ARCHIVED TWHLAY I:XVIII

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The Way He Looks at You Series

Act I: The Way He Looks at You
Chapter 18: The Way He Changes for You

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Chapter Summary

You try to reconcile with your new life. Cal helps Kaahlii try to find you.
Rating: 18+
Words: 3.3K

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You wake the next morning confused by your surroundings. This room is unfamiliar, and it takes a moment before the memories of yesterday come into focus. You realize the arm wrapped tightly around your waist is not Cal’s. Your heart aches at the knowledge, but you try to remind yourself that you also loved the man behind you. This is something you could try to want again. You might even forget about the brief time where you belonged to an Inquisitor.

Theo wakes as well and you stiffen, not wanting him to know you’re awake. His hand opens wide, cupping your lower stomach, staking a silent claim on your body. He nuzzles into your hair and squeezes you gently.

“Morning.” His voice is gravelly from sleep.

“Morning.” You parrot back softly.

“Did you sleep okay?” He asks, sitting up slightly to look at you.

You turn to lie on your back, looking up at the handsome man, wishing it was someone else. “I did. Thank you for the help with that.”

Theo smiles softly and his eyes trail down to look at your lips before drifting back to your eyes. He leans down, making his move. You freeze, not yet ready for this level of intimacy. The sound of a small chime coming from under the bed saves you.

Theo immediately pulls back, looking around confused. “What was that?”

You glance around, also confused by the sound, then you remember your things are under the bed. You hadn’t heard that sound before and realize that it may be a message from Kaahlii. “Oh! I bought a reading device, it does that sometimes.” You quickly tell the half truth.

Theo furrows his eyebrows and nods, but then he looks concerned again. “From the bookshop owner?”

You feel your stomach turn at the question and whisper, “Yes.”

He sits up entirely. “She helped you try to get rid of me. We can’t take the risk of her knowing that you are hiding here. The Thirteenth Brother surely will start tracking your location soon. It’s too dangerous to keep it. If he finds her, he’ll get the information, then come for you. We have to get rid of it.”

Your body is unsure whether to keep you in panic mode or calm you. Knowing that Cal has a way to find you is soothing to your anxiety. But Theo wants to get rid of your only hope of getting back to him, so the fear spikes again.

“No! I don’t want to get rid of it.” You plead. But Theo is already standing up, climbing out of the bed, then dropping to his knees to search through your things for the reader. You jump up as well, trying to stop him.

Theo pulls out your satchel and opens it with ease, removing the reader. He turns on the screen and you both see a message waiting to be read. He gives you a serious look, and your heart stops as he taps the message open.

Do you like the invention? You have not yet provided a critique of my work. I will await your response.

You look at the message, confused by her words. Kaahlii does not seem forgetful, but her message shows otherwise. You wonder if this message has an underlying meaning attached to it.

“She can send messages to you? This isn’t a good idea. We have to get rid of this device.” Theo powers off the screen.

You snatch it out of his hands, holding it to your chest. “Theo! It is my decision to make. There is no danger. She’s my friend, and she won’t betray my safety.”

Theo sighs heavily. “You would risk the life of our child? Over a piece of tech?”

“Please, it’s not like that.” You say.

“I want to protect you, us, our family. I can’t do that if you don’t help me.” He says.

You hate that in his eyes; he’s right. You can’t exactly explain that you are in love with the man that threatened to potentially kill your baby. Would Theo even let you leave if you told him the truth? He wouldn’t keep you here as a prisoner, right? You're not so sure under these circumstances.

“I understand what you’re saying, and you are right. I really don’t want to get rid of my connection to Kaahlii. Could we compromise?” You ask hopefully.

Theo lets out the breath that he’s been holding. “How so?”

“We don’t know if I’m pregnant or not. What if I keep the reader off until we know? It shouldn’t be traceable if it’s powered off. Then if I’m not pregnant, I don’t lose my friend. Please?” As you finish speaking, you feel a growing tightness in your chest that makes it hard to intake air as you wait for the verdict.

“Okay, we can do that.” Theo says, “Thank you for making the right decision. I’m going to go see if I can find you some new clothes.”

Theo turns awkwardly and pulls a shirt on before heading out the door. The moment you hear his footsteps fade out, you turn on the reader's screen. You need to figure out a way to let Kaahlii know where you are and that you may be stuck here without saying those exact words.

The message takes a few minutes to compose, but you are sure she will understand. Her message already told you she knows that something is wrong. Once you are sure the device sent the message, you power off the reader and wrap it in the dress that Cal gifted you before stuffing it into your satchel.

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I am impatiently watching the Gree woman work after bringing back the tea she requested. The sound of a chime finally breaks the silence and I just about take the datapad from her hands. She gives me a stern look, and I back off a bit, allowing her to piece the tech back together. She rotates the device carefully to check the screen; we read the message standing side by side.

