Chapter 5: Haley

Haley glanced at Zasha's nearly licked clean plate.

"I notice you didn't have any problem finishing your cake," Konstantin said dryly.

Haley hurriedly scarfed down her last few bites.

"Is it movie time yet?" Zasha asked.

"You bet, kiddo. What are we watching?" Konstantin asked.

Zasha bounded out of her seat and back into the other condo.

Konstantin chuckled and smiled after his daughter. Haley had no idea what he'd been like before Zasha, but she thought it was a safe bet to assume that Zasha made Konstantin a better person. With his history it would be far too easy to become cold, distant, cut off. But that couldn't happen with a ray of sunshine running around in pink, frilly dresses demanding movie nights and cake.

He glanced at Haley and caught her looking at him.

One side of his mouth hitched up, and just like that his amused, fatherly expression turned smoking hot. She sipped from her water glass in an effort to hide getting caught.

"Thank you for doing this," he said.

"Not a problem. It's a nice night."

"It is." His warm gaze remained on her, openly looking.

She bore it. It was only fair, though she didn't have his composure. Give her danger and bullets? She was fine. An attractive man wanting to look at her? She'd blush and squirm like she'd never been kissed.

"How many more birthdays is she going to want her favorite people?" He sighed. "How long until she just wants her friends?"

Relieved at the turn of conversation, Haley echoed his sigh. "Sooner than you're ready for."

Zasha ran back into the room clutching her tablet. On it was the latest animated release.

While Konstantin got the movie set up Haley cleared the table and put away both the pizza and cake. Both would remain on this side of the wall seeing as Zasha had become an expert sneak as of late and was known to devour anything sweet left out.

"Come join us, Haley." Zasha bounced on her father's pristine leather sectional.

"I'm coming. I'm coming."

Haley slid onto the end closest to the door. Konstantin sat on the opposite end, his legs stretched out on the chaise portion. Zasha plopped down between them and wrapped herself in the fuzzy blanket.

During the intro credits, Zasha tried to hide a jaw popping yawn, but Haley saw it.

She glanced at her watch, then the movie.

Fifteen minutes was her guess.

Konstantin glanced at Zasha, then caught Haley's eye. His twisted smile seemed to know what she was thinking.

At least it was about Zasha.

In the early days, Haley was fairly certain she'd shared some very adult thoughts with Konstantin. Nothing had happened, but sometimes the idea of what could have been was more than enough.

She curled her legs under her and looked at the TV while her mind drifted away.

Merida should have something to say about her upcoming wedding. Sure, she was doing a long engagement given that she and her fiancé had pretty much gone from friends to wholly committed to each other. But there were still plans to make. It was going to take a lot of lead time to get their entire group chat to one location.

It had never happened. Not since the very early days when Haley had been in training.

Zasha kicked her feet out, bumping Haley before settling them in her lap.

Haley placed a hand on Zasha's ankle, more in case the kid kicked. Haley had taken one too many kicks to the face to learn that lesson.

What would it be like for all the girls to get together?

Haley had met most of the girls at one point or another, and they did group video chats. But that wasn't the same thing.

Once she left here, she'd have a lot more flexibility.

"And she's out," Konstantin whispered.

Haley glanced down at Zasha stretched between them, head on Konstantin's lap, feet on Haley's.

She chuckled and tugged the blanket down just enough to cover Zasha's feet.

"How long did she last?" he asked.

Haley checked the time. "Eighteen minutes. I missed it by three."

He smoothed Zasha's hair back. "I didn't think she'd make it ten."

Haley swallowed and gave her heart a mental punch to keep it from fluttering.

What was wrong with her?

She wasn't a kids and white picket fence girl. So why did the sight of Konstantin being so tender with Zasha get Haley all worked up?

"Thank you," Konstantin said, his tone serious.

"Hm?" Haley perked up. Had she missed something.

"I owe you and Ivana a lot," he said softly. "You let Zasha be who she wants to be. I know her teachers think she's developing slowly. I just... I want to let her be a kid for as long as possible."

