The Secret (Book 1 of the Secret Series)

Chapter 10.

TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT

I breathed shakily as I fell to my knees, another dizzy spell taking me down, I moaned as I wrapped my arms around myself and rested my head against the floor. I felt so sick.

What was wrong with me?

There was a knock on the door and I sat up and leaned into the wall as it opened. I looked at Max, closed my eyes, and smiled as he came in. I hadn't seen much of Jonathan since the night we made out, and Caleb was on a mission with Roberts and Kyle (thank goodness). They had been gone a week, which worried me a little, but if I could be rid of Kyle for any amount of time, I would deal.

Max took one look at me and was instantly ready to ask questions about how I was feeling or something else.

"I'm fine." I lied. "Just sitting here, thinking about what I am going to draw." part of that wasn't a lie. I really had been thinking about what I was going to draw next, when I got very dizzy suddenly. He sighed, and I wasn't so sure that he believed me, but he didn't press it, for which I was grateful. "Come help me up." I told him and stuck out my hands. He smiled some and came over to me. He grabbed my hands and pulled me up. I stumbled and he wrapped his arms around me as I giggled. He laughed and hugged me, then let me go. I almost stumbled from another wave of dizziness, but managed to keep in control.

"So any ideas yet?" he asked and we walked over to the bed. The bed, that for the last two weeks has been undisturbed by any man while I slept. Yes, I missed having someone hold me at night, but it was better than feeling like a whore for the rest of my life. I looked at Max as we sat down and smiled. He was the person that I felt most comfortable with, even though I had known Caleb longer. I just felt like Max and I had more in common, and got along better than Caleb and I ever had. He was the one that was the kindest to me, even when he was dragging me in.

Max was a man with many secrets. Some that I had figured out already and some that I was going to figure out, before too long. Those secrets could be sad, dangerous, funny, bad memories, and so on, but I planned on figuring out Max, because I loved a mystery.

"No." I said picking up my sketchbook and looking at the the little doodles that I had drawn out of boredom. I had even made up a few poems and put them in a cool font. I had gotten really bored.

"That's good." he said and took the book from me. He traced the words and pictures as he looked at it. He flipped through the pages and I turned to my bedside table and grabbed my pencil pouch. "This is different." Max said and I looked at him again. He was looking at a picture of someone. It was an old one, but I remembered that one.

Slowly, I took the book from him again and looked at it. I traced his face and sighed.

"This is Jessie." I said and looked at Max again. "He's a kid I met when I was seven. I don't remember much about him, but I remember this day. He saved my life." Max looked at me. "Wow, this is twelve years old... I haven't looked through this thing in a very long time." I breathed a laugh. "Jessie wasn't liked by many people, but he was an awesome person, once you got to know him. He was like a brother to me. I don't remember much about him, but he is one of those people, that you never forget..." I sighed and looked down. "He and his brother were killed three weeks before Jarrod came for me."

"How did he save you?"

"He and his brother were part of a foster home family." I answered and leaned back. I remember going over there all the time, it was like I grew up there myself. Kids everywhere and it was cool. Well, one day, one of his foster sisters said some mean things to me, and me being a kid, I ran... but I didn't go to an adult, no, I ran right out the door and into the road, where I fell and my foot got stuck in the gutter. Well, there was a speeding car coming and the driver didn't see me. I was big for my age, but not bug enough.