The strength to resist

Chapter 6- Sunflowers and Red Roses

Dispite everything going on, I still decided to go, like Jonathan suggested and try to talk some sence into Jacob's mind.

The door to his office was half closed. I could hear Jacob yell.

"How are the half of our crops dead plants?" He asked a girl.

"I think it's the soil that is polluted because of the explosion." She responded.

"Then do something against it. Find another place. I don't know." Jacob said.

But I knew what to do and so I knocked.

"Yes?" asked Jacob so I stepped into the office. I froze for a second when I saw Arthur sitting next to Jacob. He sighed.

"What do you want? You have two seconds."

"I know how you can make the soils fertile again." I said.

"Where you listening to us? You are not doing a good job of convincing us you aren't a spy you know that Darcy?" Jacob said.

"Well you shouldn't have left the doors open Jacob." I retorted.

"The go on miss I know everything." He said annoyed.

"You should plant Sunflower seeds. They can absorb the toxin that is in the soil."

"Of course. Why didn't i think o fit earlier." Arthur said rubbing his hands in his face. "Sunflowers can absorb and store toxins through the phytoremediation process."

He taught me that in Biology. We looked at each other for a few seconds.

"Spare us the details." Jacob said. "Go on! Find us some sunflower seeds." Jacob said to the girl. And so she left.

"Thank you. I think you just saved all of our asses." Jacob took a deep breath. "I guess you didn't came for the sunflower seeds, did you?"

I shook my head. "Now that you saw that I am useful maybe you trust me more? Look the situation is really urgent. We need to act now." I said with a firm voice. I wanted to convince him.

"Look. This is very noble of you to suddenly care about other people but my guys need to rest. They went through too much for me to ask them to fight again."

"Then can you let me leave so I can look for help?" I already knew the answer but it was worth a shot.

Jacob laughed. "Honey this isn't how it works. You are our prisoner. You stay here."

I was about to leave his office but then Jacob opened his mouth.

"Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

I turned around.

The tone in his voice changed. He got curious. "Why are you so suddenly agains Ezra? I remember once you let a guy carry you trough the mud because you didn't want your shoes to get dirty." He laughed.

"Ezra ordered it." I simply answered.

"But you let him do this." 

Arthur was observing the situation. But he waited for my answer too.

"There is this girl..." Arthur lowered this gaze. "She didn't treat me differently. She wasn't scared to tell me the truth. To yell at me. She was real. And she wasn't scared of anything. Not even Ezra."

"How romantic." Jacob mocked me and laughed.

"Why do you say "was"? Is she dead?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know." Right here right now I was ready to break down. "That is why I need your help. Because I am not the only one with a loved one who is trapped in Highland. You can laugh all you want Jacob. But you are in need of love too." I said and left.

How many times will I have to come back until Jacob changes his mind?

"Hey Darcy wait for me!" Arthur called.

I turned around looking at him annoyed.

"I am sorry for yesterday night... It's just that since you are here a lot of big feelings are coming up."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked annoyed and turned back around to leave.

"No wait!" He grabbed my arm softly. "I want to make things right."

I stood still, thinking about his offer. "Alright." I said.

"You can show me this waterfall where Jonathan took you?"

***

We were already walking for a while and my feet started to hurt. But it was worth it.

"Do you remember the french exange student?" I asked him and we started to laugh.

"Do you remember when he was caught smoking in the toilets?" He asked me back and I nodded.

"Stop please" I blurted out.

"Look! I think we are here!" Arthur exclaimed pointing at the waterfall. "Then let's go find out if I can fly." He screamed taking of his shirt while running towards the edge. Arthur screamed even louder when he jumped.

I jumped right after. "Did you see that? I could swear I was like levitating for a few seconds." I said laughing.

"But that's not flying Darcy." He answered laughing. "You lost."

"Come on! So, you have won? What? Nerdiest guy on earth?" I asked teasing him.

He splashed water on me and it broke out in a water fight.

"I am sorry for not being on your side when you wanted Jacob's help to go to Highland." He apologized when we were drying off in the sun. "It's just that I am not ready to face him."

Maybe it was the sadness in his voice, maybe it was because of the birds who chirped or maybe it was because of the sun who hit my face just in the right way... I forgave him and the fight yesterday was forgotten.

And most importantly: I understood. "It's not Ezra that you will be facing. It's a twisted version of him who only acts tough."

We looked into each other's eyes. "I am so sorry you had to be with him." He said touching my cheek. He moved closer to me.

"I am sorry to have been so awful with you. I never wanted you to feel like you were not good enough." My answer was just a whisper as he was looking at my lips. I leaning in to kiss... Amelia. No, what was I doing?

"I am sorry Arthur... I can't..." I stood up and ran back to the hotel.