Blank Spaces (A Maze Runner fanfic)

Chapter 8 (Alice's POV)

I'm pressed up against Newt's warm chest when we break the tree line again. His arms are wrapped tightly around me. He glances at me, asking with his warm eyes if I can walk. I shake my head slightly but tense. The smallest bit of movement stretches a cut somewhere on my body. He feels me tense and presses me closer to him. I'm shaking even though it's not cold. The world around me sounds and looks fuzzy. I here murmuring and Gally's name. I don't want to focus on him now, though. Not after what just happened. Out of the corner of my eye I see Alby and Minho restraining Gally and walking toward a large, sturdy looking building. Lizzy trails behind them. I can't believe that she thinks Minho doesn't like her. It's obvious that he does. Newt turns and begins to walk toward another wooden building. My eyes feel heavy and my head feels worse. It droops as if someone has put a thousand pounds worth of rocks replacing my brain. We enter the building just as I fall asleep to the sound of Newt's beating heart.

I wake later that day to Newt standing over me. I notice my bra has been replaced with a layer of thick bandages. At least I feel more protected. I sit up and look to Newt. When I get out of the trance his bright eyes pull me into, I find my words. "Thank you, for everything. Especially getting that freak off me."

"What all happened anyway?" Newt asked. I glance at the tentative other males in the room. "Those are the Med-jacks," he says. I nod curtly at them. I get a warm smile back. "You can trust them." I nod again and begin. I tell the story from beginning to end. Every horrifying detail. I can still picture the scenes in my mind. I can see him. Feel him. Newt tenses throughout the story. I finish the story. At this point, his knuckles are white while his face is red with anger. A single tear slides down my cheek. He takes his hand and brushes it away. "It's time for dinner, you think you can walk?" I nod. He whips the blanket off of me and I sling my arm over his broad shoulders. He hoists me to my feet. I stumble but manage to keep my balance. Newt places my arm around his waist giving me a chance to feel his warmth again. We begin to walk. It was just when walking to eat dinner that I notice his limp. It's heavy but he seems to not want to talk about it. The way he tries to disguise it tells me this. Suddenly, he talks. "I'll keep that shank away from you," he says, protectively. "I promise," he finishes, his voice cracking. Affection? No, it's probably just friendship. Why would he like me, he barely knows me. However, I do feel something. Memories trying to push through the set oblivion they're bound to. We get our food and head to the table where Lizzy sits along with Minho, Thomas, and Chuck. Lizzy stands up, hugs me, and then I remember. Gally. I sit gingerly next to my sister and Newt sits next to me. I hastily look around, though I don't see him. I feel my face heat in anger and disgust. As if reading my mind, my sister pipes up.

"He's not around," she says.

"Good," I say back, relief filling me. I pick at my food. Suddenly, Newt makes a move. Beneath the table, he sets a warm hand on my knee. Under his hand tingles and the sensation shoots up my leg and fills the rest of my body, as if he has some sort of electricity to him. I blush and he notices, smirking. He begins to eat and I follow his lead. In the middle of eating I lightly let my hand brush across his. I feel him tense at my touch and look at his face. He now blushes. He looks down at his food in a failed attempt to cover it up. I just smirk and give a small chuckle. Thomas is the first to break the silence.

"So, how was the tour?" he asks, taking a bite of his food.

"Eh," Lizzy says with a shrug.

"It was okay," I finish. For the past few minutes Minho has been staring at my sister. My oblivious sister. She finally looks up and notices Minho, but looks directly back at her plate as her face heats up. Minho looks down and chuckles to himself. SHE IS SO GOD DAMN OBLIVIOUS IF SHE DOESNT THINK THIS BOY IS IN LOVE WITH HER. I'm screaming and laughing in my head and it's becoming hard to control in the real world. Minho gives me something else to focus on. Hopefully I don't just burst out laughing for no reason.

"Eh?" he says. "Was the grand tour not exciting enough for you?" He chuckles again.

"Well," my sister finally stops being an unsocial tomato and regains her composure. "I learned you're Keeper of the Runners," she says, grinning like the madman she truly is. She stands. "Well, I have been wearing the same clothes the past two days and I smell pretty damn bad so I'm gonna go take a shower," she says before jogging off in the direction of the showers. The rest of dinner is fairly uneventful. Small talk of the events of the day. I had to go over the story again and by the time I was done Newt looked like he wanted to kill Gally all over again. Even the three other guys looked pissed. When dinner's over I head to the Homestead. Im scared to go to sleep, so I lay in the cool room staring at the ceiling. I sort through the day's events. Why did Gally do that? Does he like me? Yes, he has to dumb ass, he freaking tried to rape you. Why though? We've barely even talked. I continue to argue with myself until my sister comes in, piercing my thoughts.

"Hey sister," she says. I sit up, exasperated by my thoughts.

"Gally is..." I shake my head, trying to clear the feeling of him on me out of my head.

"Gally?" she asks. I nod. We both give a dry laugh. I tuck my legs up to my chest causing Newt's shirt to drape under me, revealing all of my dark blue shorts. As if on cue, Newt walks in. His eyes trail up and down me. This majorly turn me on. I have no idea why, but something about those eyes is so powerful. So...hot.

"I know that slinthead is in the Slammer, but I don't think you should sleep here," he says. His voice is coded with worry. As if trying to make the room any hotter he rubs the back of his neck. Such a small action, but such a huge turn on. My face goes red. Oh what I would give to have his hands on me. His lips on me. Him on m-. DAMMIT NEWT. What is this boy doing to me. My sister is staring dead at me. I stand and give her a good shove before following a smirking Newt out of the Homestead. I'm not sure where we're going at first, but then it clicks. We're going to his hut. Oh my god are we going to sleep together. From what I saw, his bed is a twin. Perfect. I really wish these thoughts would stop, but they don't. I don't know if I love it or hate it. We arrive at his hut and go inside. He strips off his shirt revealing his perfect body and lays on the bed. I stand insecurely in the doorway with a hand behind my back. I'm sweating like crazy. Is it hot in here or is it just him. I take my shirt off instinctively, just for going to bed. Newt suddenly blushes. I realize what he's thinking.

"Relax," I say,"I'm not gonna fuck you."

"Shuck," he corrects, smirking devilishly,"and are you sure? You seemed pretty needy in the Homestead." My face flushes red. He shakes his head. "Slim it and get in the bloody bed." I do as he says, slipping under the blanket next to him. I feel his heat radiating onto me. "No no," he says. "I want you on the inside." He picks me up, rolling me on top of him to the inside of the bed. I notice for the first time a window perched over the bed. I can't see the moon, but the stars twinkle bright and the sky glows dark blue.

"It's a beautiful night," I say. I'm baffled by what I hear him mumble next.

"Oh Alice," he mumbles, wrapping his arm around my waist. "It's nothing, compared to you." I'm stunned by this.

"What was that?" I question teasingly.

"Nothing, it was nothing," he finishes. None the less, I fall asleep with those words ringing in my ears. Like angels from heaven.