Zenon's Game Chapter 308

"Without my car you mean," I joked as we walked towards a building.

We were not far from the playground I had been to last time I came to Alpine. I could barely make out the basketball court in the distance.

I stared up at the tall concrete building overhead and the block of apartments that every inhabitant had made their own. There was laundry on a lot of the balconies and some nice flowerpots.

Jake led the way, taking the stairs. I watched him easily run up and realized that it must be a family thing. I have never seen Jake work out, but he's athletic. Or maybe I'm just... not.

"J- jake," I wheezed, calling out to him.

He stopped his easy run up and looked down at me, a couple flights below.

"You're going to need to slow down there," I said, leaning heavily on the rails to drag myself up.

I tried keeping up, but who was I kidding?

"Do you want me to carry you?" he offered, walking down a couple steps.

"No!" I immediately reacted, before trying to soften the decline, "No, thanks."

We were here on a mission and not to do anything that would make Zenon uncomfortable.

"Fine," Jake answered, "I just hope it'll still be here by the time you arrive."

After one or two breaks, I finally arrived. We walked alongside each other, with apartment doors lined our right-hand side and a concrete balcony on our left.

The walls were so thin that we could hear the sounds of TV or conversations taking place in the apartments we passed. Finally, we stopped at one and Jake knocked on it.

I stood behind him and peered out over the concrete balcony. A group of kids on bikes were hanging out downstairs and, further away, an old man was exercising in a tracksuit.

I heard Jake talk to someone. As I turned around, I noticed an extremely good-looking couple step off the staircase and onto our level. The guy was tall and had a muscular build. He was wearing jeans and a zip up jersey; one hand carrying a plastic bag of groceries.

And I recognized him immediately. Christopher Hayes.

He was walking beside a girl who he was talking to in soft tones. She was tall as well with an olive green shirt, black jeans and a black jacket. She walked past and our eyes caught. A look of realization came across her face and, as they walked past, she turned her head round, her brown hair flowing back.

What was Lara doing here?

I rubbed my eyes like it was a dream. Last time I saw her, she was getting on a yacht in Dubai. Now she was here with Layton Hayes.

What was going on?

~Zenon's POV~

"I gave you the information for a f*cking reason. Come back with a name or don't come back at all," I spoke loudly into the phone, in case he had trouble hearing me the first time.

I hung up and chucked my phone onto the couch. If Candace wasn't calling me back, what do I need this phone for anyway?

I've never trusted watermelon head and now she's off the radar with him.

F*cking assh*le.

My last text to him conveyed my sentiment exactly.

"Come back with a name or don't come back at all?" Axel repeated my last words, "Don't you feel like that's a bit dramatic, Zenon? The poor boy goes to our high school. He'll run into you sometime."

"Don't play, Axel. We are so close to solving this and I am not taking any slack."

"Because of what Julia said? Have you told Candace about any of this?"

"I would've," I said, sitting down at a chair next to Axel, "But we got distracted yesterday."

I let Axel interpret that how he wanted to. I'll tell Candace as soon as I see her.

We've gone through some very rocky times recently and I don't know what to think about it anymore. Our relationship had me questioning my own identity and it was giving me a serious mind f*ck.

I've never talked about my feelings as much as I have with her. And I don't love it. It's overthinking.

"I was going to tell her today, but Jake decided to take her on a field trip." He better not be leading her into his own mess.

I can't remember the last time I've been angry for so long. Frustrated. I want to end this drama so we can move on. And I'm close.

I can basically smell that weak, sick blackmailer who's too afraid to show his face. I'll smoke him out.

And what happens after that? So many arguments, so many actions revolved around the blackmailer. Where do we stand when the dust settles?

"What if Candace is the blackmailer?" Axel asked, inhaling the end of his joint.

I gave him a look. He's high.

Axel exhaled, blowing out smoke, "Have you asked her? I mean, she put up all those posters of herself, which I still don't understand, so maybe-"

"When you sober up, we'll talk about it."

"Ok, we'll talk about it," he nodded repeatedly, "We'll talk, but do you two talk? You're spiralling, man."

I didn't want him to analyze me. "I'm just trying to help her. No one helps her. I've never seen someone more alone."

"You sure you don't have it twisted?" Axel asked and I watched the red tip of the blunt light up again, "I think she's been helping you. You were lost long before her."

~Zenon's POV~

I was waiting for a watermelon head to come back with my girlfriend. I was also waiting on a phone call that would give me the name of the blackmailer.

I hate waiting.

I've never been good at it.

Axel exhaled in a puff of smoke, "Why is Bianca sending me basketball emojis?"