Chapter 10: Court Order

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm croissants lingered in the suite, the breakfast Capri had just ordered. She sat at the dining table in just a white robe, her hair tamed in a messy bun. Her eyes were fixed on her phone's screen, thumb scrolling through her Instagram feed, but her mind wasn't paying attention to the posts and updates.

It had been a long night. Caden had come back to the suite well past midnight after disappearing the whole day and night before, completely drunk. She had barely registered his presence and she had been too tired mentally to say anything to him.

Now here she was, alone in the quiet of the morning. Even though she was awake, her mind kept circling back to Chyler. Their time at the park, their conversation, Chyler running away for some reason not just about the text she had gotten.

Capri frowned. Was it too late to salvage what could have been of them, had she not chosen a different path?

Footsteps shuffled behind her, dragging her from her thoughts. Caden emerged from the bedroom with a groan, his face the picture of a person suffering under a brutal hangover. His shirt was half open, his hair messy, and eyes just... tired. He stumbled toward the table, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Capri didn't look up. She continued to scroll, pretending there was no awkwardness looming over them like a suffocating cloud.

"God, I feel like I've been run over by a truck," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. The stench of stale alcohol still hang around him.

"That's what you get when you drink for two nights and a day straight," she said without looking up, her tone that of someone who meant to say, 'serves you right.'

The next sound she heard was a knock at the door. Caden groaned again, his face tightening with frustration as he shuffled over to open it. The moment the door swung upon z his expression shifted. His body stiffened, a flicker of surprise and irritation crossing his face. Two uniformed officers stood there, faces rock solid.

"Can I help you?" he asked hoarsely.

"Mr Channing?" he asked as he held up an envelope. Caden nodded hesitantly. "This is a court-issued order. You are not to leave the city until further notice."

Caden's eyes darkened as he scanned the letter. "What the hell is this about?"

"It's related to the ongoing investigation about the murders of two of your former classmates. You and Mrs Channing will need to remain available for questioning."

Caden looked at the officers like he could explode. "This is bullshit!" he spat. "I have meetings and appointments to keep. Now you want me to just sit around here and do nothing while you people play detective?"

"It's a court order, Mr Channing. Failure to obey will lead to consequences I don't think you want associated with your image," the officer said. With that, they turned and left.

Caden scoffed and banged the door closed. He threw the letter on the table like it was some piece of trash. "They don't have a right to control a person's life like that. What am I supposed to do about the meeting with my investors?" he huffed.

"Postpone it?" Capri shrugged. "We don't have any other choice here but cooperate with them."

Caden turned to her, his eyes flashing with irritation. "Postpone it?" he barked. "That's a meeting worth millions of dollars! You want me to cancel that and sit here, let them run this little circus?"

"It's not a circus, Caden. Two of our former classmates are dead and not by accident. You should be glad they are taking this seriously."

Caden ran his hands through his hair, his temper flaring. "I don't care about their damn business. I care about mine. My reputation. My future in the corporate industry, what you eat and what you dress in."

Capri didn't respond. She sat back, watching the last of his frustration drain away, leaving a trail of bitterness. She was used to the way he reacted to everything, always fighting with the authority like he was superior, always pushing back the inevitable. He had gotten away with some, but this time he was trapped. And he knew it. It was only wise to let him stew up in the frustration, eventually he would calm down.

"I was thinking about going to my parents' place while we are stuck here," she said casually. "Maybe stay with them for a bit. It's been a while since I did that."

Caden paused, halfway to the bathroom. He turned to her slowly, eyes narrowed. "Your parents? Why the sudden interest in them?"

She shrugged. "I miss them. Maybe I want to be closer to my family right now with all this craziness going on."

Caden scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You think I'm an idiot?" he asked, crossing the room to stand in front of her. "You think I don't know what's really going on here?"

"I don't know, Caden. What do you think is going on?" she asked, starting to get irritated.

"If I remember correctly, it's the same place where your little lesbian friend lived. And seeing as to how she has been stuck here for all these years, she might still be living with her parents," he grinned, like he had just solved a brutal puzzle. "You want to stay closer to her, don't you?"

Capri didn't flinch at his words. She could have denied the allegations easily, but instead, she leaned back in her chair, her gaze steady. "So what if I do?" she asked calmly. "What's wrong with spending time with my friend?"

Caden's jaw clenched. "She is not your friend, Capri. She never was. It was just an excuse to get into your pants and when you rejected her, she hated you!" he spat. "She hates you, Capri! Why don't you just love yourself and get rid of that delusion that she wants you, just to feed your sense of superiority?"

Capri's breath hitched, her chest tightening. She pressed her jaw tightly, her fists clenching. Caden chuckled, his face and voice filled with mockery.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know everything. I know about that kiss in highschool but I also know you are not a dyke like her, Capri."

He made as if to turn but this time, Capri didn't stop her reflex. She grabbed him by his shirt, turning him back around then landed a hot smack on his cheek.

"You bitch!" he spat, soothing his cheek. Capri's face was blaring with anger, the kind she had never showed him that made him hold back a reaction.

"Do not call her that ever again!" she warned, flinging a finger into his face. Caden stared at her, stunned. She stepped back. "I'll be at my parents' if you need me."

"Fine," he said, his face turning different shades of dark. "Do whatever you want but don't you dare do something stupid that will end up ruining my reputation." His voice dropped to a hiss. "Don't dirtify my name over some... nonsense!"

"Yeah. Because your reputation and public image is the only thing you really care about," she said and walked off to the bedroom.

She banged the door closed and leaned against it, her breath hard. Tears stung her eyelids but she fought them hard. She wasn't happy and he didn't understand. At this point she wasn't sure he ever would.

And she was done pretending for him.