Chapter Six

It was the morning after that weird party, Austin ordered us pizza where he would avoid any question I would ask about the party. If he was trying to be inconspicuous about the whole thing, he wasn't doing a great job by avoiding my questions. I don't know why but before Austin literally made us flee the scene, something was still standing out to me. Now I'm not one to categorise someone, but no one at that party last night looked like the type of people who would lay under cars all day and fix them. Again I know people can dress up and make themselves look totally different, but it wasn't just that. The type of cars these people were driving! Now I admit, I'm not someone that's into cars or knows anything about them, but these cars looked expensive! I would have to save money for my entire life to afford to buy ones like that, I don't think they'd be able to buy those cars on their salaries. But it's not only what those people looked like or the cars they were driving, but they way everyone were acting around each other. I just couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that I felt around the place, it's like those men on the balcony where looking over the party like it was some kind of play. That's all that was going around my head last night, what kind of stuff is Austin involved in? I was now getting ready for the day, it was Saturday which meant I had a day off. I was sat doing my makeup while on FaceTime with Roman, who was laying in bed in his hotel room. He's in America right now, so the time differences are huge! "Do you think the company are going to invest" I ask looking into the mirror making sure I blended my foundation correctly, there's been times when I made it look awful. "I'm not too sure about those guys, the vibe I was getting from the meeting room was rather hostile" he sighs pulling the blanket up higher, I send him a little smile before looking back into the mirror. "Enough talking about me, how's everything going with you and Austin alone, the apartment isn't destroyed yet?" He asks with a smile, I roll my eyes but my mind soon goes to the event that happened last night, one I obviously couldn't tell him about. "Just the normal, Austin and I have actually been getting on" I smile getting ready to do my eye makeup, Austin and I are definitely getting on. "I knew you two would one day, you just needed me out of the picture to see what great people you both are" he smiles as my bedroom door knocks, knowing it's only going to be Austin I tell him he can come in. "Just the man I was talking about!" Roman exclaims as Austin appears at my bedroom door, who looked majorly taken back to see Roman's face again. "Hey Rom, what's up man?" He asks walking into the room and sitting down on my bed, I was hoping Roman wouldn't pick up on the change in Austin's mood, I definitely was! "Works been crazy down here, which is why I haven't been able to ring until now" Roman tells him as I look around for my mascara, I somehow always manage to loose that in all my makeup things. "Payton's been telling me how you and her have finally started getting on, it took you guys long enough" Roman laughs while I take a slight look to Austin, he was sending me the same look. "Yeah, Payton's really helped me these last few days" he smiles while I begin to pack all my makeup away, I hate lying to Roman but I also know first hand how he'll react if he finds out. "Anyway guys I better get going, I have to wake up early to make it in time for another meeting" Roman says getting comfy in bed as he went, it's like 2am where is he right now. "I'll ring again when I get the chance, you never know at the rate you two are going, maybe you'll be best friends by the time I ring" he laughs which I have to put a fake smile on, some people think we're more than that at the minute. "Wouldn't that be something, I'll see you round man" Austin smiles waving his arm as he went, I send Roman a wave before hanging up. The room was silent for a few seconds, it was all well and good acting like a couple with Roman somewhere off. But when he's clearly in front of our faces asking what we've been doing, it's much harder for us to pretend. "He seems like he's doing alright" Austin says breaking the long silence we had going on, I turn to face him where he still sat in the same spot. "I don't like lying to him" I sigh getting up to put my makeup bag away, I wanted just to blurt out where Austin and I were last night to get it over with. "I don't like to either but we can't tell him, we both know how that guy reacts when any guy goes near you, he wouldn't trust me again!" He exclaims standing up from the bed, while I close the draw. "You really helped me out yesterday Payton, Markus rang me after and said how amazing you were and told me I've got the promotion, none of that would have happened if you didn't lie" he says with a smile as I turn around, I guess that was the reason for me going there in the first place. "I do have a question, so