Loving the Innocent Criminal

Chapter 4 Vaulter

It took her four days to finally respond to my text message. The one that I sent after my fight. We had celebrated my win in Jake’s place – and my mind was occupied with my encounter with Angelic in the locker room. Not that she’s been in my head for years. This time around, it felt more intense, intimate, and rough.

Angelic:

Did you get info?

My jaw clenched with her message. Yeah, what can I expect? This is all about her boyfriend after all. For the sake of him. Damn it.

Me:

I’ll tell you when we meet.

It doesn’t take three seconds for my cellphone to beep. I’m in class right now, and it’s too tempting not to grab and compose a message to her. Our history teacher was boring and I didn’t give a s**t about laws and world wars that happened in the past.

Angelic:

Just tell me on the phone.

Me:

In case you forget what I’ve said, I will tell you the facts. You take me to a good dining restaurant.

A smile crept up my face. The last sentence was just an excuse, and she must’ve known it. Yet, when she responded to me, I almost threw my phone across the blackboard our history teacher was writing on.

Angelic:

Okay

I slid my phone into the back of my pants and concentrated on studying. The bell rings, signifying that it’s the end of the period, and I grab my backpack as fast as I can and run towards the door.

I even shoved someone and muttered apologies and ran like a tractor. Jake’s annoying face found my mind in the hallway, and he slid his backpack on his shoulder, his other hand found my shoulders. “We’re having this party tonight at The Barbs. I heard Monica’s there.”

“Have fun, then.” I patted his back. He c****d an eyebrow. “You’re not coming tonight?” he asked, squinting his eyes at me. I sighed. “I have something to do.” I had to dig out facts about this Vaulter thing Angelic told me about. Maybe I couldn’t wait to have our dinner – or maybe I couldn’t wait to f*****g see her face again and inhale her sweet scent. God, I’m possessed by, if not a devil, a devilish angel.

“And what’s more important than Monica’s boobs?” Jake raised an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms on his chest, and stopped walking. We are now facing each other as students pass by.

I chuckled. “I’m serious. I’m not free tonight.”

“Dude, it’s Monica Fidger!” I almost punched and wiped the desperation on his face when he yelled. Monica Fidger is one of the women he’s been eyeing – or, let’s just make it simple, he’s been wanting to have s*x with. With me at his side, the bastard thinks I can lure the two out. Monica is part of our frat, yet she isn’t the type of girl who lunges herself at us. She’s… difficult to say yes to any other guys.

“So what?” I said, tightening the hold of my backpack strip and walking out from him. “Wait! Wait! Fine!” Jake said and grabbed my arms. I shoved him when he touched me. “Dude, what?”

He seemed desperate. “Where are you going, then? Tonight? If you’re not free.”

“It’s private.”

“Uh-huh. And I’m your best friend,” he smirked.

I sighed in defeat. “Do you want to come with me?”

“If it’s better than Monica’s boobs and hell-bent body, then why not?” Jake has this playful smirk. And I restrained myself not to tell him about it because I couldn’t wait to see the frustrated and regretful look on his face.

Once we get there, of course. We will see.

“What the f**k?” Jake muttered as soon as we saw the signage at Coach Tim’s gym. “You’re what? Practicing? Dude, you don’t have a fight!”

“Who says I came here to ask for sparring?”

“Then why, oh why, Lacoste! Damn it! I should’ve known it.”

We went inside and I laughed mockingly at Jake’s frustrated sighs as I talked to Coach Tim. I asked him about the Vaulter thing. And he told me things that made me grin. One, Angelic is right. It’s an illegal street car race to be held three months from now and looking at Coach Tim’s furrowed eyebrows, he is dying to know why I asked about it.

He was just waiting for the chance.

“Why?” he asked me. “Are you interested in joining, Owen? It’s not your style. You don’t own a racing car. Plus, this type of sport is for the bored and thrilled rich men.”

