"A-Alistair? What the? What the hell are you- what the fuck are you doing?" Everett stared at Alistair with disbelief, eyes wide.

"Stair, what's going on? What-" Everett's eyes zoomed in on the bag hanging on Alistair's right shoulder, darting wildly between Alistair and the cargo bag, suddenly hot on Alistair's shoulder. He choked, stuttering.

"Wait, Everett I can explain-" Alistair pleaded, reaching for Everett.

"Ali, we gotta go, c'mon!"

Alexander looked up at him with an extended hand, body tense.

Alistair stared helplessly at Everett, before pushing himself out the window and jumping to the ground. He sprinted away, with Alexander at his side.

"Alistair! Wait! Come back!"

Alistair's heart clenched, and he stole a glance behind him. Everett was leaning out the window, arms outstretched towards Alistair's silhouette. The expression on his face almost made Alistair turn back, but doing so would put the whole operation at risk, and Alistair didn't want to make that sacrifice.

So he endured the two minutes in which Everett called out to him, the sound strained and hoarse, until Everett's voice was nothing but a whisper in the wind.

Alistair stopped, panting, his hands on his knees. Alexander tugged on his arm, dragging him towards the oak tree that the rest of the group were waiting at.

"C'mon, we're almost there, don't give up now," Alexander encouraged.

Alistair grunted, wrapping his arms around himself, his mind still on Everett. He replayed Everett calling after him desperately over and over again, looking for a possibility that he didn't hate him.

His attention was called back to the group when Will asked to see what they'd managed to bag. Alistair trudged over, his hands shaking as he passed the bag of stolen items to Arthur and Will.

"We almost got caught, I swear next time Alistair's not going. Dude, you're heads not in the game!" moaned Alexander.

Alistair merely waved off Alexander's complains, and took his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled to Everett's contact, fingers hovering over the keyboard. He typed out "sorr" before backspacing everything and switching off the phone.

He didn't need to apologise. he was doing this for the good of everyone. For Emmy, especially. Mr O'Hamington was a fucking crook, he deserved to be shaken up a little.

"But at what cost?" a small voice in his head whispered.

Alistair sighed as he remembered the look on Everett's face. He clenched his fist, fiddling with his phone in the other hand. Should he text Everett? Call Everett?

But it wasn't even his damn fault! He did nothing wrong.

But then what was this guilt? this coldness in his heart and stomach, like ice in his gut, and even though it was thirty degrees out, the ice never melted.

Alistair growled, standing up abruptly, causing Alexander and the rest to look at him curiously.

"You all right, Alistair? I mean, you did kind of fuck up the operation a little, but it's all good, I mean we didn't get caught, don't work yourself up about it," Alexander assured, placing a comforting hand on Alistair's shoulder.

Alistair smiled, which became more of a grimace, and pushed off the hand on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna head back to my place first. You guys just catalogue what we have and report back to me. If you really need me or something, come over."

"Wait, Alistair, I gotta tell you something first-" Alexandr protested, grabbing Alistair's wrist.

"It can wait, right?"

As he walked away, he heard Alexander mutter a quiet: "Jeez."

The sun was high in the sky, burning down on Alistair. He wiped his forehead with a grimace. He grabbed his phone from his pocket again, checking for notifications. None.

Letting out an exhalation of frustration, Alistair typed in a quick: sorry. but cancelled it out.

Alistair felt the frustration building in his heart like a volcano ready to erupt. He came to his doorstep, and he pushed the door open with a bang, making the door slam against the wall.

Flopping down on the couch, he picked up his phone, scrolling to Everett's contact again. Stopping himself from typing another: 'I'm sorry,' he instead typed a: 'can I call you?' and awaited Everett's reply.

Five minutes passed. Alistair checked his phone, nothing. seven minutes passed, Alistair checked it again, still nothing.

Letting out a growl of frustration, Alistair pushes a pillow into his face, trying to calm his heart, and cool down. Everett was just a boy that Alistair had met up with and talked to a few times, it was all good. All good.

It really wasn't.

As soon as he was starting to lose hope, the phone rang. Alistair jumped at it, almost falling off the couch in the process.

"Hello?" He asked, unable to disguise the eagerness in his tone when he saw the caller's ID. The person who answered was most definitely Everett, but it didn't sound like him.

Everett acknowledged with a small sniffle.

'Wait, Everett, what's wrong?"

"You are, you fucking asshole, you're what's wrong!" he responded with an indignant tone, but the crack in his voice still apparent.

The guilt in Alistair felt like fire in his throat, but when he tried to speak, nothing came out, only puffs of his own air.

"Everett, I-" he finally managed, staring at his wall with a helpless expression.

"You what. You're sorry? I don't even think for a fucking second you are. In fact, I really fucking want to tell Father I saw you, I-" Everett's voice cracked as he let out a shaky breath.

"No, Everett please don't, please don't, you don't understand I needed the money, and your house just seemed like the best option."

"See? Even after I implied I wanted a fucking apology, all you care about is whether or not I'm going to tell Father I saw you. Is that the only thing you care about Alistair? Really?"

Alistair fell silent, his knuckles white on the phone.

"I knew it. Watch out later Alistair, if the police catch you unaware at your house later, you can't blame me." Everett paused with a huff. "Also, what the fuck does 'the best option' mean you fucking fuck?"

"I meant to say-" Alistair began urgently.

"Fuck no, you don't get to say anything."

"No- Everett, wait!"

But it was too late. Everett had already hung up. Alistair felt tears well up at the back of his eyes, burning, pleading to be let out. He blinked them away, dialling Alexander's number.

His call reached voicemail, and Alistair groaned, leaving one for him.

"Alexander? Everett's gonna report us. We gotta move to another location. And quick. Call me when you get this. Alistair." He spoke swiftly, hands trembling as he held the phone to his mouth.

He had only just finished recording the voicemail when there was a knock on the door.

- - -

I'm sorry this chapter is so bad and so short but I promise it'll get better uwuuu anyway hope you enjoyed uwu

-sky c