When they agreed to meet in the Upper District, Summer found herself questioning everything as she got ready to meet Casey. Would this meeting be awkward? Did he only want to meet up with her to talk about the Soiree and about how everything was a mistake?

Surely what she saw in the mist had to mean something, right?

She ignored the twisting knots in her stomach as she finished her make up and adorned her dress for the night, hoping it didn't look to risqué for their dinner.

Summer decided to keep her white hair down to frame her face, adding in a few little hair clips to keep her bangs back. Good enough, right?

When she made it to their agreed spot, a sushi place, she waited outside to meet him, idly looking at her phone while looking up on occasion to see if he appeared. When he did, with his hair pulled up to show his face, she couldn't help the small blush on her cheeks as she smiled back at him.

"I'm doing alright. I've just been busy lately. I'm glad we could meet tonight," she said, approaching him. "How are you? Shall we go inside?"

Time to think.

Summer wanted to know immediately what he thought about, if she was about to be rejected and told that everything that happened before was just because of the drinks and the circumstances.

Was she paranoid? Of course she was. But she nodded and entered the sushi bar and requested a table for two, which was readily available for them.

She settled into one side of the booth, glancing over the menu even though she felt like she couldn't eat because of the built up nerves in her stomach. "What's your favorite type?" she asked, peering up to look at Casey curiously.

Summer wondered if they should wait to bring up the topic at hand or not. "I have the food covered. Don't worry about it, get what you want."

She was loaded, after all. And, if she wanted to, she could always put it on her father's business expense card to spite him. A double win for her, given the situation she faced at home.

Summer fiddled with the menu, pursing her lips as she read over it. "I don't know if I have a favorite... I haven't had sushi in a while, to be honest. If I had to say, maybe something like spicy tuna?" Was she basic? Maybe.

However, she was perfectly happy with the spider rolls. They sounded delightful as well.

Some strong alcohol also sounded great at the moment.

But, Casey turned the conversation to what they had been waiting to talk about. She felt a knot in her throat, and she swallowed hard to try to get rid of it as she tried to find her voice. Her up first?

Well, okay...

"I'll admit, I was very shocked. We haven't known each other for so long, and to think, you want to have a family with me? Settle down for the rest of your life and stay with someone like me?" She couldn't help but sound a bit derogatory toward herself.

Especially after her delusion about killing her father.

"It's not the time that I've been worried about. I don't care about how long we've known each other. I have this feeling, these feelings for you that I've never had for anyone else. But, Casey... there's so much you don't know about me that if you find out, I'm afraid you will run away and never look back."

It was just all spewing out of her, like a broken faucet. Summer couldn't help herself as she fiddled with her hands under the table, unable to look at him.

"Of course, I felt so happy over what I saw. That you felt something like that for me. But I'm scared. I'm terrified." She stopped, finally looking back at him with a shy look on her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble."

Summer reached for a piece, deciding to eat before she spoke again. Because, now that she realized it, she was starving from worrying all day. She was in the middle of stuffing another one in her mouth when the sake was brought out.

"Oh... that looks beautiful," she said with a fascinated voice, lowering her chopsticks to look over the bottle.

Summer couldn't help the pounding feeling in her chest as Casey talked about the Soiree, about the time they spent away from the crowd. She watched him poor the drinks into the glass, amazed that he wasn't shaking like she felt like she was.

"Normally I'd try to make a joke here, but I really can't. I'm just happy to know you feel that way about me," she said softly, running her finger around the rim of her glass, smiling down at it. "I wondered if I had come onto you too strong. But I suppose I was mistaken."

Summer looked up to see him smile at her. "You do?" So, he wanted to make this work out?

The thought alone could make her fly.

He was concerned about her. Had she scared him? Summer paused. Did she tell him everything?

"I have to tell you about myself. About my family. Would you be willing to listen?" If he still stuck around after that, she knew for sure that Casey would be the one. "I can't go into something like this with secrets. It's not fair."

Summer wanted to reach out and hold that hand. But, she couldn't let her glass fall and spill on the table. So, she brought it to her lips and sipped it. "Maybe you'll have to teach me how to do that," she said. "I can help with drinking." She laughed.

Arceus, it took everything in her to not slam her drink against the table. Summer looked at him with raised brows. "Match?" She had heard him correctly, right? She blinked a few times before laughing into her drink again. "Well, maybe I'll have to give that to you later."

If he was still around.

Summer nodded, finishing another piece of the roll before speaking. "That was my brother, and the other man with him was his boyfriend. They've been a thing for a while." She paused. "And yeah, that was my father behind the jail bars."

And who she eliminated in that future delusion.

Summer took another sip of her drink. "Well, my brother, Knox, was disowned from the Prescott family business. He's... he doesn't take care of himself. He abuses drugs, takes what he can get. I think Sam is helping him with that, but my father kicked him out because of it. And the fact he parties instead of does business."

She inhaled sharply. "My father is a business liaison on the surface. But, really, he launders money." Her gaze was back on the table. "I'm the one who took over Knox's spot because I was the trustworthy one. His right-hand, of sorts. I'm better at setting up deals and making sure things are enforced."

Summer bit her lip. "Recently, my brother and I held a party for those affiliated with Rocket because, well... we are also affiliated with them." Her fingers tapped the table. "My father found my brother at the house, and he sent him away after beating him terribly. And now, he wants me to eliminate him."

Summer put her hands on her face, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry. This is a lot to tell you. But... I can't let you believe I'm perfect without knowing about this."

Of course, the aspect of Casey touching her with his hands were enough to get her going. If they weren't at a restaurant, she would have already been on him in an instant. "I'll hold you accountable to that."

After her story was finished and she dropped her hands from her face, Summer noticed that Casey left one outstretched for her to take. So, she took it, as she always did, and looked at him while he replied.

It was the last part that took her by surprise.

"Wh-what? Are you serious? Casey, you know what that means, right?" she said, quick to oppose his idea. He could live a life without Rocket hovering over his head. He didn't have to worry about them except for the trouble they caused.

But... he didn't run away from her. He stayed. He wanted to be with her.

Summer looked at him. "If you do that, you can't turn back. Because defecting means they will try to hunt you down for the rest of your life."

Why was he so fucking sexy when he did stuff like that? If they were not in the sushi restaurant right now, Summer would have been all over him in less than a minute. "I promise."

Still, Casey didn't recant his statement. In fact, he was challenging her to think about her options at hand. To silence him and leave him to rot away, or let him join her.

Playing dirty. It was like he already knew how to do this Rocket thing.

"I couldn't kill you," she said softly, squeezing his hand. The thought made her chest tighten, not in a pleasant way. "Seeing you dead would end me." Summer paused before sighing.

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll help you join."

Summer looked back up at him, raising his hand that she held to her lips. "Promise me to never let me think of you dead again. I won't allow it," she said, her lips brushing against his hand as she peered over at him.