The Assassin's Deception

Chapter 23

KAITLYN STONE
The silence woke me and I realized Jonathan wasn't next to me anymore. I sat up searching the room for him but found it empty. I got up and put on my royal purple silk pajamas and walked downstairs where I found Jonathan sitting with Cameron on the couch with the television on.
"Are you okay?' He asked when he saw me.
"When did you get up?" I asked sitting down next to him.
"I came out here about five minutes ago."
"It was too quiet." I sighed leaning my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me.
"I was trying not to wake you. I guess that backfired." He chuckled kissing my head.
"I think I need the sound of your heartbeat."
"If you two get any cuter I'm going to be sick." Cameron said with a laugh.
Jonathan playfully threw a magazine at him.
"When are you going back to work?" Jonathan asked.
"I think I'm going to take a little while to heal both physically and emotionally and to really explore this with you. I really want to spend time getting to know who Jonathan Black is."
"I think that's a wonderful idea." He smiled down at me.
"I'm telling you, I'm going to be sick." Cameron laughed.
Jonathan shook his head at his brother as I snuggled closer to him.
"Are you going to go back to sleep?" He teased.
"I might." I sighed listening to his heartbeat.
JONATHAN BLACK
I held her as she drifted back to sleep. I never imagined that the sound of my heartbeat would soothe anyone so they could sleep, but there she laid on my chest fast asleep.
"I like teasing you because you're my brother but don't screw this one up, Jonathan." Cameron said looking at us.
"I'm not going to screw it up, Cam. She's really special."
"You know, I thought you were crazy to cheat on Dina but watching you with Kaitlyn it's clear that she's the one you're supposed to be with."
"I know this is going to sound sarcastic but I don't mean it that way. You're opinion means a lot to me."
"She clearly cares about you and she doesn't try to pull you away from me."
"That was your girlfriend that did that." I teased.
"To be fair, she didn't know you existed." He smiled at me.
"I suppose that is fair." I laughed.
Cameron paused looking at me.
"What is it, Cameron? What's going on?" I asked looking back at him.
"I almost lost you. If it wasn't for her I would have. In one way or another. It was her that made you realize that you wanted to do your own thing; be yoir own person. I know it seemed like I was resistant to it at first but honestly I was terrified. I thought it would tear us apart instead of bringing us together. If she hadn't lit that spark in you, you would have ended up resenting me for making you live this half life. I've just been thinking about that a lot since she showed up at our front door."
"That's why you've been so distant lately?"
"I wasn't trying to be distant. I was just lost in thought. I couldn't help think how things could have been had she not inserted herself into our lives."
"It's a scary thought, isn't it?" I sighed.
"It really is. We should have shown you to the world damn near a decade before we did. I should have never let dad keep you hidden away."
"That wasn't your fault. You know how he was. There was nothing you could have done to change that wouldn't have ended with either one or both of us dead." I sighed.
"You're right. I just can't shake that I should have done more. Look at what she's done for you; for us. She killed a man to protect us."
"And to avenge her husband and stepfather." I reminded him.
"Of course but the urgency was to protect us. To make sure nothing happened to anyone else. I didn't do that. You protected me from him but I didn't even try to protect you because I was afraid. I was terrified of him. Kaitlyn would have fought him at ten years old and I didn't do anything."
"Stop, Cameron. Just stop. Our father was a monster and you were right to be afraid of him. It was natural for me to step up to him and Kaitlyn was raised in a way that stepping to him would have been second nature for her. That's not you, Cam and that's okay. I love who you are."
"I just wish it didn't have to be how it was for you. Constantly punished for not being me. I've always wanted better for you. She's better for you. You've never had to hide with her. She likes the man you are, not the man you pretended to be."
"Things are going to be different now. In a good way. We can keep performing and we can explore our other interests. We don't even have to think about him anymore. He doesn't have any hold over us."
"You're right. He taught us how to survive and all these illusions but the men we've grown into are because of us; because of the people around us who showed us better."
"We survived him because of who we are. It didn't have anything to do with who he was. We survived him because we had each other and we had to." I insisted.
"Don't argue." Kaitlyn muttered wrapping her arms around my torso still half asleep.
"We're not arguing, babe." I whispered kissing the top of her head.
"She cares so much about us and our relationship." Cameron muttered.
"Perhaps she just wants to sleep in peace?" I suggested with a chuckle.
"I care." She sighed gently hitting my shoulder.
"I know, sweetheart. I'm just kidding." I laughed.
"How are your incisions?"
She sat up off me pulled up my tshirt and gently pulled at he gauze pad on my stomach.
"Maybe you should let it air out a little?" She suggested.
"That might be a good idea." I answered.
"I'm going to leave you two to your argument." She smiled at me.
"No need, Kaitlyn. We're not arguing. I think we understand where we're at now." Cameron smiled at her.
"He's right, Kate." I smiled at her too.
"I feel like you two are going to be the death of me." She laughed.