The Dark (DEVON) // ✔️ // [NEWADULT]

|| Chapter Fourty-Four - It is... ||

Rueben dropped me off at the pizza place and sped off, leaving me awkwardly standing outside it alone. I admired his determination to get me there within the time we had, speeding where he could... scary but, kinda thrilling at the same time.

After a few long minutes, Devon appeared, grinning from ear to ear, his smile dropped when he scanned me, "You... did you leave your things with Rueben?"

"I couldn't find anything I liked." I forced an innocent laugh, "I'm picky." I shrugged.
Devon smiled knowingly and nodded, "I'll let you go berserk on the computer when we get back, they sell the best stuff online." He winked and opened the door to the pizza place.

The smell of grease and garlic hit me as soon as we walked in, the pizzeria was painted a dark red, the windows were dusty and the sunlight barely broke through. The lights buzzed every now and again and flickered and copious amounts of teens lined the yellow leather seats that were splitting and torn at the corners.
It ain't much to look at.

Devon laughed and quirked a brow, I bit my lip after realising I'd said that out loud, "It's got... sentimental value." He clarified before waving a hand at a big, burly man behind the pizza counter.

"Hola hijo mío, ¿qué será hoy?" He shouted, paused for a moment and then burst out laughing.
Devon threw his head back and sighed, "Mateo, how many times, my Spanish sucks!" The man, Mateo, slipped out from behind the counter and engulfed Devon in a bear hug. It was strange to see him so off guard with someone.

"Forgive me mi hijo, I said, hey there my son, what will it be today?" He rubbed a flour covered hand across his grease stained apron and smiled.
Devon wrapped a hand around my shoulders and pulled me closer, "This is Aria, Aria, Mateo and Mateo, Aria."
Mateo let out a loud laugh and wrapped his large arms around me, there was comfort in his hugs and the underlying scent of meat and vegetables.
He was a backstreet greasy pizza chef, what else can you expect?

"Pleasure to meet you mi novia!" He grasped my shoulders softly, "Go, go sit, I'll bring out the Devon special for you two." He waved a hand and disappeared into the back of the restaurant.

Devon dragged me to a table in the very far corner of the room, it was dark, dusty and the table was still covered in crumbs and empty cups.
Devon swiped the stuff off the table with one swoop and sat down, he shrugged when it gave him a look, "You think Mateo cares first presentation?" He quipped.

"Why does he call you 'son'?" I asked. Devon sighed and smiled to himself.

"My dads used to take me here when I was younger, Mateo used to take me round the back and show me all the pizza ovens, let me roll some dough, choose my own toppings, sauces-" he chuckled, "-you name it! How else do you think we created the Devon special."
"Despite the look out here, the kitchens are spotless, everything is shiny and new. Mateo uses his savings to buy new appliances annually. Rather than sort out the front. It doesn't matter too much anyway - people still come."
"Guess you could say that after a while, he became like a third dad." He laughed, "he's always been there, even when things got messy, I would come in, he would close the place and we would sit together, with the radio on, eating pizza in silence. It was nice."

It was heartwarming, this place wasn't pretty but it was special to Devon. There's more to him that I'd initially thought, it's refreshing, but also terrifying.

"Which leads me on to what I wanted to talk to you about... your mom." I sucked in a breath, "Isaac was lying - he does know where Victoria is... he survived Kat's arson attack-" he rolled his eyes, "-he's mad. We scoured all CCTV, all night, to try to get any potential leads and we found footage of Isaac and Victoria meeting outside of a random off-licence. They chatted for a bit, exchanged papers... we think they're working together."
"So... we've developed a plan. Liberation of the place Victoria is hiding, she's out on her own, just her and your mother... if we liberate that then we can-"

I had to.

"I was going to run away." I said.

Devon stopped and looked pointedly at me, "come again?"

I straightened my back, "When I got in the car this morning. I wasn't planning on coming back. Reuben was supposed to drive me out of town, undisclosed location, I was going to run."

The look on his face stalled my breath. He didn't look angry, he didn't look annoyed... he looked upset, worse, he looked hurt.
"Why?" He whispered.

My lips quivered, "I didn't think anyone was doing anything about my mom so I- I thought if I ran away from you, Victoria would leave her alone and-"

   Devon raised a hand, "You thought I wasn't doing anything for your mom?"
   He scoffed, "I let Isaac take you! I let Isaac take you away and hold you under the assumption he'd work to find your mom. Whilst I did the same."

   "I was only there for a few-" he cut me off.

   Devon groaned, "a few days!? Yeah because as soon as you went in you were cut off! I thought he'd hurt you, and Meghan, AND EVEN FUCKING PARKER!" A few people stopped talking to look over at us, "I didn't tell you about my movement to find your mom because it'd stress you out, it's not worth it, especially with everything you've been through already. I've been trying to find your mom since the day she disappeared."
   "But you don't have any faith in me. Clearly."

   I was lost for words. What could I say?

   "I didn't leave. I came back." I tried to justify myself.
   Devon didn't look phased by my explanation, "Devon. I came back."

   He stared blankly at the table, forcing a smile and a thanks when Mateo laid his pizza on the table.
   "Enjoy amigos!" He smiled and waddled off into the many tables full of people to entertain them with his charm.

   "Oh... ohhh I hadn't noticed." He spat, "Truth is, Aria, what you just said... even your fucking lousy explanation did nothing but highlight to me what a complete and utter selfish brat you are." He got up, "Completely and totally submerged in your tiny, pitiful world. Oh, feel sorry for me, my dad is dead! Ah, yeah, you and a million other people. You think you're indifferent, you aren't, you are just like the rest of us. You are just too fucking BLIND to see that."

   Angry. I was angry. My problems didn't span from my dads death my problems spanned from everything that followed.
   The lies, the betrayal... the suffering I have seen and endured, the world I was thrust into with no explanation... nothing.

   I stood up to meet his eyes, "Devon. I am not some sorry little girl. I understand that you're hurt that I tried to run from you and that I apparently don't trust you... but you dragged me into a world I don't understand and I don't care to understand. I'm scared. I'm so fucking scared."

  His eyes lit up with anger, "I didn't drag you into my world you were born into it when your parents got themselves involved in a bad deal. End of."

   "All I did was take matters into my own hands. That's all I did." My voice was shaky.

   Devon shook his head and swore under his breath, "You... you fucking-" his phone started beeping.

   He looked alarmed as he answered it, his face paled as he listened, the person on the other side sounded frantic. It was Jodi, I could tell by the voice.

   "Be there right away, don't make bad choices." He said simply before dropping the call and running for the door.
   I followed blindly, Reuben was already outside and Devon got in, leaving the door wide open for me.

   I slipped in and sat there in silence by Devon. He put his head close to the glass and whispered a few things to Reuben, who immediately stepped on the gas.

   Something was going on.

   And it wasn't good.

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I really like this chapter heehee.

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