The Nerd has a Secret (GxG)

Chapter Twenty

C H A P T E R   T W E N T Y
_________________________
D A R R E N

The calm quiet that crept up upon him almost made him uneasy. Darren sighed, trying to ease his nerves as he leaned further back in his car seat. He hadn't moved for a few hours, simply seated in his car with a sour feeling, a bitter hesitance lingering in the air.

Dylan sat beside him in the driver's seat as she always did. Although it was indeed her brother's car, she always insisted on driving. Whether it was a grocery run or something more...dangerous, Dylan always insisted on driving. Of course, after what happened to her, Darren couldn't blame her.

"Darrius?" Darren grimaced.

"I've been telling you since we were six, Dyl, it's Darren." Dylan turned to him, the seriousness in her expression startling him, the panic that crept up on him an unfortunate reminder of the last time she called him by his real name. She only did so when it was serious, how could he forget? It was when she called him 'Darrius' that she knew something was horribly wrong.

Darren sucked in a deep breath, attempting to return oxygen to his lungs. "What is it?"

Dylan audibly swallowed, gaze shifting from him to her hands clenching the steering wheel. She was silent for a moment. "I don't like driving on the right side." Darren fought back a smile.

"Me neither. But what's the real problem?" Dylan sighed, shifting in her seat. "Hey, Leslie? What's the matter?" Dylan sighed, shaking her head as she fought back a smile.

"There you go, calling me by my first name. You're such a hypocrite." The smile she feigned quickly disappeared. "It's the...letter." Darren's jaw tightened almost involuntarily at this, subconsciously pressing his teeth together hard enough it hurt.

"Yeah...I know." His fingers found the envelope, tracing the burnt edge of the paper. The letter from their parents before they disappeared, their final words to their children and no one else. Darren could still recall the words staining the paper, had them memorized so well they haunted him. He wasn't certain he could even call it a letter, as the words were short and few.

Children -
Remember the museum.
- Mother and Father

It wasn't the most detail-oriented letter. They'd been to (and stolen from) countless museums, so it wasn't like they had any leads. And even then, neither of them was sure what their parents meant. Remember the unspecified museum? Was there something awaiting them? Was it a code? Or were they simply trying to help them remember simpler times?

Darren reached across the car, his hand making its way into his sister's. "Why did you think we needed to leave, anyway?" He asked. Dylan scoffed.

"I didn't think at all, I knew. Too many people knew about us...about me. Even knowing my name is far too much information, and we can't afford getting caught, especially now that we're legally adults. We'll be tried and arrested as adults, not children, and since we're on our own no lawyer could insist it was our parents' doing." Darren merely rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, we've gotten out of tricky situations before. I got arrested in Monaco, remember? But we've always been able to handle ourselves." He chuckled. "Besides, they might've known your name, but no one knew who you were." Dylan shook her head, gaze directed out the tinted window.

"Give it time, Dare. They're smart." She was silent for a moment, before the surprise finally took over, a sudden realization clear on her face. "That's it! Monaco!" Darren frowned, brow knitting together in inquiry.

"What about it?" Dylan turned to her brother, eyes filled with determination.

"It was in Monaco that we met him. Steven Cruz, the owner of Grand Centere." Darren grinned.

"We're only twenty minutes out of town. We'll be there in no time."

Greetings, readers. I apologize for the delay as well as the length of this chapter. To say I've been suffering from writer's block is an understatement. However, I believe I'll be able to post something new soon enough.

Stay safe, eat your peas and whatnot. Peace.