The Midnight Hunt

Chapter 4

We left the stupid mutts to deal themselves and went back to our meeting spot we did a head count there and were missing Lexus and John. I told Alice to take the truck and give Crista, Flare, Silvia, and Sandy a ride home reluctantly she did. Joe took Lila home and James took Jane. That left me and Nick “I’ll wait here with you for Alice.” He told me

”But I’m not staying here I’m going to go find Lexus and John. He really hates you huh?” I said

”We should go so we can find them before Alice gets back.”

 We started walking “You didn’t answer me.” I said after a moment.

“What didn’t I answer?” he said but his tone said he knew exactly what, all I did was give him a sideways glance “Oh that. Yah he does, he has good reason.”

I stopped “What?”

“He has good reason to hate any guy around you.”

I kept walking “Why is that?” if I didn’t know better I’d say he was blushing “Well you know. He needs to be territorial.”

“Oh so now I’m his TERRITORY, huh.”

 “You know what I mean.”

“Okay, okay I know what you mean but why does he need to be territorial around you?”

 “Well, um, I’ve known you a long time and we ARE pretty close so, I don’t know I guess he thinks I have feelings for you and that maybe you have them for me.”

 “So you don’t have feelings toward me?” I’m so mean I’m playing with him.

”I didn’t say that.” That sent chills down my spine.

“Oh I... I.. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have.. I mean… I.” I sputtered.

 He interrupted by saying "Please don’t apologize.”

We walked in silence for 5 minutes until for the 3rd time tonight I heard a noise and knocked Nick to the ground. I gestured for him to follow and crawled over to a log on the edge of a clearing and peaked over it was a small clearing a deer walked past on the other side and it wasn’t until then I realized how hungry I was. I saw something else, a girl, in a black dress, Lexus “Oh there she is lets…” he pulled me back down just in time because Lexus turned and stared in our direction, and he pointed out a shadow coming through the trees toward her. As it came out of the shadows I saw it was John “What is he doing?”

I whispered under my breath “Don’t go yet.” Nick whispered to me.

We sat listening to their conversation “Are you okay?” Lexus said.

“Yah what about you honey?”

“Honey? What is he talking about?”

“Shut-it” Nick said to me.

“I’m fine, what took you so long babe?” Lexus questioned moving closer to him.

“BABE!? What the hell is going on!?” Nick squashed my arm.

 “Did anyone follow you?” he said.

“No, you?”

“I ran then I took to the trees when I turned around so no one could have. Okay so why did you want to meet me here?” he said

“Oh just wanted to talk.”

 “Just to talk? Did you have something to give me or do you need a ride?” he sounded like he was hiding something.

“Oh come on baby you’re hiding something what is it? Forget Anabel.” Alarm was rising in my heart. What He said next broke the alarm and my heart

“I already have.” he leaned down and kissed her.

I jumped up to fast to be stopped and ran across the clearing yelling “YOU JERK!!” and slapped him.

 They looked shocked she recovered first and said “He’s mine now.” I tackled her and we rolled around on the ground slapping and punching each other.

When something grabbed my waist from behind and pulled me close I kicked his shin and heard “Anabel! Midnight stop!”

“Nick?” I calmed down a little “Let go of me! I’m going to kill them!” I was fighting as hard as I could.

 ”Come on Bell you’re losing your cool.” He said.

I froze and turned to look at him “Did you just call me Bell? You haven’t called me that for years.”

“You remember that?” he said truly shocked.

 “Anabel I… I… I didn’t mean…” John stumbled over his words.

“Don’t talk to me. I don’t have anything to do with to you, we’re over! Come on Nick lets go.”

“Anabel please let me explain.” he pleaded

“Explain what John, you are a cheater and we are OVER. Hear me O V E R, over! Nick I’m not going to wait for Alice will you give me a ride?”

 “Sure come on.” He said, grabbed my arm and led me away.

    I was in Nick’s car we sat in silence until I couldn’t take it anymore "Thank you, for everything. You didn’t have to stop me you could have left and kept John off your back.”

 “But I didn’t. I didn’t want to leave you there.” I laughed nervously.

We sat in silence “Are you okay you seem like some things bugging you?” I asked

 He looked over at me “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not come on Nick just tell me what’s on your mind.” He sighed

“You’ve had a really tough life Bell, you know that? And one of the few people that you trust turned out to be a cheating moron. I feel like it’s somehow my fault.”

I looked at him surprised “Your fault! It’s not your fault if you’re going to blame anybody for my problems blame me.”

I grabbed his hand obliviously but all he said was “It’s not your fault.”

    We drove along in silence for a while before I broke down in tears crying on Nick’s shoulder. “Oh god, please don’t cry, come on Anabel pull yourself together.”

I sucked in a shaky breath “He really cheated on me didn’t he?”