Burning Bridges

Chapter 15

"Hey," Jaden whispered to me on top of the rooftop.

"Hey, come sit," I gestured to him, making room on the duct for him.

"You've been up here for so long that I figured I would check on you." Has it really been that long?

"Yeah, I like to think." Jaden laid down beside me and looked up at the stars.

"About life or about me?"

"Maybe a bit of both." I could feel the intensity of his stare as I continued to look up.

"Is your gang ever coming back for you?" I couldn't lie to him, so I shrugged. Silence emitted the air for a couple of minutes before I spoke up again.

"Thanks for taking care of me here."

"Of course, you know, I recognized you from before. Before all of this. You looked so...confident in the way you would do things like you could take on the world. I guess I liked that about you and wanted to help you out. I was surprised at first when you came into our territory, but you just looked...lost. You still do-but it's okay to feel like that..."

"I was so stupid, Jaden. Joining a gang at sixteen, thinking they would help me. Those kinds of people don't because we're the bad guys."

"I wouldn't necessarily call us that. It's doing what you can to survive."

"But it's immoral."

"That has to be our reality sometimes. I know you hate it as much as me, but we don't get the same opportunities as others."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"Hey," Jaden began while gripping my chin lightly to look at him. "Let me share a story with you about my past. It may make you feel better. I grew up in a semi-nice area around here for a couple of years before my parents died in a car accident. From that point on, I wanted to save others. Maybe be a doctor or a police officer, but life had other plans. No one at the adoption center wanted me until I turned eighteen and was forced to leave. I was stupid and joined a gang. What I mean by all of this is that I never got to save others. I had to go around killing in order to save myself. It's selfish, but that's reality."

"I'm sorry your parents died."

"It's not your fault, but you know, it taught me to be stronger. I got a new family in a way." I didn't respond to him because that comment shouldn't have hurt as much as it did. Immediately, I looked away from him.

"Violet...I didn't mean it like that. Sorry, that's a touchy subject for you."

"It's okay." I tore my attention to the sky again. "Do you see why I like it up here? It's quite peaceful, and my worries go away."

"Yeah, I really do."

"The sky is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it truly is." I peered over at him to see him looking directly at me with a faithful expression. It took my breath away.

"How do you know the sky is beautiful if you're not even looking at it?"

"Because I was talking about you." His lips on mine emitted a gasp from me. He kissed me like he had all the time in the world. The warmth of his body on mine sent those butterflies into action again. The way he relaxed into the kiss made me feel at ease.

The kiss felt better than I could have imagined. It was like our mouths molding together were meant to be. Like they fit together. The moment slowly came to an end as I looked up at Jaden with a look of haziness.

His arms on mine sent chills down my body as we laid side by side. This moment was one that I wanted to remember forever. We could stay wrapped up in this night for the next couple of hours before hell broke loose.

We only have the time to live now, so I'm going to make it count. With that, I drew Jaden in for another kiss with a stronger intensity than before. It was even better than the first time because I was ready for it, yet it still took my breath away. It was just us two against the world, and for once, I wasn't afraid. We had each other, and we could overcome whatever life throws at us.

But that wasn't our reality, I thought as I pulled away. We don't get a happy ever after. We can't be together as enemies. It was never going to work out, but that doesn't mean I don't want him.

If anything, I want Jaden more than anything because of that. I would go to great lengths for that to happen if it meant I had a chance at happiness. Too bad my happy moment has to come to an end because I have to lose the one person I wanted. To the wrath of my gang.