Caught In The Middle

I'll think of something

Reese returned home to find Cory’s pickup truck parked out front. As he drove his car into his reserved slot he saw Cory get out and walk up to him.

“Why are you here again, this is becoming a habit I don’t like.” Reese asked him with a surly tone.

“How is she?” Cory asked, instead of answering.

Reese clucked his tongue while locking his car. “You better come inside I guess.”

Cory grinned and followed Reese through the entrance security gate and into the communal pool area, around the pool to his own apartment and he unlocked the large slider that was his informal front door. There was a formal front door down a path on the other side of the complex from the street but he never used it and neither did his friends.

Cory noticed there were two guys already lounging by the pool and one of the other residents was looking out their windows at them with a sour look on their face. Reese did a head flick to acknowledge the guys as they both greeted him, standing up.

“How do you get away with your friends letting themselves into the complex?” Cory asked.

Reese looked up and saw the resident looking, they ducked quickly behind the curtain. “What are they going to do? I’ve offered to help them move.”

Cory chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re an ass.”

“Don’t pretend to be anything else…” Reese shrugged as he went inside and dropped his jacket and bag. “Besides those two out there are my security.”

“Oh…” Cory replied, looking back to see them both watching him.

Reese saw Cory’s discomfort. “Don’t worry about them, you arrived with me, but don’t make a habit of these visits…want a beer?” Reese went to the fridge and grabbed a can holding it up. He hated Cory coming over, anyone could see him and start associating him to the gang, and that was one thing Reese did not want happening.

“Yeah, alright…” Cory said and Reese threw the can at him. He caught it and his mouth twisted. “Thanks, now it’s going to froth up.”

“Good catch though.” Reese chuckled.

“Did you think I wouldn’t catch it?” Cory asked a little offended.

“Nah…” Reese grinned and collapsed down into a comfy armchair, opening his beer and taking a swig from it as Cory followed suit, tapping the bottom of the can to dispel the gas before opening it and sucking off the froth that bubbled up.

“Quinn is Antonio Ferrante’s sister.” Reese muttered quietly.

“What the f**k!”

“I’m not sure why she has a different last name but it seems they are keeping her tightly controlled and off the radar.”

“Smart…”

Reese’s expression was tight. “He keeps tabs on her, cameras at her place, probably tracks her phone too…so if you want to keep this competition going we’re going to have to get smarter.”

“Do you really think it wise to keep playing with the sister of Antonio Ferrante? Not to mention that means she must be daughter of Augusto…”

“That doesn’t bother me.” Reese smirked before taking another swig from his can.

“It should…” Cory stated a little disturbed by Reese’s lax attitude towards someone so notoriously dangerous and psychotic.

“Maybe I’ll just go to Augusto and get his permission to date his daughter…it could be a great peace alliance.”

“You would go that far?” Cory was stunned. “You’d be forced to marry her!”

“I don’t know about that…the Ferrantes are traditionalists, but Quinn is not some virgin mary and she’s already said she has a boyfriend…” Reese sat up in realization. “Wait! It may be she’s already been promised to someone…”

“An arranged marriage, seriously?”

“She said she was taken and when I asked if that meant she had a boyfriend she said ‘not in so many words’. I asked her what that meant but she wouldn’t elaborate…it makes sense, Antonio’s over protectiveness, making sure she’s not hanging around any strange guys.” He frowned darkly. “Maybe her virginity is being protected…” Did she lie to avoid more questions?

“f**k…that’s not cool.”

“Yeah, she’s petrified of Antonio.”

“With good reason I would say…” Cory huffed. “I don’t know much about him but Dad’s reaction in telling me to keep well away from Zortex and the Ferrantes is enough to know how dangerous they are…maybe we should drop this competition and leave her be.”

Reese sucked on his teeth. “Something still doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, it’s just a weird vibe I got seeing Antonio yesterday when he turned up to get Quinn’s car towed and talk to the Chancellor and the way she was acting just now.” The way she hides her hands in her sleeves all the time…

Cory could see on Reese’s face he was deeply troubled. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

Reese’s eyes lifted to Cory, looking at him from under that black fringe, pale gold and intense. “Nah, I don’t think I can.”

Cory smirked. “She’s really got under your skin, huh? Reese the impregnable is falling in love!”

Reese’s expression darkened. “Don’t be a cock.”

“Be honest…look at you, I’ve never seen you so caught up in feelings over a girl before.”

Reese’s darkened gaze heated slightly. “No, only by a boy…”

Cory coughed and spluttered, his cheeks reddening. “Cut it out…”

Reese tilted his head and gave a cocky grin. “So are you going to back off and let me have her then?”

“Not on your f*****g life…I’m all up in those feels too, you know…I’m completely besotted by her. I find myself wondering constantly what she’s up to, how she’s doing…” Cory sighed and rubbed his face. “Damn…I hate this.”

Reese looked away with a grimace. “f**k’s sake.”

Cory grinned. “Who would have thought we would both catch feels for the same girl, huh?”

“I’m not going to fight you for her…I know she likes me.”

“I’m sure she likes me too…”

Reese glared at Cory as Cory rubbed his cheek with concern.

“We need to get her to a party or something. Somewhere we can both approach her properly in a situation surrounded by people making out.” Reese muttered darkly.

“Get her in the mood and see which one of us she kisses?” Cory chuckled. “Yeah, maybe…but how if you say her brother controls her movements?”

Reese tapped his fingers on his beer can, deep in thought. “I’ll think of something.”