loaded their bags in the trunk of his car, rather roughly, Branwen noted, before he looked back at the house. "Did you forget something?" she asked.
He looked confused for a moment before he shook his head. "No. I just thought my mother might come down to say goodbye to you guys. I know she enjoyed having you here."
Branwen frowned, her brain automatically sensing trouble she had already agreed not to think about. "She said goodbye to us last night. She said she had somewhere to be this morning."
Caleb's eyes were blank for a moment before he nodded. "Right. Her appointment. I forgot."
Not knowing what to say, Branwen nodded and went to get in the car. Aria was already in the back seat. Branwen knew Aria was still feeling the effects of liking a guy she couldn't have. At least not without watching him kill himself.
Branwen wanted a guy she couldn't have either. At least not without feeling like she was betraying both of them the whole time. Betraying herself by splitting her attention from her education and betraying Pogue by being with him and not telling him about her powers. Or her past. Or what her past had to do with his powers.
Which she had been thinking about a lot last night.
When she had walked Pogue out, she hadn't known what was going to happen, but she wanted to be in a room with Caleb even less than she feared being in a room with Pogue.
She'd walked with him to the Ducati, letting Pogue hold her hand as they walked. The night before and the kiss was never brought up. When they stood beside his motorcycle he turned to her and gave her a little smile.
"I won't be by tomorrow morning. I'll see you around school though, right?"
She sighed, "Pogue, I have a lot of work to do…"
"And you don't have time for a relationship. I remember. But I thought we were friends." She smiled at him. Every time he said friends it was like it was code. She knew what he wanted it to be code for, but she barely had time for the real meaning of the word.
"We are. Just not the kind that see each other every day." Pogue looked down at their clasped hands and smiled. Before he could say anything she continued. "Or night."
He laughed, and she realized that she was in way over her head. He wasn't even gone yet and she already missed the sound of his laugh. She was so screwed. Eventually he looked up at her. "I should get going and you should get back inside. That dress looks great on you but I don't imagine it's very warm."
A shiver went up her spine at that moment and she smiled. "No, it's not."
Pogue nodded and kissed the back of her hand before he grabbed his helmet and straddled his bike. He turned it on and gave her a wink before he drove away.
She stood there until he disappeared, rubbing the back of her hand and the lingering tingle. It was then she had begun to question it. Aria hadn't mentioned anything when Caleb touched her but Branwen had bumped into Caleb this morning and when her hand hit his arm, it tingled. He didn't notice as he rushed past her, but it had her questioning why it only happened when she touched Caleb or Pogue. She wondered if it would have happened when she shook Tyler's hand had he not been wearing gloves.
As they drove back to school, the only sound in the car being the heater, Branwen started following theories in her head and only a few of them seemed possible. By the time Caleb dropped them off at her car and they said tentative goodbyes, Branwen knew one thing for sure. Whatever it was, it had something to do with a connection between her and the sons of Ipswich.
As if she didn't have enough problems, when they got back to the apartment, Gina was sitting outside it. And she wasn't in good condition.
Aria and Branwen helped her into the apartment and Aria got some ice, water and bandages while Branwen got Gina into clean clothes.
"What happened?" Branwen asked when they finally had Gina settled.
Gina sighed and winced when it must have hurt a cracked rib. "Kevin." Gina said, and that was all they needed to hear. Kevin was Gina's ex. She'd met him when she was working at a less-legit job, dancing for money. He treated her okay as long as he didn't get drunk, or mad, or frustrated or horny… or really anything requiring him to have to deal with life. He'd made a scene at Sinsations once when Aria and Branwen had first started there and Gina had almost been fired. As it was, Kevin was now not allowed within 100 feet of the bar. That made Branwen and Aria's apartment Gina's only real safe zone.
"I thought you broke up with him." Aria said. "Like three months ago."
"Try convincing him of that." Gina said, flexing her jaw.
"Did you call the cops?" Branwen asked. Gina didn't like cops but after a month or so Branwen had convinced Gina that the cops couldn't do anything if Gina didn't say anything.
"Who do you think drove me here?"
"Well you can stay here as long as you need." Aria said, throwing another blanket over Gina and the couch.
"Yeah and if you need anything, just let us know and we'll pick it up when we're out." Branwen added.
"Thanks guys, you're really great friends." Gina said, smiling at them. "I was actually going to ask if you knew if any of the girls could pick up my shifts for a bit."
Branwen and Aria looked at each other, knowing that no matter who they asked, as great as the girls were, they wouldn't want to pick up the extra shift. "We'll figure something out." Branwen said.
