Fate's Encounter

Chapter 14: Abduction

I sat in the front behind Danny as he drove, my head bouncing on the window. We were lucky to leave when we did, because right after we left city limits, the whole place went under. 

As we drove, it wasn't much of a victory even though we all made it out alive. We all lost almost everything, if not everything. These people lost homes, loved ones, their life's savings, their history. Shit, how could I eventually tell mom that I lost Sosha? That damn dog was her everything.

We hit a bump and I smacked my head hard enough to see stars. I hissed and bit back a curse. 

"That sounded like it hurt." Ned gave me a small smile. He had been nice enough to take the seat next to me after we finished loading everyone on the bus so Sean would be forced to sit somewhere else. 

 He was feeling the full weight of everything we lost too. I may still have my apartment back in the city, but I lost my truck which meant I had no clue how the hell I was going to make it back there. I knew Ned had lost his grandmother. She had been dying of cancer in the hospital, but there had been no way for him to get to her. It wasn't his fault but he wouldn't help feeling guilty.

"It did." My hand ran over the bump forming on my forehead. 

"You can lean on me if you want. No weird stuff." He hunched down a little bit, hiking his knees up on the back of the seat in front of us.

Honestly, it sounded like a fantastic idea. My first response was to deny him because I was worried about whether or not Xai'an was out there watching. Which was stupid. He didn't own me, damn it!

Out of sheer stubbornness, I leaned my head on his large shoulder and sighed at how comfortable I felt. I had no interest in Ned in the slightest, but it was just fucking nice to have human contact. 

"So, are you going to tell me why you hate Sean so much?" I mumbled, hoping some conversation would help take the edge out of the gloom we all felt.

Ned gave a small laugh and I realized right then that he was actually very attractive. I almost felt bad that it took me this long to see it. "I almost forgot about that. Man...where do I even begin?"

I shrugged with a small laugh of my own. "He has that affect on people."

"No offense to you, Z, but what did you ever see in him?" He looked down at me, searching my face as if it alone had the answer to his question.

"I don't know man. I was 15 and he was the only decent looking guy who wasn't into family-lovin type music." It wasn't the best answer for the heartbreak I went through, but it was the truth none the less.

"'Family-lovin'?" He mused.

I laughed then. "It's what I call country music. Clearly I'm not a fan. Anyway, I was impressed he was different. He liked the arts and not gutting animals to eat on the weekend. We always seemed to have something to talk about and it was always new. I thought I loved him. Maybe I did? I don't know. I just know I don't now. Not after I found him humping Stacy."

Ned nodded and looked up at the ceiling. The bright flash on top of the bus highlighting his features every few seconds in the dark. "You and I drifted after I started hanging with Danny, but I always considered you my friend. I walked in on them together one day during fourth period. You guys might have been together a year by then."

A small pang hit my heart. I had always known he had been seeing her for a long time behind my back, but hearing proof of it seemed to make it more real. 

"I lost it." Ned continued. "Screamed at him 'How could you do this to her' and all that. I even tried to fight him. That didn't go over too well seeing as I was still only 4'11 to his near 6ft. Sean beat my ass. Busted me so good that I had to skip school for a few days, but not before he promised to do worse if I ever told you. Back then...I was such a coward, Z. I didn't say anything and it's still one of the biggest regrets of my life."