Fates Fickle Ways

Chapter Thirteen

   Jake: Ella?
    Jake: I need you to be safe.

    I was stuck. I could get much further so much quicker with Jake's help. Regardless, I knew he wouldn't tell me anything. He valued my safety more than anything, and his pursuers threatened that once already. The more I knew, the more danger I was in. He would find out what I was doing behind the scenes eventually, hopefully when that day came I would be close enough to finishing my task.

    Ella: I am. I promised him answers.
    Jake: I see.
    Jake: When will you be leaving Duskwood?
    Ella: In a few days. I want to make sure everyone is okay first, and be able to spend some time with them.
    Jake: If I could've stayed with you, I would have.
    Jake: You...you don't know how hard it was to leave you.
    Ella: I know.

    "Ella!" I heard footsteps approaching me, when I looked up I noticed Hannah was walking toward me. "Hello, Hannah." I had the feeling she wanted to have a conversation with me. She walked right up with a smile on her face. This was almost as awkward as her first hug, I found myself hoping no more of those were involved. "Can we talk over lunch?" she was holding her hand out towards Cafe Rainbow. "Of course." I grinned at her. Hopefully my nerves would wear off before we got seated. It was one thing seeing Lilly or any of the others in person, I had gotten to know them a bit. Hannah may as well be a complete stranger. A stranger whose life I had a part of saving...we could add that to the Duskwood is Strange list.

    We'd gotten a table and our drink orders were placed, all while she was babbling on about her friends and how much they had told her about me. I felt another Thank you  coming on and did my best to avoid it. I found myself unable to hold back the one question I've wanted to ask her since the beginning of all of this. "Why did you send Thomas my number? Why me?" I leaned back in my chair, waiting to hear a grand story about my involvement in this. Instead, I was faced with more questions as her face twisted. "I didn't. I never had my phone." She looked down at the table, unsure of what else to say.