Catching Fox Read online

“Just enjoying the show.” She forced a smile for Matthew and shrugged her shoulders. He seemed a little put off that she wasn’t submitting to his touch; instead she remained angled toward the stage. She made an effort to reinforce her interest in him but it was so hard when every cell in her entire body was pulled toward the stage. Matthew insisted on keeping his arm on her chair possessively and she didn’t dissuade him. She wanted to allow herself this one performance to reconnect with all her old emotions before she had to walk away from him again.

  Song after song played on and Adalynne craved his glances toward her, she wanted to know how he felt about her being in the audience as he looked down at her from the stage. Thoughts of the last time she had seen him flooded her mind. It was after Christmas break in her senior year. Fox had been keeping his distance from her since the night he had come to her room. Molly was keeping her posted on all the school gossip especially anything involving Damon Knight, as he was known to everyone else.

  Adalynne would never admit her feelings toward him to Molly and Brooke, but she knew they had their suspicions. Molly was always sure to tell her when she heard something about him. Adalynne didn’t put much value in the gossip that floated around the school, knowing most of it was probably fictional, but when the rumours persisted that Fox was involved with drug dealings and seen hanging around with people that had criminal records, she began to worry. Her concern only intensified when he showed up less and less to school and eventually stopped coming.

  Late one night after Adalynne had gone to the movies with Molly and Brooke, they were walking down the street chatting about the show. The weather was unseasonably warm and many people were walking the downtown streets enjoying the calm night.

  “Let’s go get a hot chocolate!” Brooke suggested excitedly. “There’s this little place around the corner that has the most amazing hot chocolate ever and they’re open late,” she gushed at Adalynne.

  “Brooke is obsessed with the guy that works there,” Molly explained. “She fails to let the fact that he’s married with children get in the way of her fantasy of him sweeping her off her feet one day.”

  “A girl can dream, can’t she?” Brooke sighed with a dreamy smile on her face.

  The sound of sirens rang through the night, drawing their attention. A few figures with dark clothing ran around the corner, fleeing the pursuing officers. Adalynne and the girls didn’t have time to move before the two dressed in black collided into their path. The first crashed into Molly, she yelled her displeasure at him as he kept going past her, making her almost fall from the impact. The second tried to maneuver around the girls but faltered slightly when he looked at them. Adalynne stumbled backward when he came to an abrupt stop in front of her. His hands instinctually went out to catch her from falling, his bag slid off his arm and crashed at her feet. Fox’s beautiful eyes peered at her from under his dark hood. She froze in a state of shock at the realization that Fox was running from the police.

  She could hear a police car come to a stop behind them. Fox immediately dropped his arms, pushing past her as if she were a stranger. The officers chasing them on foot turned the corner and almost collided with the girls as well. Fox did not attempt to flee, knowing it was useless, there was no escape. “Don’t move!” the officers yelled at Fox. The other guy was already in police custody, leaning over the police car with his hands being cuffed behind his back. “Move back, girls!” the officer ordered, standing before them.

  Molly and Brooke immediately shuffled back against the wall. Adalynne reached down and picked up Fox’s bag and quickly made her way over to the girls. The officer didn’t pay any mind to the bag, assuming it was hers and she was thankful. She didn’t know what she was doing. All she could think about was protecting Fox.

  “Are you out of your mind?” Molly breathed hotly in her ear when she came up beside her.

  Adalynne gave her a warning glare as she noticed one of the officers approach them. “Are you girls all right?” the officer asked, studying them.

  “Yes, just a little shaken up. They ran right into us,” Adalynne said.

  “Are any of you hurt?” the middle aged officer asked. “Did they say anything to you?”

  “No sir,” Adalynne answered and the girls shook their heads in confirmation.

  “Okay then, ladies. You are free to go.” The officer dismissed them and began walking toward the others. Adalynne watched them search Fox, with his hands on the hood of the car. She turned to leave with the girls and didn’t look back, although it took everything she had not to. She didn’t want the officers to suspect anything. She didn’t know what was in the bag but she assumed it had something to do with why they were running. Dread pooled in her stomach at the thought of Fox getting into trouble with the law.

  When they were a safe distance from the scene, Molly spoke up. “Throw it in the trash! Have you gone completely mad? You could have gotten in so much trouble!” The words tumbled out so quickly that Adalynne was surprised she contained them as long as she did. “Why in the world would you protect him? Have you not been listening to everything I’ve told you?”

  “What is with you and Damon anyway? I know he is unbelievably hot but even I know not to go there. It’s only a matter of time before he ends up in jail for good,” Brooke said, looking over her shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed. “What’s in it?” Brooke was eyeing the bag. “Are you going to look?”

  Molly just shook her head. “I don’t want to know.” She put her hands up and walked on ahead.

  “Let’s just go home.” Adalynne quickened her pace to catch up with Molly.