“I don’t have plans on participating, Coach,” was all I said during our talk.

He told me that being worth half a million bucks was the grand prize of this. But hearing him talk about old money boys participating in this event, I know it’s not about the prize or the money they want. They want the anticipation, thrill, and recognition of the crowd once they win. It’s all they want in the end. Satisfaction.

Two, I have a bad feeling about this. These guys are wasting so much money on putting the innocent at risk. I found out that it would happen on a public road. The racing, I mean. What if they bump into someone on the road? And to think that the participants are mostly minors. Damn.

Angelic:

Are you in your house?

Before I could type a reply, I read another message from her.

Angelic:

In your apartment, I mean. It’s on the second floor, right?

My brows furrowed, remembering what one of the women I came home drunk that time told Angelic. Yeah, she told her about our apartment. Why is she asking me about this?

Me:

Yes. Why?

Angelic:

Great

My stomach tied into knots. “Here we go with that f*****g emoji again,” I whispered to myself. My mother hushed me when she heard it. I was in our kitchen, drinking a glass of water while staring deeply at the broken screen of my phone.

“What’s wrong, son?” she asked, tugging baby Emily to the curb nice and clean.

“Nothing, mom.”

“Okay. I’m going out after a few minutes. Watch Emily for me?”

“Sure,” I gulped the last three drops of water. “Where are you going?”

“At Murrymart. Groceries.”

I nodded and went to baby Emily. “Okay,” I answered to her.

“If Janine asked for me, you know what to do.”

Again, I nodded. Janine is the landlady of the apartment, and she had been patient with us for the delayed payments. She will understand, hopefully. And if she insists, I have money in my pocket. I’ll just tell her then not to tell my mother that I paid the rent.

I heard the lock and unlocking of the door as I was busy myself, playing with baby Emily on the curb when I heard sounds coming from the door again. “Why did you go back, mom?” I yelled, still not turning my back, and when I noticed no one grabbed, immediately, I grab the swiss knife from the back of my boots and slid it under my sleeves.

Slowly, I walked towards the door and gasped when I saw a smiling Angelic at my doorstep. She was smiling ear to ear, as if she just hadn't had a heart attack, and showed me the plastic bags in her hands.

“What the f**k?” was the first thing I said.

Her smile curled down, and she shot me dagger eyes. “That’s how you greet your guests in your household?” she said and reluctance in her eyes, she took a step forward and closed the door. I was too stunned to speak. She is here. In my house. What the hell?

And she brings grocery bags as if it was casual to do when, in fact, it weirded me out.

“So, this is your house, huh?” she whispered, more to herself, and gazed around our small and humble abode.

Before she could take a step again, I grabbed her wrist, making her plastic bags fall on the wooden floor. It creaks. “Answer me, Angelic. What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I want info about the Vaulter.”

“Yes,” I sighed, “and you seem to be forgetful these days. I told you we'd have dinner, and I suppose you are smart enough to conclude I want it outside. Definitely not in my house, Angelic.”

“I’m making you dinner. We met at your house. That is the plan, Owen.” The firmness and demanding voice didn’t slip off in my ears. I mustered a playful grin. “Well, that is your plan. Not mine. I’ll let you know when a little girl commands me.”

“Excuse me? Did you just call me a little girl?”

I smirked. “You heard me. Don’t make me repeat it twice.”

“Am I welcome or very unwelcomed?” She pulled back her wrist from my tight grip, and I saw her irritated face. Fine, I might be an asshole, and I don’t want her to know.

“Welcome, princess. I’m sorry if my apartment doesn’t reach your standards.” I even gestured my hand in front of her like she was my Her Highness.

“Thank you, Owen. I appreciate the kindness. Now, will you please?” I couldn’t believe she bat her eyelashes at me. I looked away and clenched my jaw. f**k. She really is stubborn. What can I expect?