By the time Branwen got to bed, she felt like she was going to need days just to relax. She looked at the clock and it flashed 10:48pm. Where had her day gone? And it wasn't over. She was just getting close to sleep when she sat up in bed. "Shit." Getting up she grabbed her keys and wallet.
Aria was in the kitchen as Branwen passed. "Where are you going?" She asked, following Branwen to the door.
Branwen pulled her coat on and sighed. "I'm going to need a laptop if I intend to finish my thesis."
Aria's mouth just formed an 'O' and she nodded. "You want to pick up two?"
Rolling her eyes, Branwen smiled. "Why not? After all, what's the point of having savings anyway if we can use them to replace the things destroyed when my mother had my house burned?"
Aria gave Branwen a sympathetic look before Branwen left, on a mission to find somewhere still open and selling cheap laptops.
They'd been back in school for almost two weeks. Two weeks during which every professor geared up for final exams. Which were next week. Pogue had been so enveloped in his schoolwork that he'd barely been able to acknowledge Caleb's moodiness.
Caleb no longer went out all the time. Pogue assumed Caleb had given up his search for Sarah for the moment. Still, Caleb would go out every so often, but he was never gone for very long and the rest of the time he spent in his room.
In Pogue's opinion, he could stay there. Pogue had tried to help Caleb, but he wasn't going to drive himself insane and screw up his education if Caleb wasn't willing to help himself. And clearly Caleb didn't want anything to do with Pogue if his solitary attitude was any indication.
Which made what happened the Saturday night before exam week so surprising. After two weeks of nose-to-the-grindstone studying, Pogue had packed all the information into his mind he could handle without getting a break. So, Since Branwen and her absence was one thing that hadn't evaded his attention despite his focus on his studies, Pogue decided to make the first contact since Thanksgiving.
He'd text her once the day after they got back, but for the most part he had respected her desire for space. After two weeks of wondering how she was doing, his desire to see her had him getting ready and heading for Sinsations. He was standing in the kitchenette getting a bottle of water out of the fridge when the door to Caleb's room opened.
Freezing in his position, bent over looking in the fridge, Pogue waited to hear the door slam again, but when he looked over his shoulder, Caleb was standing there looking at him. Pogue grabbed his water and slowly stood.
When he turned to face Caleb, Caleb finally spoke. "You going out?"
What gave him that idea? The jacket or maybe the bike helmet waiting by the door? "Yeah. I need a break from the books."
Caleb nodded and looked around awkwardly. "Any place in particular?"
Pogue narrowed his eyes. What was this, an interrogation? "Sinsations."
Nodding again, Caleb glanced around the room again before looking back at Pogue. "Aria working tonight?"
Ah, so that was what had brought Caleb out. Aria. Branwen had mentioned that the car ride back had been awkward because Aria wasn't speaking to Caleb. Apparently she had not been impressed Caleb had disappeared and worried his mother. It showed Aria had good taste, in Pogue's opinion. Caleb had once been the kind of person Pogue would be surprised if a girl didn't admire him, but he had steadily been becoming someone Pogue couldn't endorse.
Taking pity on the man who was acting like Pogue's best friend again, Pogue shrugged. "I'm not sure but the girls are staying above the club until after Christmas so unless she went out she'll still be there."
"Do you mind if I go too?" Caleb asked.
Pogue didn't know if Caleb was trying to bury the hatchet, but it wasn't going to be that easy. Still, Pogue wasn't going to act like a girl about it and be all huffy. He shrugged. "Sure. I'm taking my bike but I'll meet you there."
Caleb smiled and Pogue couldn't help but smirk a little in return. After all, Caleb was practically his brother. It wasn't easy to stay mad at family.
It didn't take long to get to the parking lot down the street from the club and Caleb pulled in just as Pogue was taking his helmet off. They walked to the club together and as they waited in line, Caleb nudged Pogue. "So, are you and Branwen together now?" When Pogue just frowned and shook his head, Caleb narrowed his eyes. "But I thought you guys worked everything out. You guys seemed close when she walked you out."
Pogue wanted to say that they were close… close friends. But close friends talked more than once in two weeks. You didn't have to go to your close friend's work just to see them. Aria and Branwen were close friends. The way things were going, Pogue was starting to feel like he and Branwen were becoming fleeting acquaintances.
But perhaps tonight would remedy that. Pogue shrugged. "We're both really busy and decided for now friends was all we had time for."
The corner of Caleb's mouth rose. "Both of you decided this, huh?"
Pogue rolled his eyes, failing to suppress his own smile. "Okay, she decided. But she does have a lot going on and I figured if I ever want anything more than friends I have to wait until she has time."
Caleb raised a brow as they finally made it into the club. "So you're waiting for her?"
