Intentional Killer - Book 2 In The Jessie Series

Chapter 3: The Storage Room

I sat curled in the corner of the storage room trying my best to disappear. I ground my teeth so hard it was making my throbbing head worse. But it was that or I fall apart.  The others left me alone, which I was grateful for. I would have snapped and said or did something I would regret later, so I stayed away. They were loud and wild, screaming and laughing. I understood that everyone deals with things differently, but this seemed...wrong. More then half the guys were dead. Chuck's lifeless body was left behind in some facility. Gally was controlled by the Designers and died a stupid pointless death. I still had no idea about Sonya and Harriet and the girls from my first maze. I closed my eyes and leaned my head onto the wall beside me .

Right now I wanted to break down and cry or break something. The ball of anxiety was mixing with the burning rage and it was not a good combination. I felt like I could explode at any moment, anything could set me off. While I was brooding footsteps approached. 

"What Minho?" I growled. "I'm not joining in on that stupid waist of food." 

"I didn't ask you too."

I opened my eyes and glared at him. He sank to the ground in front of me. He was holding a plate of food, and placed it in my lap. I took it and placed it on the ground beside me.

"I'm not hungry." 

"Jess-"

"I'm fine." 

"Yes clearly." 

"I didn't care about any of them.." The bitter lie flew from my mouth faster then I could stop it. I could see the hurt and shock in his eyes before they turned hard. 

"You're such a fucken liar Jessie." He whispered. "I saw the way you panicked when you saw Phil. You fucken threw yourself at the Griever when Jeff was in the way. You were trying to talk Gally down, and then screamed your heart out when Chuck..." He cleared his throat, "Point is, I know you care. So stop kidding yourself." 

"Fine Minho! You win! I care! Happy?" I yelled. The room had stilled, the others turned their eyes wide.

"You idiots wouldn't leave me the fuck alone and beat all my walls and shields down and then they all go and die and now it hurts. It hurts so shucken much I would rather not have a heart. I'd rather rip it out and then I wouldn't have to feel anything! Ever! I lost everyone from my first home! And now this! I can't anymore!" I finally paused for a breath. I had hot bitter tears running down my dirty, sweaty beat up face. "And I don't know how to fix it! Fix it Minho! Fix it, please!" I broke. The damn broke and I hung my head and sobbed. I sobbed over my baby shank. 

I felt Minho grab me and pull me into his lap, his arms around me. I felt safe. I felt warm. I was home. And I let the tears fall. And they didn't seem to want to stop, they kept coming. My body shook with each heart wrenching sob. Minho didn't rush it, he just held me, his forehead resting on the top of my head, his own tears ran down his face, I felt them run into my hair. He had know those boys longer then me. I couldn't imagine seeing Sonya's dead body ripped apart by a Griever. Or put a spear through Harriet. 

Once my tears had finally stopped and I was just hiccupping and sniffing, he pulled my face away from his shoulder so he could see me. He held my face in his hands, smoothing my sweaty hair out of my face and my tears from my cheeks. 

"I love you Jessie." He whispered.

"I love you too." 

"Do you feel better?" 

"A little." I shrugged. 

He just smiled at me and pulled me closer and brushed his lips lightly across mine. I sighed in defeat. My body just deflated, I was exhausted. Minho pulled away a bit and he stood up, pulling me with him. The other Gladers had all made themselves comfortable, after eating, there wasn't much to do but wait. Minho stretched out on the table top, an arm behind his head like he was going to take a nap. I sat perched on the bench, tense and anxious. I didn't like being locked up.