Grabbing the grocery bags from her hand, I walked towards the kitchen and put them on our countertop. Sighing, I leaned on the sink and crossed my arms on my chest, gawking at her.

Angelic is wearing a white cap top and short shorts that made my mind haywire. Maybe they have this custom in their family because she grabs a pair of slippers and slips them on, her shoes on our shoe rack as she puts them orderly, and just the sight of her walking casually around my house makes my heart beat insane.

“You have a nice apartment,” she complimented. If I hadn’t known her, I would say thanks, but unfortunately, I knew her status, her family, and how small and, and, whatever her other friend I forgot her name, may call our house when she’s with her right now. I knew it was nothing compared to Patterson’s mansion.

“It’s clean and tidy.” She smiled at me. I looked away again. That’s not going to divert your attention away, Angelic. “Why do you think meeting here in my house seems to be the best option, Angelic?”

It didn’t slip into my eyes how she gasped when I pronounced her name. I raised an eyebrow because of the small movement. When she didn’t respond and continued to gaze at the boring and simple style of our house, I let out a mocking laugh. “Oh, I get it now,” I whispered.

Then, I stood straight and walked towards her. She stepped backward, her eyes widening a fraction, and tipped her head at the side, mocking me. “Tell me,” I whispered in a husky voice, my hand trying to touch her chin and yet she looked away, but that didn’t stop me from pushing the strand of her hair. “You think meeting here in my place is the best option so no one would know, right?” I asked in a hush voice, because if she says yes about my accusation, I know for sure it will sting my heart.

And God, did she ever make me feel that way without uttering a word? Just by looking at the expression on her face, I knew that was the reason.

“You don’t have to answer,” I said in a cold voice and stepped back.

She heaved a deep sigh after that. I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Water? You seem parched.”

“Y-Yes please…”

I grab a plastic bottle and casually throw it at her. She caught it and it almost slipped into her hand, before getting her lips to the tip of her bottle. “Thanks,” she answered, and returned the cap.

“You’re right,” she said after a couple of silence and staring contest. “I don’t want someone to know about this. Do you understand?” She thought I would squirm to the edge when she used that commanding voice of hers, yet it didn’t even affect me a little.

I smirked. “You seemed to plan this all.” I gazed at the grocery bags on the countertop, which, for all I know, she’s going to make dinner for me? “You go ahead, then,” I said and disappeared in front of her.

I went to see baby Emily and played with her. She does not usually cry when someone holds her in her arms, but she does when I hold her. In front of Angelic, where she was staring at her.

The sound of the baby’s cry serves as our music as Angelic was preparing the ingredients. She seemed distracted by it and, with a grim look on her face, she appeared in front of me.

I was still trying to hush baby Emily when she opened her arms. Wide. “Are you trying to choke her, Owen?” she asked, with a voice of utter sarcasm. “Give me the baby.”

I stepped back. “No,” I said, dismissively.

“You don’t know how to hold the baby. Are you really her father?” she chuckled. I c****d an eyebrow. So she thinks this is my child, huh? Amusement crawled on my face as I tried to give baby Emily in her arms. She smiled afterwards when she had her, and I froze in my place at how well she was handling a baby, like she was made to do it.

Damn it.

I uttered a cuss inside of my head because my mind was having more and deeper thoughts while watching Angelic carry baby Emily without sweating. Just by that, baby Emily hushed up and stopped crying.

She has this proud smirk when our gaze lock. “See? You just hold her gently and do not squeeze her arms!”

“Fine. Fine,” I said in defeat and stared at the two.

She smiled and looked at me. “What’s her name?”

“Emily.”

“So it’s a girl, huh? Where’s mother?”

“My mother went out to Murrymart.”

She stilled, but recovered instantly. “I didn’t ask for your mother, Owen.”

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

“I asked where’s your wife, or g-girlfriend…” she stuttered the last words. I was enjoying how she was trying not to hurt my ego and carefully built the construction of her words to ask for confirmation if the baby she was holding was mine or not.

