Closer

At Kellen's house.

Sienna was out of town. So there was no interference for Vivi and Kellen to have an "alone time" together...

Vivi sat on Kellen’s bright red couch, the soft light from the lamp making the room feel warm and quiet. For a moment, the noise of the city outside seemed to fade away. Kellen’s hand found hers, and she didn’t pull away.

He looked at her, his eyes searching, then slowly leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was slow and soft, like he was trying to hold onto something important. Vivi stayed still, letting the moment stretch longer than she expected.

Suddenly, she pulled back, cheeks burning. “I... I should go,” she said, standing quickly.

Kellen laughed quietly. “Running away already? I thought you wanted to stay.”

Without another word, Vivi grabbed her bag and hurried for the door. The cool night air hit her face as she stepped outside, but she didn’t slow down. She just wanted to get away.

Footsteps followed, quick and steady. Kellen was right behind her.

“Vivi, wait!” he called.

She stopped but didn’t turn. “OMG, no.”

“No way,” Kellen said, catching up.

Before they could say more, a voice called from nearby.

“There you are.”

Mark stepped forward, looking serious.

“Mark? What are you doing here?” Vivi asked.

“Looking for you,” he said. “We need to talk.”

Kellen pulled out his phone and showed her a message from Mark.

"Saw Vincent last night near the old warehouses on Brookside. He wasn’t alone. It looked like he was waiting for someone.”

Vivi frowned. “Vincent again? What’s he up to this time?”

Mark shook his head. “I don’t know. But it can’t be good.”

Kellen’s jaw tightened. “That’s the alley we were at last week, right?”

Mark nodded. “Yeah. If Vincent’s back, he’s planning something.”

Vivi took a deep breath. “Then we have to check it out.”

Mark looked at both of them. “Are you sure? This could be dangerous.”

Kellen stepped forward. “We’re not just going to sit around and wait.”

Vivi nodded firmly. “No more running. We find out what he’s doing.”

Mark hesitated, then said, “Okay. Let’s go.”

They started walking toward the alley. The city was quieter now, the usual noise replaced by the crunch of their footsteps on the cracked pavement.

As they approached the entrance, Kellen turned on his phone’s flashlight. “Stay close.”

Mark scanned the area. “Last time, we didn’t find anything, but this time... it feels different.”

Vivi glanced around. “I don’t like it here. Too many places to hide.”

Kellen kept his eyes sharp. “Keep your phones on. If anything happens, we call for backup.”

Mark pointed ahead. “There. The warehouse windows.”

Vivi squinted. “Looks empty, but someone could be inside.”

Kellen said, “Vincent’s smart. He won’t be obvious.”

Mark spoke up, “We should call him out. Maybe scare him into coming out.”

Kellen nodded. “Vincent! We know you’re here. Show yourself.”

No answer.

Vivi’s voice was steady. “He’s not going to come out just because we say so.”

Mark said, “Then we watch. Wait for him to make the first move.”

Kellen glanced at Vivi. “You ready for this?”

She met his gaze. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The three of them stood there, the night stretching quiet around them...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***