The Deal Taker (Book III)

Chapter Thirteen - Rabbit Hole

                                                                                             Chapter Twelve

                                                                                                 Rabbit Hole

DESPITE WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING our first training night in the woods, we continued to practice for about three nights straight. I guess that's what people do when there's no television. Of course when we would train, I'd get angry, Matthew would be condescending, and we'd end up with me shouting and Matthew deciding I should stop for the night. I don't know why Matthew continued to train me when I was clearly being difficult. I can't help it, I'm always difficult.

When I woke up the next morning, I assumed we would go outside and train some more. But instead of waking up with Matthew's cold breath at the back my ear, I woke up to an empty bed. I sat straight up and looked around the room, puzzled where he might have gone. Every time we've gone to sleep, Matthew has been laying behind me with an arm over me. I have gone nearly a week without nightmares, which is why I haven't shoved him away during the day. But how did he get out of bed without waking me?

I slid out of bed and grabbed a robe the second the chilly air hit my bare legs. The lights were on in bathroom, but I dared not open the door after what had happened a few weeks back. My knuckles tapped against the door while I averted my eyes in case I'd get flashed.

The door opened, thankfully revealing a fully-clothed Matthew. Instead of being dressed in jeans, which has been his main piece of clothing for past few nights, he was dressed in black pants and a white button up shirt with the sleeves partially rolled up. Admittedly, I had liked him in jeans.

"Yes...?" he prompted, his hair slightly damp from a recent shower.

"Are you going somewhere?" I questioned, eyeing his appearance skeptically.

"Actually, we are going somewhere. I'm taking you out to a meal. If you get ready in half an hour, I'll give you a piece of candy."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "What am I, six? I better get at least a handful of candy."

He grinned widely and played with a strand of my hair on my shoulder. "Fine. If you get ready in half an hour, I'll give you a handful of candy. Wear something somewhat nice, though I haven't been to the place before."

I sighed and shuffled towards the closet, snatching the first thing my hand touched and walked past Matthew and into the bathroom. Matthew gave a skeptical look before leaving me alone in the bathroom. I didn't shower, mostly because I was too cold to fully strip down as well as too lazy to, and instead sprayed a bit of dry shampoo in my hair and gave a few squirts of perfume on my clothes. The outfit I had chosen at random was a black dress with long sleeves and a V-neck. Not my style, but at least it wasn't floor-length. I only put on some black eyeliner and mascara, sticking to how I used to put on makeup that looked a bit rougher as opposed to the glamour look people have been painting on my face. I gave a few swipes of the brush through my hair before calling that decent and pulling on a pair of black boots.

Matthew was waiting by the door when I ascended the stairs, an eyebrow raised in what seemed to be surprise.

"It took me fifteen minutes. That deserves double the amount," I asserted with a cheeky grin.

"I am rather impressed. But I don't actually have candy. I lied."

My smile dropped and I jabbed a finger at him. "You lying son of—"