“I do have a lot of girlfriends. Can’t tell who.”

Her eyes grew big and I knew the moment her head shook that she judged me so easily. “Anyway, isn’t she beautiful?” I asked softly, and we’re both looking at baby Emily now.

“Yeah…but she doesn’t seem to look like you. Maybe her mother’s.”

I laughed inwardly when she glanced at me. “Your girl must be beautiful, too.” Just say girlfriend, Angelic.

We saw how baby Emily yawned, and Angelic put her back on the curb gently like she was a vase, vulnerable and easy to break, and she walked out from there casually to finish the dinner she was preparing.

I couldn’t take all of these. Her being in my house, tucking my younger sister, and her scent. God, her scent intoxicates my system. I’m getting used to it. She looks like she’s going to be a decent and sweet wife. Looking at her back, and the way she tasted the dish she was cooking, my stomach churns. I couldn’t help it. She doesn’t smell good, either. What she cooks or makes, she makes so delicious.

I wonder how she does all of these. How she tucked the baby, cooks dinner for her soon-to-be-husband. She is groomed to do all of these. Trained to be one. Docile enough, yet the way she was showing her character made me feel the complete opposite.

She doesn’t want to get tamed.

She wants to be the one who will tame someone.

My thoughts were getting deeper while I looked at how she swayed her back, it was a rhythm while she was probably hymning a song in her head. Her hair dances as she easily maneuvered the plates, utensils, and the kitchen wares.

She’s going to f*****g warm the bed of her husband, too. Make a good little wife who knows nothing but household chores, tucking dozens of little babies into bed, listening to an old opera she has played maybe hundreds of times since she was a child, and f*****g her husband again in the morning.

The image of Angelic and her boyfriend, Zachary, appears in my mind. And I shake my head to stop the bullshit. I know it’s only going to make me bad. I went to Angelic and stood in front of her. Pressing my chest at the small of her back, I tried to grab the spoon and taste the dish she was cooking.

“O-Owen, what are you doing?” she gasped. Don’t f*****g give me that reaction. I ignored her and shook my head. “It tastes f*****g bad, Angelic. Are you sure you know how to cook? You seemed proud and confident a while ago.”

She doesn’t need to turn around to let me know her reaction. I could picture her furrowing her eyebrows and clenching her teeth in annoyance. Instead, she heaved a deep sigh and said, “If you don’t like it, I can make a new one.”

It’s my turn to freeze in my place. She will?

Shaking my head, I sighed and tasted it the second time, but I knew I was only going to make an excuse. “Give me the iodized salt.”

“You have iodized salt? I’ve only seen rock salt.” f**k. If we’re together, I would smack her ass as a punishment. Her ass cheek is practically groping and riding my d**k in between the thin fabric of my pants.

“Yes.” I cleared my throat. But I didn’t step back from my place even though I could feel the tension and her being uncomfortable in our position. I caged her more in my arms, and she looked like a bird in my arms. She didn’t either slap or shove me. That relieves me, though.

“You okay there, princess?” I whispered in her ears. I couldn’t help but to feel the sensitive nub of her ears and suck it. She gasped, and this time around, she shoved me away. I expected a slap, but nothing came afterwards.

“L-Let’s eat…” she stuttered and tucked the strand of her hair. I let out a sinister and baritone laugh. She raised an eyebrow, probably wondering what my reaction was.

Before she could walk out of my sight, I caught her wrist. She looked down before locking her stares at me. “What?” she asked.

I nodded at baby Emily’s curb and sighed. “She’s not my child, Angelic.”

“I wasn’t asking, Owen.”

“You were indirectly asking me.”

“So, what about it?”

“For Pete’s sake, she was my younger sister. Not blood-related though.” I looked away after I said the last three words. Her doe-eyes widened in shock, and I saw her swallowing a lump in her throat. “Oh, I didn’t know…”