Villain Ch 44. Play With Fire
"You sure like to play with fire," Larissa reminded him once Gilbert and Gerry left.
Allen answered her with a shrug. "Well, I need to know what the players do. Let's just say this is my first undercover job," he replied casually, trying to hide his excitement.
Larissa took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Just don't let them know, okay?"
"Don't worry," he reassured her. "Anyway..." Allen took out his phone again and showed the screen to Larissa. "I just got our skill tree and character type from Kafra," he announced. Kafra just replied to his message about an hour ago. He had just realized it earlier.
Larissa leaned closer and read it carefully. "Mind sending this to me?" she said, hoping to study it more later.
"I will send it to the group chat," said Allen. Quickly, his fingers moved, forwarding all of it to their group chat.
As the message was delivered, the group chat lit up with notifications, and Allen's teammates quickly responded, peppering the chat with messages and comments. However, amidst the flurry of chatter, Larissa suddenly posed a question that gave Allen pause.
"Have you heard anything about Shea, Zoe, or Jane?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. The three of them didn't reply to the skill tree.
Allen was about to answer, but his eyes suddenly darted away from the screen, drawn to the figure that had just passed by the door. The girl's features were obscured by a heavy sense of fatigue. Her hair was a bit disheveled, and she wore a jacket and shorts. In one hand, she carried a small grocery bag, and her other hand fumbled in her pockets for change.
Without a second thought, she made her way to the counter and placed her order for a pre-made sandwich. The tired lines etched into her face deepened as she waited for her food, her eyes fixed on the counter with a blank stare.
"Is it that Jane?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. She looked messy today, different than yesterday. She looked like she had just pulled all nighter.
Larissa's gaze followed Allen's, settling on the girl. Her brow furrowed as she studied the woman's tired features.
"I think..." she trailed off, her voice filled with doubt.
"I will check on her in case something bad just happened," he said, his voice filled with worry.
He quickly got up from his seat and approached Jane.
"Jane, right?" he asked in disbelief, hoping that he had recognized the right person.
Jane turned her eyes towards Allen, her half-sleepy gaze settling on him. Her hand was clutching a small grocery bag, while the other held the sandwich she had just bitten into. "Oh, Allen. What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise.
"I'm eating with Larissa," he gestured to Larissa, who was sitting nearby, watching them curiously. "Would you like to join us?" he offered, hoping that she would accept.
Jane glanced over at Larissa, who waved at her warmly. Jane raised her sandwich in greeting, offering a small smile in return. Then, turning her attention back to Allen, she shook her head regretfully. "I wish," she said, "but I don't think I can. I just finished my work. They advanced the deadline suddenly. I think I need to marry my bed," she admitted with a small chuckle. She took another large bite of her sandwich, leaving a small sliver of bread.
Allen couldn't shake the worry that gnawed at him as he took in Jane's appearance. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and dark bags sagged beneath them. He couldn't help but feel concerned for her safety.
"You're going to drive in this state?" he asked, his tone laced with shock. "Isn't it dangerous?"
Jane shrugged, her gaze drifting off into the distance. "Oh, I live near here. Maple Apartments," she said, taking the last bite of her sandwich.
But Allen couldn't let it go. He couldn't bear the thought of her driving in such a tired state. "Do you want me to accompany you?" he asked, his voice laced with worry. "It's not safe for you to be out on your own in this condition."
Jane looked at him skeptically. "Am I not disturbing your date?" she asked, her voice flat.
Allen shook his head. "No, not at all. Larissa won't mind," he said, gesturing to where Larissa stood, watching them with curiosity. "We bumped into each other at the gym," Allen explained.
Jane nodded, her hair falling in gentle waves around her face. "Oh..." she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay."
"Wait. I will be right back," he said, determined to make things right.
With purposeful strides, he approached Larissa, "I'm going to take Jane to her apartment. Do you want to come with us?" he offered. He knew Jane would probably feel better if another girl was with her instead of just the two of them.
Larissa's eyes flickered with interest, and for a moment, Allen thought she might accept his invitation. But then, she shook her head regretfully, her full lips twisting into a pout.
"Sorry, I can't. I have to go back to the gym soon. I have to shoot my new pilates video within fifteen minutes," she said, her tone tinged with disappointment.
"Okay then," he said. "See you in the game," said Allen as he left since Jane looked like she might collapse at any moment. Her eyes almost closed just from waiting for him.
Without a moment to spare, Allen rushed back towards Jane. He could see that she was on the verge of collapse, her body swaying precariously as she clung to the nearby bench.
With a sense of urgency, he reached out and gently patted her shoulder, hoping to rouse her from her dazed state. Her eyes fluttered open. In one fluid motion, his hands shot out and picked up her groceries bag which had almost fallen from her grasp. He could feel the weight of it, the contents shifting and clattering against each other.
"Let's go. You need a rest," he said.