Haley's heart squeezed. "I get it."

And she did.

Zasha had no idea the number of times they'd been in lock down or there was a credible threat against her because of her father. Very soon she'd come to understand those things, and it would all change. Zasha would go from child to adult very fast.

But Haley wouldn't be there for any of it.

"She really admires you," Konstantin said.

"Don't worry, I think I'm being replaced by her favorite streamers."

"Streamers?" He lifted his head and frowned at Haley. "Do I want to know?"

"You should. She did ask permission to watch Viewer and you vetted it."

He squinted. "It's coming back to me now..."

"Heavily moderated internet streamers geared at kids. She has a classmate in her art group that does video games and he wanted more viewers. I told her to ask you, and you said yes. She's been watching him nonstop."

"Because you told me it was okay," Konstantin said in a slow voice.

"I think my words were, it doesn't pose a security threat."

"Which means it's okay."

"Sure." Haley shrugged.

He turned the movie down. "Is this going to bite me in the ass?"

"Yes." She propped her elbow on the armrest. "She's started talking about making her own channel."

Konstantinshook his head. "Oh, no. No, way."

"I agree, but I must also point out that kids aren't allowed to have video or pictures of themselves on the streams. It's just their voices."

"No." His answer was fiercer now.

Haley was inclined to agree. If Zasha were a normal child with typical concerns, it would likely be different. Any view into Zasha's life from the outside could put her at risk. It was a line Konstantin would have to hold in the future, because Haley would not be there to help enforce it.

As good as it felt to be in this little bubble right now, it was a lie.

"I suppose we could cut this short and put her in bed?" Konstantin suggested.

"I'm pretty sure she's dead to the world for a solid twelve hours after all the sugar she's had today." Haley patted Zasha's leg and only got a weak kick in return.

"Alright, Sleeping Beauty." Konstantin slid off the sofa to a knee, scooped Zasha into his arms and rose smoothly.

Haley scrambled off the sofa and ahead of Konstantin, all while her heart pounded against her ribs.

She'd let them in too far.

Konstantin carried Zasha through the condo into her bedroom.

Haley escaped down the hall into her room to compose herself.

She was in love with Konstantin and Zasha. Everything about this job had gone too far, and that was why she needed out.

A light tap at her door made her whirl.

Konstantin stood there, filling up the doorway, peering around her one haven.

"Teal," he muttered, studying the far side. "I didn't realize you were a plant person."

She'd been given the liberty to have her room painted and a small decorating budget. Her one solid wall was a goldenrod yellow. Her twin bed had a white, shabby chic headboard. Green vines hung down on either side from her shelf of plants that went around two walls. The comforter was some kind of quilt she'd been gifted by one of the girls. The rich turquoise, gold and maroon had faded over time.

Right now the only light came from the lamp next to her teal chair and a string of Christmas lights she'd never taken down that hung off the plant shelves.

"Uh, yeah." Haley rubbed her palms on her hips, hyper aware of the temperature fluctuations in her body.

She couldn't keep doing this.

"I guess now I know what to get you for your birthday." His tone was teasing, but the way he looked at her wasn't the same kind of playful.

"Konstantin, we need to talk." Haley didn't quite blurt the words. They came out even and measured, but it wasn't like she'd practiced this speech or anything.

"About?" He leaned against the doorframe. "Any idea who our thief is?"

"Not yet. They must have known when the security system was updating." Haley hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her yoga pants at the small of her back. Shoulders back, feet slightly apart, she took a deep breath, grounding herself. "I'm going to be leaving."

Konstantin's brows rose. "You are? When? For how long?"

"For good. Not soon. I want to find our thief and then give you time to find the right person to take my place."

"No. Zasha needs you."

Haley mentally dug her heels in. "No, Zasha needs you. Her father. I'm just her bodyguard."

It was a fact, one Haley couldn't keep straight. And that was why she knew she needed to leave. She wasn't Zasha's nanny or caregiver, and Haley certainly wasn't Zasha's mother. No matter how much a part of her had grown to want that, those were shoes Haley couldn't fill.