until the very end

part 29

“Did Jax and you have sex on the cliffs yesterday night?”
“What?” I snapped out of my thoughts and turned my head to look at Aria. She was watching me with big, excited eyes.

She laughed, nudging me. “Oh come on, you were gone for ages. Did you really think I believed your excuse about looking for food?”
I raised an eyebrow as if offended. “I’ve known the guy for literally one day. Did you think I would sleep with someone after knowing them for one day?”
“Euh, yes?”
I rolled my eyes. I stayed silent for a couple seconds. We had taken on our journey early this morning – way too early for my liking, especially since yesterday’s hangover was still getting the worst of both Jax and me. Now we were walking through the forest. I had wisely traded the heels for more comfortable, black leather boots. Aria and I formed the front, Ellie and Brend followed a couple meters behind us and Jax and Calum closed the parade. Occasionally, Aria and I had to use our knives to cut away the tighter getting bushes. I could only hope that Calum really did know where we were going. My eyes were caught by a big, remarkable willow next to the path. A good recognition point in case we would get lost: the tree was impossible to miss.
“Well? Did you?” Aria raised her eyebrows encouragingly.
“We did,” I finally answered. I decided lying was easier than telling the truth.

“Nuts! I knew it!” She yelled out, slapping my shoulder enthusiastically.
“Ouch, jeez.” I rubbed my shoulder, scolding at her. “How many times do I need to tell you? Your punches are way harder than you make it look.”
Aria just laughed. “Tell me. How was it?”
“It was just fine.” I shrugged, trying to keep a casual voice.

“Fine? Is that good or bad?”
“Fine is just… fine. Like most of the sex I’ve had in my life. Just okay, not spectacular.”
She nodded slowly, silent for a few seconds as she thought it through, before firing the next question.
“So? Do you like him?”
“I already told you I don’t.”
She shrugged. “A girl can dream. I’m still dreaming of being your bridesmaid one day.” She winked before cheerfully swinging her knife to cut off a large branche that was blocking our way.

I made a gagging noise. Then I turned to look at her, studying her with a raised eyebrow.
“You seem awfully happy.”
Aria blushed.
“How was your talk with Calum?” I asked.
“Gwen, he’s so sweet.” She bit her lip, smiling. “At first, I was afraid I would have scared him by asking him so many questions. But we talked for a really long time, he told me he wouldn’t mind telling me all the things he liked about him every day until I would believe him, and by the way he looked at me… I’ve never felt this beautiful.” She looked up at me, her eyes were sparkling.

“Hm. Alright.” I nodded slowly. “He better keeps on making you feel this way, otherwise I’ll give him an actual reason to be scared.”
“Nuts! Don’t always be so skeptical!” She went to smack me around the head. I could dodge just in time.
“He’s not going to hurt me, Gwen,” Aria said. “I think I really like him.”
“I do have to admit, it’s nice to finally see you happy again,” I said, swiftly cutting off a large tree without slowing my pace. “I know it’s been a tough few weeks with everything that’s going on, being possessed by Gaia, receiving those anonymous threats…”
She bit her lip, her smile fading. “I hope he won’t be able to find me here.”
“You don’t know if it’s him,” I said.
She shook her head resolutely. “I do know, Gwen. I’ve known my brother all my life. I can feel it in my bones.” She shuddered.

I had nothing to say to that.
Ellie popped up in between us, roughly shoving me aside. I shot her a glare, while demonstratively rubbing my shoulder.

“I’m sick of walking with your brother, Gwen,” she stated. “He keeps rambling about some nightmare he had about an army of frogs.”
“Well, I would also be terrified if I woke up and the first thing I saw was your face,” I said dryly.
Aria rolled her eyes. “Come on Gwen, be nice for once.”
I stopped walking and waited for Brend to catch up with me. He didn’t look up, but kept his gaze focused on the ground in front of him.
“What’s up, Brend?” I asked.
He shrugged, still not looking up. “I had a bad dream,” he mumbled.
“I heard.”
“I was just walking in the forest, all by myself at night… and t-then there was this big, ugly frog staring at me from a branch in front of me…” His breathing intensified and he finally looked up. His eyes flickered left to right nervously. “Then I went to turn around and run… but then there were more… and they all came after me…”
I sighed. “Skyler really did a number on you when she put that frog in your tea, didn’t she?”
“And… and I must have been screaming in my sleep, because then I woke up to Ellie slapping me in the face and tell me to stop acting out my dreams.”
“She hit you?!” I clenched my fists, glaring at the girl walking in front of me. “Seems like it’s time to have a word with her.”
“No! Gwen, don’t.” Brend grabbed my arm. “She’s going through a lot. She’s not dealing well with the loss of her brother.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured that when I walked in on her trying to smash your skull with a machete,” I replied sarcastically.