Pogue wasn't sure what to say but then he looked over at the dance floor and instantly recognized Branwen's hypnotic dancing on the platform. Funny how easy it was for him to recognize her in costume but not in person. Pogue nodded towards her before looking back at Caleb. "Wouldn't you wait for that?"
Caleb smiled and patted Pogue's back. "I'm going to go check the bar for Aria. I'll find you later."
Pogue nodded and Caleb walked away. Slowly moving through the crowd, Pogue kept his eyes on Branwen. There was just something about how she moved that spoke to him in a seductive whisper. The first song blended into the next and he would swear she liked it better because something about her dancing seemed freer. By the time that dance ended and she gave up her spot to another girl, he was standing a few feet away, waiting.
She didn't see him at first as she made her way through the crowd. But as she got closer, she must have felt his eyes on her because she looked up and caught his gaze. He watched as she glanced around hesitantly before continuing towards him. Confused by her hesitation, he glanced around before looking back at her. When she stepped in front of him he leaned in so she could hear him.
"I'm not going to get you in trouble, am I?"
She shook her head. "No, I was just counting." She replied. "We have to have a certain number of girls working the floor at a time. I just had to know if I had time to talk."
There was that word again. Time. She didn't have time for a relationship; she barely had time to talk.
"I'm sorry. Do you want me to go?" he asked, reaching out and touching her hand with a finger, feeling that weird tingling spring instantly to life.
She looked down at their hands, stretching hers out and allowing him to hold it. When she looked back up at him she gave him a little smile. Rolling her eyes she leaned closer, putting her hand on his shoulder as she spoke into his ear. Her breath sent shivers over him. "How long are you here for?"
She stepped back a margin so she could watch his face. He shrugged his shoulders. When she looked confused he leaned towards her, wondering if his breath did the same thing to her. "I needed a study break so I came to see you. Thought you might have some time to hang out."
When he pulled back her lips were smiling but her eyes were conflicted. She stepped back further, letting her hand on his shoulder fall and taking the one that was in his back. She looked over his shoulder towards the bar before looking around again. Finally, when he was really starting to worry, she looked at him again and her face softened. It was then he realized what was off about her appearance. At first he'd thought it was just her being dressed in her uniform, but now he got it.
"Your eyes." He said.
She reached up to her face, confused, before she smiled and nodded. "Contacts. We aren't allowed to have defining characteristics. It puts us in danger outside of work."
He could see that. Nodding, he waited for her to decide if she wanted him there. She bit her bottom lip and looked over his shoulder again. Then she looked up at the VIP section and nodded. Pogue looked up and saw another girl looking down at them. She waved at him and Pogue realized it must be Aria.
"Sorry, I just had to find her." Branwen said, smiling at him again. He'd had to lean towards her to look up and now they were even closer than before. She looked up at him with those eyes that just didn't suit her. "Do you have time to wait?" She asked.
Pogue thought about his words to Caleb and smiled. "For you? Always."
Her lips parted a bit and he wanted to join his with them so badly he was surprised he had the restraint not to. It didn't take her long to collect herself. "I'm done my shift in about forty-five minutes. If you can wait until then we can go upstairs."
He knew she didn't mean what his mind immediately jumped to but boy did it jump. It didn't help that she was barely wearing anything. Before his libido got too excited, Pogue realized she didn't know he wasn't alone.
When his smile faltered she frowned at him. "Is something wrong? Do you have to go?"
She sounded sad at the idea of him leaving and it made him want to promise never to leave. God he was so past okay with her. He didn't know why he felt so strongly for her, he barely knew her, but he was helpless to resist.
He shook his head. "It's just, well, I came here with Caleb."
Her face shut down and he was confused. Was she disappointed that she couldn't have him alone, not likely. Maybe she was upset with Caleb for being a disappointment to Aria. "Oh." Was all she said.
"I'm sorry, I can try to get rid of him."
She had been looking up again but when he said that she looked at him and raised a brow. "Why, you think losing him will get you something… friend?" He smiled at how she said 'friend' and slowly she smiled too. She shook her head. "No you don't have to get rid of him. He can hang out too, just as long as he doesn't pester Aria. It's her apartment too."
Pogue nodded. That was fair. "We'll wait at the bar."
She nodded. "I have to go do VIP with Aria."
Pogue's temperature rose as she stared at his lips but eventually she just slipped past him and disappeared through the staff doors. He watched her go, wondering how close she had been to kissing him. It helped to know she was conflicted. He knew she liked him; they'd had enough intimate moments to tell him that. But despite how it sounded, he was glad he wasn't the only one struggling with the 'friends' thing. Now if only they could find more time.