Surprised Ever After

Ch. 20: Unlocked Door

Charlotte

When Chadrick said they didn't play the twisted game anymore, I believed him and chose not to feed my anxiousness with speculation. But I honestly understand how those poor girls got confused between two hot men, and then crushed after they knew they were just an item for the twisted game. That could have been traumatic for some of them.

Chadrick has never brought up the problematic topic since he was back from Asia last week, and I think it's for the best. What would we gain from it, anyway? And it also helps to end my dangerous question about being attracted to him. Every girl in my position would be affected by his charm because it's like gravity. The differences lie on what we decide to do. And I've decided to ignore it.

Plus, the summer has kicked in, and we have plenty of plans ahead. Chloe's farewell camping, for instance. She's been acting as if she's going to move to Amazon. Her travel bag is full of clothes and other precautionary items she might need for the sleepover, yet she's panicking because she can't find a space for her binoculars.

"Maybe I should bring more bags," she says, kneeling on her teal rug as she rummages in her travel bag.

"No. Nuh-uh." I shake my head. "You'll walk to the camping area carrying your bags yourself. No one will do it for you. One travel bag and a small pouch for your wallet and phone are enough."

"But I want to bring this too," she wines and slouches.

"We're going to be late if we don't leave now!" Ashton's voice rumbles from the foyer downstairs. He's going to drive us to the meeting point, where Chloe's bus will depart for the camping site.

"Go to the car. I'll fix it quickly," I say to her.

"You're a lifesaver!" She jumps up from her carpet and runs out of the room with her green pouch in hand. "I'm coming!" She knows better than to make her dad pissed because he hates tardiness, and especially at this moment, he's not fun to be around.

Ashton has become quite tense lately, and I'm sure it has something to do with the discovery of Sauer's involvement in the incidents. Officially, the cases have been solved, and The Remington & Knight has agreed with the follow-up procedure, but Ashton has trouble letting it go. He secretly asked Gustav to dig for more information to find hidden skeletons.

I'm not sure what to feel about it, though. And I don't think Gustav is helping him by agreeing to do this. I know he's paid handsomely by Ashton, but as an investigator slash Ashton's friend, he should've known better. Ashton's obsession with kicking Frederick Sauer has been growing alarmingly intense after the man swung back into Knight's life. It surprises me that the calculated Ashton follows his urges without having a quick check on himself whether he needs to do this.

When I'm outside, Ashton's black Mercedes is already in the driveway. He stares ahead behind the driver's seat, his face impassive, but I know his mind is somewhere else. Chloe takes the seat behind him, buried in her phone as its bright screen light illuminates her grinning face. It's almost funny to see how similar they look, but their moods are like day and night.

"Does she have everything in the bag?" he asks when I slide into the passenger seat.

"Yep."

"I still don't like this. Can she just stay one night instead of two?"

"We've agreed to this," I reply as Chloe groans behind me. "Too late to change it now."

He doesn't say anything and starts driving. The meeting point is in a carpool near her school area. If it was a workday, the trip to go there would be a bitch. But it's Saturday morning, when most people are still sitting at their breakfast table or even in their beds. Unlike our other car rides on the weekend, Ashton and Chloe skip their usual banter. The tension and the enthusiasm are too thick, and they just don't mix. Everyone is drowned in their own thoughts as the music from the radio permeates the air inside the car.