Kaahlii, I am sorry for not keeping my word and forgetting to critique your work. I have so enjoyed reading with a cup of tea at my side. I prefer the herbal kind, as it usually works wonders for my body. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a full review for several more weeks as I have come down with something. If I’m lucky, all the tea I’m drinking will help cure my affliction, and I can let you know my thoughts.

I am so disappointed; I was in such an exciting part of the book, but I suppose I am trapped there until I am well. It’s amazing how words are so effective at moving us to a new location in our minds. Perhaps I should take up writing. I’d love to transport others with my message. I just can not read until I am well again. Until next time.

“She’s sick?” I ask, trying to piece together the bland response. The message doesn’t have any actual information to go off of.

“I don’t think so.” The Gree woman, who I now know is called Kaahlii, says.

“Then what is she saying?” I ask, realizing that I have relied too much on reading her mind and am not very useful in deciphering her actual words.

“In the second part, she is telling us she won’t be able to send messages anymore. I believe she is hoping that we can use her message to track her location.” Kaahlii explains, “Though I’m not sure what the first part means.”

We both look over the tea that sits on the workbench, as if it will become sentient and explain the missing bit of knowledge. I know that we have time to locate her, but I am not happy about spending more time apart. She is with the Jedi, and she loved him. She still could love him. The thought enrages me; she had been doubtful of staying with me. The moment that she admitted to loving me, he came and stole her back, all because he thought I was hunting her.

“I must open my shop soon, though it will prevent me from working on this,” Kaahlii interrupts my thoughts.

“The shop will stay closed then.” I say firmly.

“Impossible.” She responds, drawing herself to her full height, which barely compares to the height of my waist.

“I’ll pay for the lost earnings. The shop stays closed until you finish helping me.” I say, raising my eyebrows as if daring her to go against my word.

I should have known better. She immediately scoffs and walks past me towards the rest of the shop. I follow her. “You dare to ignore my command?”

She walks to the front desk and begins digging for something in the shelving under the counter. I really could be more unpleasant, but something about this woman makes me feel as though doing so would not change the outcome.

Kaahlii finally stands up holding a folded up brown cloth, which she promptly hands to me. I pull away instinctively, not wanting to accept whatever silent negotiation is taking place.

“I will keep working, but you must run my shop. It will not stay closed today. Today is when the locals bring their young children for story time. If I must continue to work, then you must read for the group.” She demands, pushing the fabric into my hands, which I begrudgingly accept.

I hold the offensive item pinched between two fingers and it unfolds towards the floor. It’s a brown apron. I raise my arm slightly to examine the ugly fabric.

“I will do no such thing, and I will not wear whatever this is.” I say, unable to contain my look of disgust.

“Understood, then we’ve agreed that I will read to the children and I will continue my work on the datapad after the shop has closed for the day.” She walks to grab her own much smaller apron off the wall, placing it over her head and tying it around her waist.

“Do you know what my kind does to those that defy us?” I threaten.

She waves me off as she goes to the glass door to unlock it for the day. “Yes, but you want to impress her, and you know it won’t impress her if you hurt me.”

I huff at my obvious defeat. “Fine, I’ll read to children, but I’m not wearing this.” I drop the apron onto the counter.

She hums in response. “You are right. I can’t have you wearing that. You’ll scare the children.”

I am confused for a moment, then glance down at my own clothes, seeing her point. Meanwhile, Kaahlii climbs onto the step-stool that she keeps behind the counter and quickly pulls off a piece of the armor on my shoulders. I immediately back out of her radius.

“Absolutely not!” I hiss, “You cannot strip me of my position for something so trivial.”

She gives me an annoyed look. “Perhaps she should stay with the Jedi. I’m sure he’s more…paternal.”

My face wrinkles at the comparison and I grit my teeth while taking off my armor in defiance of her words. She only watches with vague interest.

“I’ll do what needs to be done.” I retort, allowing my displeasure to sour the words.

Kaahlii claps her hands once. “Wonderful! Then put this on. Story time begins in three hours. You’ll sit over there.” She tosses me the apron and points to a chair in the window.

“I keep a basket of children’s books next to it. Read maybe three or four, depending on how cooperative the group is. You can practice your out loud reading until they arrive, if you’d like. Otherwise, put away these stacks of books while you wait.” She gestures to the large stacks against the wall behind where we are standing. “You’ll have to take payments for books throughout the day. Good luck.”

She walks away and I yell to her before she passes through the shop door, “I don’t need to practice reading out loud!”

She says nothing and the door closes. I feel humiliated, which makes me angry. I haven’t received such treatment since before becoming an Inquisitor. Placing the ridiculous apron over my head, I reach for the first book and try to figure out where it goes amongst the towering shelves.

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I have only just figured out the organizational system of the books when I hear the door open. I glance up, frustrated to be pulled away from the progress I was making, which it turns out, barely got me halfway through the first stack. Throwing the book I was holding onto the counter, I walk towards the sounds. As I round the nearest shelf, I see a young Twi’lek woman holding hands with her daughter, who is toddling around, touching everything in sight.

