Love, Camping

Chapter 18 | Triangle

Jessica Timbers P.O.V.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

Alex stood in front of us, pale as ghost. His eyes staring inanimately at us. The water bottle in his hand dropped and rolled into the stream.

The next thing I knew, he crossed the distance between us and shook me away from Derrick. His jaw was tense, and his hands were almost shaking as he held me.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" He shouted.

Derrick stumbled back, taken aback by Alex's sudden presence.

My heart jumped into my throat and I acted on my reflex. I knew from the looks of Alex that everything would go worse if I do not step in.

"Alex stop!" I jumped in between them but he pushed me away and advanced towards Derrick.

Fuck!

He was furious, enraged even. My heart drummed in my ears and I gulped.

"No Alex! Wait stop!" I pushed his chest and held him back, my little body crushing into his large one to prevent him from moving.

Derrick had stepped away from us with an impassive face.

"Was.It.Him?" He seethes, "Did he kiss you?"

He wanted the truth from me than from what he saw. And from one look at him I knew I went too far and needed to tell him the truth.

"No! It was not him! I kissed him!"

And there I spilled it, feeling his whole body turn stone in a second.

Alex froze, all life sucked out of his body. His hard eyes remained unblinking on my head and I felt a tsunami of tears wash over me.

He pulled me away from him and stared at me, unbelieving.

"What?" His voice came out as a doubtful whisper.

I gulped, a chill running down my spine.

He stared at me blankly.

My throat went as dry as a desert and my mind as blank as a canvas. The adrenaline as it rushed, dissolved as fast.

"I- It was me." I stutter, dropping my eyes to my feet.

Time stood dead as Alex watched us. The chilly wind slapped harshly across my body.

Derrick moved beside me and placed his hand on the small of my back. I clutched the end of my dress.

"Fuck you." He spat.

I winced at his words, feeling like a thousand draggers piercing through my heart.

I watched him step back before turning and leaving.

I went after him but someone pulled my wrist. I looked at Derrick.

"Let him go." He said, his face serious.

I frowned. At that moment, I felt tied and yanked from both sides.

"I need to talk to him." I pleaded to him.

I pulled my hand from his and rushed in the direction where Alex disappeared.

"Alex wait!"

Stumbling and cursing, I ran after him. The sharp rocks and pebbles pricked my feet as I skipped my shoes in a hurry.

I called him again, but he ignored my cries, picking up his pace. He was almost out of reach now, both literally and metaphorically.

"Ow f*ck!" I groaned, falling hard on the ground.