Caught In His World

Teamwork

"This is incredible" I swoon at the pond and the green all around me. I see moss growing on canopy trees that's tall as the skyscrapers I've seen in some movies. Maybe I'm exaggerating but it's beautiful here.

Setup against an old, weak and moss-filled log is a picnic blanket with a cute basket. "I kind of found that this place is part of the waterpark. I decided to use the waterpark as a mask to hide the real surprise" I smile at him. "This is so amazing, thank you" I go on my tippy toes and give him a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm freezing though" I say in my bikini as the wind is blowing with a slight chill in its air. "Here baby" he wraps a big fluffy towel over my shivering body and I see another on his shoulders around his neck.

We sit down and eat the cheese and tomato sandwiches he made for us. I love cheese and tomato, it's so refreshing and I love especially when the cheese is really cheesy if I'm explaining that properly.

"How are you managing? I know we just talked about it but I want to constantly check up on you" I squash the plastic that Dylan wrapped the sandwich in and put it in the basket. "I saw Tyler". An eerie feeling lingers In the air between us. "what did he have to say?" Dylan asked quietly. "He wants to meet with me. Said he'd phone on your phone and if I want to go I can just tell him." We stay quiet for a few seconds. "You can go, I can't stop you and I won't control you. Whatever you decide is fine by me" I look at him surprised.

"Thank you for the day" I say not wanting to dwell on the subject of Tyler. I take a look at the tall trees and clear pond. Little tadpoles swimming inside, frogs on Lilly pads and some dragonflies on the tall marginal plants growing from under the water. There's a lot of insects flying all about but nothing unpleasant.

The sun hits through the many branches that shade us and makes spots of sunlight on the forest floor. Around the wooden log is little bunches of colourful flowers that grow and I honestly feel like this place is magical. "This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen" I think out loud. "I know, I think it really is quite beautiful." I hear Dylan respond back.

We sit in comfortable silence and allow the nature to fill the atmosphere with it's own melody. Dylan's phone rings and I see him open it looking at his call logs. "They are all ready to go now" he says to me. I nod and after a couple seconds go to stand up. Dusting some of the sand from my legs I turn my gaze and find Dylan already watching me.

In no time, he struts towards me and gives me a passionate kiss. Our lips moving against each other and our hands travelling the length the other's body. After about 2 minutes we break apart and rest our foreheads together. "I love you" I say breathlessly. "I love you" I smile hearing those three words from him.

2 Days Later

"Okay, keep in touch." I hear Dylan finish his call. "Anita?" I continue to massage his shoulders. "Yeah, looks like Thomas wants to come get you tonight and he'll meet up with Tyler in an hour." I feel my stomach drop. "What's the plan?" I ask curiously. "For you? Nothing. For us? We are going to try and capture Thomas with Tyler's help" I huff out.

The Previous Day

"So you'll really meet with me?" I hear Tyler's hopeful voice on the phone. After my encounter with him yesterday, I realize he is right. I do want to hear his reasons and know why he did such a thing at the mansion. "yes" i wait for him to say something. "Can I come get you?" Dylan grabs the phone away from me and growls, "I'll drop her off." I roll my eyes at him. Tyler responds immediately, "Just give me an address and I'll fetch her you idiot." Now it was my turn to grab the phone, "you either agree to him or I won't meet with you." Dylan smirks at me and I just give him a weak punch playfully. "Fine, I'll text you Dylan." And he hangs up. "well let's go and meet Mr Ganis." Dylan rolls his eyes annoyed. I giggle and follow him to the car.

About 20 minutes later we drive back into town and meet Tyler at Miss Auch's shop. Dylan waited in the car and was playing candy crush on his phone. I'm wearing a big grey hoodie and black jeans with my black sneakers. I see Tyler shaking his leg impulsively as he meets my eyes. I take a seat opposite to him on the table he's sitting at. "Hey" he smiles at me charmingly, still impulsively shaking his knee. "Hey" I say looking around. "Thanks for coming" he gently goes to hold up the menu viewing it. "Chocolate?" I hold back a smile nodding that he remembers.

A waiter with blond long hair and tanned skin comes to our table. "Hi, I'm Aurora and I'll be taking your order today. What can I get you hun?" She winks at Tyler who looks like he just knocked a cat. I chuckle and I see the corners of his mouth lift to form a bright smile. He doesn't shake his knee as much anymore, he must be starting to ease up. "Can we have two chocolate ice-creams please?" He orders and she takes his order before she walks away swaying her hips for him.

"That was terrible" he face palms himself and I chuckle again. "I won't beat around the bush but I just don't know how to start" Tyler tells me. I nod, "start from the beginning obviously. What happened after you left school?"  He nods at me as he is about to start from the beginning.

"I left school when dad got sick. He was working for some guy who was in a Mafia or something like that. My dad put us in a huge debt that he couldn't pay off and I had no choice but to leave. I negotiated and instead of paying the debt. I had to start working to pay it off and do some illegal things. I didn't know the work would be Mafia related and involving drugs. So I had to leave, my dad eventually died and I got my mum into a nice neighbourhood in New York. I was given instructions by Thomas. Thomas was working for them for a while apparently and Thomas never introduced me to the guy who was running all of this. He only said that nobody but him could meet the boss." He takes a deep breath and breathes out.

"The boss wanted me and Thomas to come back here. So I did and so did Thomas. I didn't know that the reason being was you. He wanted for Thomas to date you again and to breakup you and Dylan. I was to be a friend to you again and convince you to date Thomas. But I always liked you Madelyn, from all those years ago I only liked you. I came to the mansion to take you away. My father was a local gang leader. I'm now next. We were indebted to the Mafia Thomas is part off. So I had my guys come and raid the mansion, hoping to find you and take you far away. I knew Thomas would just hurt you again. I didn't trust Dylan to keep you safe either so I sought to come and protect you myself."  I look at him stunned. He liked me? This was to protect me? "If you want to protect me, then help Dylan and I. Let's see whose really behind this together and help us take down Thomas too." I look at him with hope. He was never a bad person and he never judged me before. "Okay, I'll help you" is all it took for him to say before I leaped over the table and hugged him gratefully. I got my friend back and I've got help. Just as I pull away smiling, the waiter is standing at our table with two cones of chocolate ice-cream in her hands and wearing a scowl at her face directed to me. I smile at her apologetically and look around with my fingers scratching my neck awkwardly.

"I'll phone Tyler" Dylan tells me and I nod to him. Walking out the room, I close the office door behind me and go to watch my new favourite series, sex education. Maeve Wiley is my favourite.