  When Molly dropped Adalynne off, she went straight to her room and sat on her bed with the backpack beside her. She couldn’t bring herself to open the bag for fear of finding what she suspected inside. She knew Molly was mad at her. She was constantly sending text messages to turn the backpack over to the police or get rid of it and what Adalynne had done made her an accessory to the crime. Adalynne didn’t respond to any of her texts; it was just a continuation of Molly’s rant from the car drive home. She knew what she had done better than anyone with her father being a lawyer but in the moment her need to protect Fox overrode her logic and she knew she would do it again if faced with the opportunity.

  A tap on her window drew her attention. She released her grip on the strap of backpack. It slid off her bed and hit the floor with a thud. Fox opened the window and slid through surprisingly graceful considering his height. He looked at her briefly before his eyes narrowed onto the bag sitting beside her bed.

  “That was stupid, Bee,” he muttered before walking toward the bag, “and start locking your window.”

  “I thought they arrested you?”

  “They didn’t have any evidence.”

  “What are you doing, Fox?” Adalynne pleaded.

  “I’m doing what I have to. Not all of us live a life of privilege,” Fox said, waving his hand around the room.

  “Who are you? This isn’t the Fox I know,” Adalynne asked in frustration, trying to stay the tears that threatened to fall.

  “That’s because you don’t really know me,” he said stonily as he stepped closer to her.

  “Don’t say that, Fox. You don’t mean that.” A tear slipped down her cheek as she held her ground in front of him.

  “Do me a favour and don’t help me again. I’m not worth it.” He came close enough that she could smell his familiar scent. She wanted to reach out and touch him but this side of him scared her. It was as if he had never cared for her at all. He was cold and unfeeling.

  “What’s in the bag?” she whispered, still staring into his green eyes.

  He reached up and touched a lock of her hair, twisting it in his fingers before letting go quickly. “You didn’t look?” He almost sounded surprised. When Adalynne attempted to touch his hand he recoiled and stepped away from her. The gesture was heartbreaking, causing her vision to blur with tears.

  “Is it what I think it is? Are
the rumors about you dealing true?” Adalynne asked hesitantly, trying to keep her words steady.

  “Yes.” He turned and slipped out the window before she could stop him.

  Adalynne stared at the window long after Fox left. She didn’t know where to go from here. Fox was in trouble and she wanted to help him. She didn’t even know how to begin because he put so much distance between them. They were practically strangers now. The only thing she knew for certain was she would not let him go down a path that only led to destruction. He deserved better.

  The next day Adalynne knew she had to find Fox. If she didn’t seek him out she feared she might not see him again. He never came to their place in the woods or to her window at night anymore and she couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to him. She needed to reach him while there were still pieces of her Fox left to save.

  Adalynne told her driver she needed to stay after school to prepare for a test in the library. With the approval of her mother, the driver agreed and was to return to pick her up later than usual. When the bell rang for lunch that afternoon, Adalynne discreetly left the school property, heading toward the bus stop just a few blocks away. She had never skipped school or ridden on the public bus before. She could hardly contain the knot that formed in her stomach, a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

  Adalynne hadn’t been to Fox’s house before, although she knew the general area where she should start her search. It was a subdivision that was located not far from her house. He had managed to walk the distance day after day when he was young so she knew it couldn’t be far. She had asked around school as discreetly as she could but no one seemed to know where he lived. She wasn’t sure exactly how she was going to find it without a street address but she figured someone in the area would be able to direct her. She was determined and hoped that was enough to set her plan into motion. She figured she would have to knock on a few doors but she was more than willing if it meant finding Fox. The bus pulled up in front of a rundown building. The bus driver informed Adalynne this was the only stop in the area. She thanked the driver and nervously departed the bus. She stood frozen as she watched the bus pull away, leaving her in an area that, although it was a short drive from her home, seemed a world apart.

  The homes were old, and in dire need of a fresh coat of paint to brighten up their dull, weathered appearances. Old rusted out cars lined one driveway, while another was overgrown with wild grass as if it had sat abandoned for some time. Across the street an old man sat upon the step smoking his pipe. Adalynne waved but he did not return the favor. He merely continued watching her as if he was trying to determine what she was up to.

  Adalynne turned and approached the building, hoping someone inside might know of Fox’s family and direct her to his home. As she neared she noticed it was quite old, showing years of neglect. A couple of the windows were boarded up and a few others were cracked. The remains of an old dilapidated playground added to the eerie feel of the old structure. Other than the few cars in the parking lot Adalynne would have thought it long abandoned. She stopped walking toward it, even with signs of people she had no peace of mind to enter the building. She was about to turn around and head up the street when someone pushed the old creaky door open.

  A woman in her late forties exited, carrying a couple of boxes stacked on top of one another. She struggled with the door and then proceeded toward her vehicle. Adalynne quickly caught up with the woman who didn’t even notice her presence until she spoke.

  “Can I give you a hand?” Adalynne offered the woman, who was balancing the boxes as she was frantically patting her pockets in search of keys.

  “Oh heavens! I didn’t see you there, dear. Yes, that would be lovely.” She smiled up at Adalynne through glasses that had slid halfway down her nose. Her graying hair was pulled back into a knot on the back of her head with a couple of pencils weaved in the bun. The woman wore a long skirt that flowed around her legs and a loose fitting blouse that she had tucked haphazardly into her skirt. Adalynne couldn’t help but smile at the tousled woman. She had a warm energy about her that shone through and an inviting smile that caused Adalynne to smile in return.

