The Lost Outcast Book Three

Mad Man At the Mall

1 month later

- Jade

Flame and I decided to put the wedding on hold due to college and stuff. We have two months until he goes to college and we wanted to wait until everything is less busy.

Besides we have time anyways. But he seems to want to do it sooner than later.

I did get accepted into a college though. The same one as Firefly and Rose. Us three plan to be roommates.

We already have a dorm at the campus. Flame is not excited that we will be separated, but the colleges are both in California they're about a half hour drive away from eachother.

Nothing too bad. I have decided to go for a degree in education. But as a back up I am getting a degree in psychology.

Right now I am just sitting on the couch scrolling through channels.

My phone rings. I answer the call. "Hey." I say.

"Jade, Rose and I are going to the mall, want to join us?" Firefly asks. "Sure." I say. "Great see you soon. Meet us by the food court." Firefly tells me.

"Ok see you soon." I say. Firefly hangs up and I grab Flame's keys since my car was wrecked.

"Flame. I'm going to the mall to meet up with some friends. Be back in a couple of hours." I tell Flame.

He nods. "Have fun. Love you." Flame says. I smile. "Love you too!" I say as I walk out of the apartment.

Ten minutes later I was at the mall. I checked my phone for messages from Firefly when I heard someone call my name.

I look up and my heart stops.

Winter.

I freeze. He looks much older. Very thin. His light blonde hair is messy which I have never seen before. He has bags under his eyes and a simple white sweatshirt on.

"Aren't you supposed to be in jail?" I whisper. He nods. "I was let out early." he says simply.

My heart is racing so much right now. "You look older. How old are you now? 18? 19? I must say you are beautiful regardless of your resemblance to Qibli." Winter says calmly.

"What do you want?" I whisper. "To talk. Thats all." he says.

I gulp. He looks down. "Is Qibli dead?" he whispers. I can hear the guilt in his voice. I've heard the story, those two were best friends.

I would feel horrible even if I hated them. "No. He survived." I say. Winter looks up hopefully.

"Why didn't you just do it? Why didn't you just kill me when you had the chance?" I ask.

Winter sighs. "Jade, by now you must know that I loved your mother. I loved her so much. I just didn't know how to show love. For me love was dominance. But Moon was so strong, she didn't want anyone to dominate her. I didn't know that, that wasn't love." Winter explains.

"That doesn't excuse what you did. Breaking her arm. Kidnapping me. Abusing me. Tried to murder me." I snap.

Tears threaten to fall from my eyes.

"Listen to me. When we ended. My life had no more purpose. The one person left that I cared about before Moon was Qibli. Hurting her destroyed Qibli as much as it destroyed me. I had no one left." he says.

"Then one day, I saw you, outside in your front yard. You had been playing with Qibli. He went inside for just a moment. All my rage and pain from that clouded my judgement. So I took you." he explained.