HIDDEN (Hide Or Die)

Chapter 29

ANDREW'S P.O.V.

I don't know why I did it. I should have hugged him instead. This had always been my dream ever since I meant the Angel at my window, I always dreamed of the day that he would finally reveal himself to me. I always thought about how magical that day was going to be and how I was going to hold him in my arms and never let go. But what did I do?

I reacted like a coward. That's what.

Everything felt like a nightmare. Becky was yelling, her screams flitting in and out of my head. I couldn't make out a single word. Albert was crying, Matt was frozen by my side, and Kyle? He was nowhere to be found.

I had no idea where he had run off to, —or in this case, flown off— and I was seriously beginning to worry.

It was entirely my fault. I pushed him away, the same angel who kept me awake every night, hoping and praying that he would appear by my window. He stood before me with all of his defenses down, and I retreated from him like a spineless jerk.

That moment we stared at each other before he ran off, I couldn't stop the horrible feeling of regret and shame from washing over me at how I treated him in school, or the sting of anger that poked my chest at how he played with my emotions by making me believe I was a terrible person for falling for two guys at the same time, —who knows, I probably made him feel like he had no choice but to lie to me—or the feeling of fear that engulfed me at the mere thought of how strong he was.

He'd kept it so well hidden from me that I mistook him for weak and frail, and then I was rudely awakened by the fact that this boy carried me bridal style with all my weight on him and flew for what felt like four miles without breaking a sweat!

I couldn't help but wonder who he was, what he was, and what else he was hiding behind his pretty face and massive wings. What if he suddenly decided he wanted to seek revenge on me for treating him the way I did in school—I'm sure no one would blame him if he did—would I be able to survive the emotional and physical damage if he did?

He wouldn't do something like that to me, would he? It sent shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

It was clear he had the upper hand—both physically and emotionally—to crush me because even if he wasn't aware of it, he had my heart in his hands to do whatever he pleased no matter how scared I currently was of him.

And there was another issue: I had no idea where we were or why I wasn't in my house! But, knowing how things had turned out, I knew I wouldn't be surprised at all if I was told that it had everything to do with Kyle.

"I know it's all your fault! And if anything happens to him, Andrew, I swear to God, I'll rip your head from your miserable bully's body!" Becky yelled, and I was brought back to the situation at hand.

Becky had returned from wherever she had flown off to, and she looked like a normal teenage girl again. But everything changed as soon as she realized we were alone and Kyle was nowhere to be found. She had lost it, her face turned murderous, and the next thing I knew, she started yelling at me.

I mean, who could blame her? She was Kyle's best friend, and it was completely obvious that she was in love with him. She had every right to defend her friend; after all, I did everything she was accusing me of.

Everything happened in a flash. Becky and everyone else had missed the whooshing sound around his massive wings, but I hadn't; how could I, when I'd been waiting for that sound by my window every single night since the first time I met him? Pathetic, I know.

He landed with a steady flap of his wings on one of the many fire escape balconies of the tall apartment building opposite the one I, Matt and Abert were currently standing against, while Becky's back was to him as she continued raining insults down on me unaware of him.