  Adalynne took a few of the boxes from the top of her pile. “May I ask what this building is?”

  The woman looked back at the building and sighed. “Well, I have been trying to get a building for years in this community to create an after school music program. Unfortunately, it is something a lot of children in this neighborhood don’t have the opportunity to be exposed to. To keep them out of trouble, you know. I was a music teacher all my life and I watched some of the brightest children fall and lose their way. I want to give them a chance at something better. This building came up and it’s the best I could afford.” She looked up at the building. “I have a lot of work ahead of me to get this place safe enough to let children walk in the front door. It might be a long road before I can start to make a difference but knowing eventually it will happen is exciting. My name is Elizabeth, by the way.” She extended her hand toward Adalynne after placing the boxes into her trunk.

  “Adalynne,” she responded brightly, placing her hand in Elizabeth’s. “I would like to help you with your music school. I’m a fellow music enthusiast and I think it’s a fantastic idea.”

  Adalynne watched Elizabeth’s eyes brighten. “That would be wonderful. I’ll take all the help I can get.”

  Adalynne arranged to come back another day so Elizabeth could show her what she was trying to accomplish. The more Adalynne talked to Elizabeth, the more she fell in love with her vision. Adalynne wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to help Elizabeth make a difference.

  Luckily Elizabeth was familiar with the Knight family and directed her toward Fox’s house, although not without warning. Apparently Fox’s father had a reputation for not being a reputable citizen. Adalynne assured her she would be careful before she headed in the direction she sought.

  Chapter Ten

  Adalynne walked toward the house. She could see traces of the charm it once possessed but it was obvious the property lost the loving touch of its owner long ago. It was now left to fade into its surroundings, like so many of the properties in this area. She wondered why the people stopped caring about the places they called home. The garden was overgrown with weeds, with little remains of the plants once placed there. A couple of the shutters hung at odd angles and looked about ready to fall off and the paint was faded to a dull gray. The wide front porch was bare of any personal items, no chairs or potted plants. The only thing that showed the house was occupied was the truck sitting in the driveway—the same one she had seen Fox drive to school on occasion. The whole property looked like the embodiment of sadness and neglect. She didn’t like knowing that this was the place that Fox called home.

  Adalynne barely made it up the front step when the door swung open and Fox’s form filled the door frame. He wore only sweat pants hanging low on his narrow waist. His chiseled chest was exposed and the deep grooves of his stomach showed his muscled physique. It took her breath away. His dark hair fell in dark messy waves and his beautiful green eyes stared back at her.

  “Why are you here?” Fox asked softly, the anger from the night before no longer in his tone. She could sense nothing but sadness from him now.

  “I need to talk to you.” Adalynne stepped closer. She could feel excitement pull her toward him. When she was younger she used to think they were like magnets and now that she was older she realized how accurate she was. The closer she came to him physically the harder it was to pull away.

  “Who’s there?” a deep raspy voice called from within the house.

  “Can I come in?” She looked up at him. His eyes stayed with her. She could tell he was struggling with something by the way he looked at her. He closed his eyes and then stepped back. Adalynne walked in quickly before he could change his mind. When she stepped into the house it was also bare of any personal items to indicate a family lived there. The living room only consisted
of a sofa and chair with a television sitting on what looked like the coffee table pushed against the wall. An older man sat upon the sofa. When Adalynne looked at him she knew without a doubt he was Fox’s father. She could see his once handsome features behind the gloom clouding him. His unshaven face and his unkempt hair could not hide the similarities.

  “Dad, this is Adalynne,” Fox said quickly as he tried to usher her toward a different part of the house. He seemed anxious, not wanting her to be in his house. Adalynne had pictured what Fox’s father looked like many times over the years and from the marks he left on Fox’s body, she had always pictured him as a large evil man, like a villain you would see in a movie, but the man before her looked like a ghost. Sorrow consumed him. She could see the toll it had taken on him. His eyes were gray and shadowed heavily with dark circles. He did not pay any attention to her or Fox as he stared lifelessly at the television.

  Adalynne stepped forward, carefully avoiding the beer bottles lining the floor, extending her hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Knight.”

  She could hear Fox sigh in frustration behind her. “What business do you want with my son? Girls like you don’t pay mind to the likes of him.” He didn’t move to shake her hand. “You will be the end of him,” he grumbled more to himself than to Adalynne, taking a long draw of his beer. He stood up abruptly, kicking the bottles at his feet. Adalynne moved out of his way as he brushed past her and shuffled into the kitchen without another word.

  She turned back toward Fox. He was staring after his father with his jaw clenched tightly. He turned and walked down the hall without saying anything. Adalynne followed quickly, walking into a room she assumed was his. Once she entered Fox gave the door a shove and it slammed, startling her. “Well, I hit it off with your father. I think we’re going to be good buddies,” Adalynne said sarcastically, accompanied by an uncomfortable smile.