She smiles when she sees me and pulls her daughter in my direction. The little girl stumbles and twists around, trying to pull her mother towards the nearest bookshelf. “We are here for story time. Sorry we’re so early. It’s our first time here. Where do we go?”

I am taken aback by the lack of fear on the woman’s face; I don’t remember the last time a stranger greeted me with a smile. “Oh, um, we’ll be over there. You can use the pillows in the corner to sit on the ground.” I say awkwardly, pointing her in the right direction.

“Thank you!” The woman says brightly and pulls her babbling daughter along. As they pass, the little girl’s tiny hand grabs at the fabric of my pant leg, staring up at me with enormous eyes.

I have absolutely no idea what to do at this moment, so I wave once and nod at the girl, who giggles, then she looks concerned. I glance up at the mother, looking for her direction.

“Oh sorry! She won’t stop grabbing things.” The woman explains and tries to pry her daughter's hand off my pants.

The little girl is staring at me with the widest eyes I’ve ever seen, like she is waiting for something. Then she sneezes right up into my face just as her mother pries her hand away. I grimace and walk back to the counter to wipe the spray off my face and apron.

A couple more pairs of mothers and their children enter the bookshop. I don’t walk out to greet them, not wanting to risk another awkward encounter with a child. They don’t seem to mind and they make themselves at home in front of the reading chair. There is a low chatter as the women speak to one another. Occasionally, I hear one child scream or knock something over.

I find it oddly soothing. It’s been so long since I’ve been in an environment where children are noisy and people speak freely. It makes me wonder about having a family, what it might be like to have my own children. My children wouldn’t sneeze on a stranger, I’ll be sure of that.

The last mother and her son walk in right as it is time to start the event. I head over to the chair, dreading the awkward interaction of reading children’s books aloud. I nod to the mothers before taking a seat.

The moment I sit, I am provided with an echo. I see her sitting in this same chair, spending the afternoon going to and from the shelves to read the beginning of various books. She is so beautiful as she reads. I want to pull her against me and kiss her deeply. I immediately feel at ease from the memory. It almost feels like we are together again for a moment.

“Hello, um, I’m going to read a few books. Let me know if you have any requests or…okay.” I say, very much unsure how to start this.

I reach down to pull a book at random out of the basket. I read the title aloud, “Uh, The Little Droid…That Could…”

One child lets out an ear-piercing scream and another topples over into his mother’s lap. I feel wildly unprepared to read to this group of four children. I hold the book in front of my face and read, grateful to have a barrier between myself and the audience.

“Excuse me, could you please turn the book so that we can all see the pictures?” One mother interrupts my reading.

I lower the book and look at her, she gestures how she would prefer I hold the book, “Yeah…sorry…” I say slowly and shift in my seat to turn the book to face the children, having to lean awkwardly around to read the words.

I’m only two pages in before the next interruption. The Twi’lek girl yells, “Droy! Droy! Drooooy!”

Her mother shushes her and gives me an apologetic look. “Sorry, she likes the sounds that the droids make. You don’t have to, but if you make beeping sounds for the droid’s part, she’ll calm down.”

I give the woman a horrified look. I will not be doing that. “Right.” I say instead.

The girl continues to chant her version of the word ‘droid’ and I feel a headache coming on after only a few more pages. I take a breath and at the end of the droid’s part I say, “Beep beep” in a half hearted impression of my old droid.

The little girl squeals in delight, and her mother gives me a big smile. A small grin creeps across my face and I read the page, attempting a more bold beeping sequence at the end. The children giggle and scream. I try harder to get a reaction with each sequential page. By the end of the story, the mothers are laughing and the children are bouncing with excitement, beeping alongside me.

I didn’t even realize that I had a smile plastered across my face until my cheeks ached. I relax my expression while I select the next book. This one is a bit more scary and I see an immediate shift in the children. I try to make the story less scary by oohing and aahing at each part. The children relax and lean in close, enthralled with the tale.

I am rather pleased with how this is going and as I attempt to find a good last book, the Twi’lek girl chants the word ‘droy’. The other children join in and I look up at them all in surprise.

“I suppose we can read that one again, if that is what everyone wants?” I say and look at the parents.

The children answer instead by cheering and clapping. We read the first book again and this time I put my whole heart into the performance; it is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. When the story ends there is a round of applause from the mothers and I watch as the littles ones all attempt to clap as well, though their aim is questionable.

I smile at everyone and look up to see that Kaahlii is standing by the front desk, watching us. She is barely masking the look of amusement on her face. I nod once and things wrap up. A few of the children embrace my legs tightly on the way out while the mothers thank me. I feel so warm right now, nothing hurts at this moment.

As the last customers exit the door, Kaahlii follows them and locks it behind them, putting up a sign saying that the shop is closed. She turns to face me, a now serious expression in place. “I’ve got a location.”

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Next Chapter: The Way He Hunts for You