We walked into the grand tent draperies and I was impressed with the amazing string lights and round tables.

There was many women and men chatting and drinking expensive looking alcohol. Many of their outfits were way more formal than mine, making me pull down the hem of my skirt consciously and making me think how I need to go out shopping for better bottoms.

"What is this?" I asked Phoenix in awe.

He unhooked his arm from mine as we walked at at steady pace nodding at people in greetment ever so often.

"Its an event for Officers basically, like a holiday party type thing." he explained.

"Pretty fancy for cops" I muttered.

"Yeah , well my dad likes to be a show off ." He replied leaving me really confused but I don't want to question it because of this distaste he had in his voice.

We walked around as he awkwardly greeted people and I just smiled and occasioanly introduced myself.

We walked to the edge of the large ice rink and i admired the smooth ice.

"Hey! Nix!" A group of three officers I presumed, walked over to us.

Phoenix turned and gave them each a brief guy hand shake.

"Who's this beauty?" One of them asked. He was a tad bit taller than Phoenix with dark black hair and clear hazel eyes. His skin was slightly tanned and I briefly wondered if he had a girlfriend.

"Oh, I'm Mia" I politely introduced myself and subconsciously smoothing my hair.

"Roger." He took my hand and kissed it.

I felt my cheeks blushed extremely as I took my hand back. "Nice to meet you."

"Mia, is a beautiful name, for a beautiful girl." He said while smiling and exposing his straight teeth.

"Alright enough with the meet and greet, Mia and I are busy." Phoenix quickly interrupted while re-grabbing my arm softly.

Roger gave him a look of annoyance but said nothing, except sending me a wink before we Phoenix pulled me in the opposite direction.

"Hey, i was talking to him." I slightly advised but he inturpted me. "You don't want to mess with a guy like Roger. Trust me."

I wanted to know what he meant by that too but I let it slide, not wanting to be a gossip. Well in public at least.

Phoenix and I walked a little longer in silence before we made our way to a table that was empty and slightly off to the side filled with small snacks like chocolate covered pretzels .

I was surprised when he he politely pulled out my chair for me and waited for me to sit down before helping me scoot the chair in.

"Wow you do have some manners." I lightly remarked making him shrug.

"I was raised to be charming, not sincere." He replied cracking a small smile.

I laughed slightly at his crude response and was about to reply when a younger boy came running up to our table and jumped on Phoenix's lap.

I was almost scared for the boy, that Phoenix was going to yell at him but I was very wrong. Phoenix instead wrapped his arms around the boy tightly in a hug, showing a loving side of himself for a few seconds.

The boy was a dead on younger twin of Phoenix with the sharp features and dirty blonde hair and it hit me this must be his younger brother her briefly mentioned before.

He pulled about 20 pens out of his pockets and dropped him on the table I front of us. "I took a whole lotta the free pens." He explained excitedly to Phoenix.

I giggled at his cuteness making his eyes snap to me.

"Who's she?" The little boy asked Phoenix who just shrugged and replied "I don't know ask her." While shoving a chocolate covered pretzel in his mouth.

"Who are you?" The boy turned and asked me.

I smiled and stuck out my hand for him to shake."My name is Mia, how about you?"

He looked at Phoenix who nodded his head that it was ok to to shake my hand. "My name is Nicholas, but you can call me Nick."

"Very nice to meet you Nick." I greeted warmly.

Nick studied me for a few more seconds before asking, "Are you my brother's girlfriend?"

I almost choked on my own spit before I could hurriedly shake my head, but Phoenix was much quicker to deny it.

"Oh. Too bad. but I kinda knew that your pretty and my brother is too ugly to get someone pretty ." He simply replied.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing while clutching my stomach at Phoenix's embarrassment.

The little guy definitely had some of the same humor as Phoenix.

My conversation with Nick carried on and I honestly enjoyed it, he was far beyond his years. I learned a lot about Phoenix through him, like both of their favorite colors are red and their mother passed away a few years ago, as he briefly mentioned as he ate some chocolate covered pretzels and commenting how his mother used to eat tons of them. As a hobby they enjoyed jogging and watching sports. Nick was innocent and fun and it was very refreshing.

He was in the middle of telling me a story about how Phoenix once fell off the roof when we heard a voice over the chatter. "Nicholas were are you?" The voice demanded.

Nick abruptly stopped talking and slid off of his brothers lap to hide under the table.

A man with grey hair wearing a prominent 'chief Adams' badge came storming through the crowd. It took me a moment to see he looked similar to Nick and Phoenix.

The man ignored Phoenix and I and immediately reached under the table to retrieve Nick.

He pulled him out and imdietly started to lecture him. "You know better to run off." He began to lecture harshly."Your too old for games." He barked making Nick shrink back. "And you." He turned to Phoenix. "Why are you sitting just here, you need to socialize, and quit treating him as if he's a child."

Phoenix clenched his jaw. "He is a child. He can have some fun. You force him to come to every one of these, the least you could do it let him let a little loose."

Chief Adams gave Phoenix a look that sent chills down my spine. "I will not be spoken to like that. Nicholas , let's go." He retorted and grabbed the boy leading him away but not before he gave me a chilling look.

We made eye contact and he gave me a long look up and down making me squirm in my chair.

I awkwardly looked at Phoenix not sure what to expect from him after that little exchange.

The comment he made earlier about his dad being a show off made sense. His father was the chief of police and most likely organized this whole thing.

"I have such a great father." He snorted sarcastically clenching his fists tightly.

His cheeks turned a light red in anger and I placed my hand on his hand softly.

I knew the feeling of an overbearing and over demanding father all too well.

Phoenix's hand slowly relaxed under my hand.

"Come on, lets go cool off." I said softly and grabbing his hand lightly.

He didn't say anything but let me lead back to the area with the ice rink. We both leaned against the outer area and looked out at the people skating in silence for a while while the cool air from the ice freshened me.

I snuck a glance or two at him and every time he looked like he was on verge of going back there and fighting his father, with his clenched jaw.

"Sorry." He said breaking our silence after a while .

I squeezed his hand again while the wind outside blew roughly.

"Don't worry about. I know asshole dads much better than you think." I replied making him turn his head and stare at me. He didn't offer and explanation and I didn't really expect him too.

The wind picked up even more and my legs were regretting wearing a skirt but my arms glad I wore the peacoat.

My curiosity bit at me constantly begging me to ask him more about his brief flip out and his scary father who was chief of police.

I found myself wanting to know more about him and more of who he was a person, the more an more time I spent with him.

After Phoenix collected himself we wandered around the venue a bit more not speaking , but this silence wasn't awkward anymore it was understanding. We of course made small chatter with others now and then and I spotted Nick shoving chocolate in his pocket and running away, but not before giving me a quick wink, causing me to let out a laugh.

"I literally love your brother." I laughed to Phoenix and re shook his head.

"That kid is a handful not to mention his sticky fingers." He chuckled. "Go figure"

"Wanna get out of here?" He finally asked and I nodded, my stomach growled agreeing, since I didn't get to eat much here.

"How about we take another trip to Denny's?" He asked and I gratefully agreed.

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