The Secret (Book 1 of the Secret Series)

Chapter 13.

KATARA

I looked back at Max after I was done drawing. His eyes were closed as he lay on my bed, his breathing slow as he snored quietly. He was asleep. I smiled a little and turned back to my picture. It was Tonnie, and he was hanging upside down in a tree as he laughed at Dell. Dell was laying on the ground laughing so hard that he was crying. I smiled wider as I remembered what had happened that day.

It had been the day that Dell had made a surprise visit from wherever he had been and somehow, Tonnie had known that he would be there. Dell had a favorite tree that he loved to sit and read under, so Tonnie had hid up in it and waited for him to go and sit under it. He waited an hour up in that tree, waiting for Dell to be very comfortable, then swung down, his legs wrapped around the branch so that he wouldn't fall. He scared the living daylights out of him and I had just gotten out there to tell Dell that mom wasn't home anymore. She and dad had gone out to do whatever, so we were there by ourselves. I hadn't expected it, so it scared me.

I had run to my room, scared so bad that I was in tears, and it wasn't from laughing either.

I had caught a glimpse out my window and seen them laughing, then Tonnie had asked where I was. They stopped laughing and started searching for me then. They found me a few minutes later, huddled in the corner of my closet crying.

"Tara." Tonnie sighed as he pulled me close. "I didn't mean to scare you baby. You just came out at the wrong time." I hugged him so tight that he had made me pull away, because he couldn't breathe. "How about we go out and get some ice cream. You, me, and Dell. Does that sound good?" that cheered me up quickly...

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"Katara?" I opened my eyes and looked at Max. He looked at me, then the picture in my lap. I smiled some.

"I remembered something." I said and looked at it with him. "Thinking back on this one, it was silly, but he had scared me so bad that I was hiding in my closet."

"What did he do?" I smiled a little more, and then started to tell him the story. I told him about how he found me and took me out to get the ice cream and then took me to a movie. It was a kiddy movie, but it was one that I had wanted to see since I saw the commercial. "The Little Mermaid?" he laughed as I leaned back on the bed. I turned on my side and closed my eyes.

"The second one." I laughed back. "Ariel had a little girl, Melanie, and Ursula had a sister that was just as evil as she was. Instead of turning her daughter human, the sister turned her into a mermaid. Ariel was always my favorite princess." he breathed a laugh. "Anyway, Tonnie sat there throughout the whole movie, then went and bought me the soundtrack for both movies. He did it all to cheer me up." I opened my eyes and sighed. "I miss him."

"He sounds like he was the best brother anyone could ever have." Max said as he looked at me. He was laying on his side watching and listening. "Reminds me of my little brother."

"I didn't know you have a brother." I said and his eyes grew sad. He looked away, but didn't move. He sighed and I got it. "Oh." I whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay I guess." he answered. I started to shake my head, but he looked at me and went on. "It was a few years ago. Some guys caught us snooping around when I was fifteen. Derick was twelve. I knew it was a bad idea, but he was so bent on trying to see the 'undercover operation' that was happening just outside of camp. Little did we know... that the rumors were true.

"We were caught, and they tortured us." he breathed shakily and closed his eyes. I touched his cheek and had to stop myself from breathing so hard when an electric shock ran through me. He took my hand and squeezed tightly. "We were both shot twice when they couldn't get information from us. He died, but Dell was able to save me." he shook and curled in a little. It was like he was trying to stop the memories. I remembered doing that so many times before. I knew what it felt like and it was so scary how the tables had turned.

Only a little while ago this was me, trying to stop the memories from intruding, and him comforting me, now it was him and I needed to comfort him.

"Max." I whispered. He didn't answer. "Max, look at me please." he didn't. Slowly, I started to sit up, but I didn't make it up, because he was on top of me, his hands holding mine over my head, his body pressing into mine. I looked up at him, my breathing quick and shaky.

His eyes were darker than their light blue, consumed by the torment of the loss of his brother. His hands weren't soft and gentle anymore as he held me down now. His face was set and pale.

"Max." I breathed as he looked down at me with those sad, fearful, eyes. "You're okay." he didn't move. "Max. Max, I promise you, you are okay." his hands started to loosen, so I kept talking. "You aren't there anymore okay. You are here with me and I am going to do what I do best and I am going to protect you. I won't let them touch you again." he breathed shakily and closed his eyes.

"Promise?" he asked quietly.

"I promise Max." I answered. Slowly, he let go of my hands and moved his to the side of my head. I touched his cheek again and he looked at me again. He didn't move, just looked down at me as we breathed together, both of us in shaky, unsure breaths. "I promise." he nodded some and slowly pulled away. I lay there quietly a minute as I tried to regain control of my body, mind, and breathing. It didn't come easily.

Max stayed on his side as he closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was asleep again. I sighed tiredly and closed my eyes. Slowly, I fell asleep next to him.