When in Italy

Chapter 12

I turned back towards the door remembering it was closed. There was a tissue box on the liquor cart, so I pulled out a tissue and opened the door. I peered my head outside, now I could hear voices. I eased the door shut, smiling when it didn't creak. I put the tissue in my pocket and started lightly running down the hall.

Once I reached the wine door, I heard footsteps coming down the same stairs Nathan had descended from. I let out a deep breath and started pulling open the door to the vineyard. This was heavier than I remember. I slipped inside just as I heard the people enter into the hallway. But the door wasn't closed yet. I didn't let it slam shut, but I didn't stick around to see if they had seen me. I ran down the hallway and through the wine hallway. I stopped and looked back, making sure no one was following me.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kyle's pissed off voice ran through my ears.

I turned back around rolling my eyes. But before I could direct them towards him, he grabbed my face and leaned in close, examining.

"Would you let go of me? I'm fine," I pushed him away.

"Why were you in there so long? I said in and out."

"I know what you said, and believe me, if I could've followed your rules, I would've. When did you get out here?" I asked.

We started walking back outside.

"Fifteen minutes ago," he said.

"Holy shit, I was in there that long?" I asked myself.

"Yes, so tell me what happened."

"No, I can't walk and talk with information like this. Let's just wait till we can get back and I can get online," I rubbed my forehead, trying to remember everything that just happened.

It didn't feel like it actually happened.

"So he said he needed to be there?" Kyle asked

"Yes, Kyle. Just like he said the last fifteen times I've told you," I groaned.

We were upstairs in Lina's apartment, the same place we researched before. Kyle sat at the desk that was against the far wall of the room, and I lay back on the couch. I held my glass of water in my hand and swirled it around just as Nathan had done. It was pretty amusing.

"This doesn't make any sense, Alex." Kyle swiveled around in his chair before leaning back and hitting his pen against his forehead.

"You're telling me this like it was some idea I came up with. I'm telling you what happened and that's all that I got out of it, okay? You should be happy the guy didn't rape and kill me," I rolled my eyes.

"Rape?" Kyle looked up at me and I stopped swirling my water.

"Uh... never mind that," I quickly stood up and hurried over to the computer.

Kyle was smart and he knew me extremely well. So he'd know that the only time I'd say something like that was if I actually believed it could've happened. I clicked through some of the files we had found, re-scanning my eyes over them.

"No, Alex, what did he try to do?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing, I was being dramatic..." I muttered, ignoring eye contact.

Kyle slapped his hand on top of mine so that I couldn't move it.

"You can't lie to me, Alex. Tell me what the bastard tried to do. You may be an annoying little bitch sometimes, but you're my partner too. I have to keep you safe," he stared so deep into my eyes I wanted to call a lifeguard to rescue me before I drowned. 

"Yeah, yeah, you've told me this before. I'm so grateful my dad wants to keep me safe, but he needs to understand I can take care of myself," I snapped.

"I'm not talking about for your dad or even this goddamn business. I'm talking about myself. You are my friend and I don't want you to get hurt."

I looked back at his face and sighed.

"I'm fine okay? He didn't try anything," I muttered.

Kyle's hard stare stayed on my face for a little while longer until he looked back at the screen.

"Fine," he mumbled annoyed.

I stood up straight and swallowed down the rest of the water that was in my cup.

"He was just flirting, trying to get information out me. You do the same thing, you should know he wasn't going to do anything," I said walking back and forth.

"I shouldn't know anything. Yeah, I never try anything, but he's not me. You never know what he could've done, Alex. And staying in there as long as you did was probably telling him you wouldn't mind," Kyle turned around and looked at me.

"What was I supposed to do?" I raised my voice.

"I wasn't going to hit him anytime he got too close! He has fought with me once before and I know he wouldn't have been scared to do it again. He knows my tactics now and would have used them against me. I wasn't going to risk a few intimate minutes with him because if I had, I can guarantee you the rest of the angry neighbors would've been on my ass in a second and I'd either be dead or pretty damn close!" I yelled.

I heard something shuffle across the floor behind me and I turned around, Lina was trying to quietly move back towards the stairs.

"Lina," Kyle called.

She dropped her shoulders and turned around.

"I'm sorry. I was coming up here to ask if you two wanted to go to the store with me for your clothes since I'm on break now but... I didn't know you were having a... meeting," she awkwardly finished.

I sighed, placing one hand on my hip and I ran the other down my hair.

"We'll go, I think we need a break," I lightly smiled at her.

She nodded and folded one hand in the other, "I'll be in the living room."

After she had hurried down the stairs, I let out another big sigh and rubbed my eyes. I looked back at Kyle and he was just staring at the floor.

"You're right," he mumbled.

I furrowed my eyebrows and watched him stand up.

"You were right, they would've got you."

After that he looked into my eyes for no longer than two seconds and then walked around the table towards the stairs.

"Kyle..." I started.

"Let's just go so we can get back," he muttered.

He didn't even look back at me. Well this was great.

A/N

I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG IM SO SO SO SORRY. This story is really hard for me to write but I came up with some stuff so yay! This chapter is great right? I really wanted to show you guys how much Kyle and Alex actually cared about each other. I think this chapter shows it without either of them really saying it. HE'S SO PROTECTIVE OF HER AHH I LOVE IT, DO YOU? SORRY AGAIN AND CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES. LOVE YOU LOTS, KICK ASS AT SCHOOL AND DON'T LET BITCHES RUIN YOUR DAY