Markus is your boss with the mechanic work that you do right?" I ask crossing my arms as I spoke, Austin's expression changes when he first hears the question but soon covers that up with the nod of the head. "Why was the event so weird and sophisticated then, I don't know what type of money you can make from fixing peoples cars, but from the amount of money that was spent on that event and the type of clothes and jewellery that man was wearing, it's obviously a lot" I say hoping he would slip up and accidentally tell me what he's been hiding, there was a point where I thought he was going to but quickly covers it up. "Markus is a huge entrepreneur, he doesn't just have his hands in the car business which is why that party was so huge, his employees from all his businesses were there" he quickly says walking towards the bedroom door, but I could just tell he wasn't being at all honest with me. "Talking of work, I have some things I need to sort out back at the garage" he says walking out of the door but that didn't make sense, as I said before I'm off today because it's Saturday. "But it's Saturday, you don't work on Saturdays" I shout walking towards the door where I spot him putting his coat on, in quite a rush might I add. "Yeah but I've just got some things that need straightening out, I'll be back later" he smiles opening up the door and walking out before I could say another word, where I stand there stunned. He's definitely hiding something. It was a few hours since Austin left, I was in the kitchen making something up for lunch with the radio playing in the background. I don't normally listen to the radio, but my phone was charging in my bedroom and I couldn't be bothered to walk through and grab it. Roman for some reason had an old fashioned radio in the kitchen, which surprisingly still worked! I cut up the peppers I was cutting while doing a little dance, I haven't heard these songs in years so it was giving me such nostalgic memories as I danced along. The song went off as the presenter starts to talk, which does stop my little dance I was doing. "Maybe I should have let you impress my boss with your dance moves" Austin's voice says from behind which does make me jump out of my skin, I turn my head to see him leaning against the counter with his arms crossed smiling. "Just because I enjoy to live in the moment while you're hung up on the world's problems, don't come for my happiness" I smile before turning around to cut the peppers but couldn't help but feel a tad embarrassed, I wouldn't have danced like that if I knew he was gonna turn up. "Did you deal with whatever you needed to at work?" I ask as he reaches over and takes a slice of pepper from my cutting board, I slap his hand away which causes him to laugh placing the pepper in his mouth. "Yeah it's sorted with for now" he says chewing the piece of pepper as the radios news comes on, which was louder than the advertisements that were playing. "Our top story today is the shooting that happened at Greys mansion late last night, a company was having a party when twenty men burst in and start firing at everyone" the man says which immediately makes my heart sink, I take a look to Austin who was worriedly looking back at me. "Sixty people have lost their lives with over a hundred injured, which makes it the worst shooting in ten years in this town, the police aren't giving many updates but are working diligently to catch the shooters, more reports soon" the man says as I drop the knife on the cutting board, I move backwards slightly looking at Austin as I went. "Payton" he says jumping down from the counter while I hold my finger up at him, I needed to somehow wrap my head around what I just learnt, him talking in my ear isn't going to help me. "I'm gonna ask you some questions and you're gonna reply with yes or no" I calmly tell him pointing a little, he goes to speak but I give him a look where he soon nods. 'Is the place that got shot up the same place we went last night?" I ask him where he sighs looking down slightly. 'Yes" he answers but I could tell it's something he didn't want to admit to. 'Were the three blacks cars that raced passed us when we left, carrying the shooters?" I ask looking over at him but I think I already knew the answer. 'Yes" he replies simply while looking over at me worriedly still, I think he knew I was piecing all of this together. 'Final question, did you have any part to play in the shooting where all those people were killed?" I ask feeling tears wanting to prick my eyes as I asked that question, I was there minutes before it all happened. 'No of course I'm not, please Payton" he says while I turn around and head towards my bedroom. 'Please you need to let me explain!" He shouts as I make it to my bedroom where I slam the door behind me, which told him I didn't need him walking in and talking to me right now. I sit on my bed just staring off at the ceiling as tears escaping my eyes and fell onto my hand. I wish Roman was here.