Leap Before You Think

Chapter 12

 I roll over in my bed and close my eyes tight. When I open them I accidentally look at the clock. It's three A.M. and I still can't sleep. Judah's story keeps playing through my head and to make matters worse I've conjured up images.

A beautiful woman with long blond curls plays his mother, a tall handsome man with straight dark blonde hair plays his father, and three babies with light blond hair play his siblings. I've even managed to form a young Judah in my mind, he resembles his present self only younger and cuter.

I roll over again, I hate all of this so much. Maybe I should have asked him to stop when I could but his story was so captivating. I really do owe him my own story now. Even thinking about how it all happened makes tears burn my eyes. You know what, I'm just not gonna sleep tonight. It's not like it's the first time. I rub my eyes with the tips of my fingers and sit upright. Grabbing the brush from my nightstand, brush out my hair and pull it into a fish-tail braid. I get changed and then walk out of my room. I don't stop walking till I get to the boy's room. I try twisting the knob but it's locked, of course, it is. I pull a bobby pin out of my hair and pick the lock. I struggle for a bit trying to get the pin in at the right angle but then I hear the familiar click. I open the door and walk into their room.

Their room is darker than mine and much hotter. It is also a different setup, but I know it like my own room. I tip-toe over to Judah's bed and shake his shoulder. He has on no shirt and is sweating. His eyes fly open and his hand flies out directed toward my throat. I know the move, it is another thing he and Harper shared. I doge him thankfully avoiding a painful accident. When he pulls his hand back I lean my head down over him, my hair falling around my face. I probably look a little creepy. Hope I scare him a bit.

"Can we talk?"

"Lorie . . .what? Are you okay?"

"Yes,"

He sits up and pats the space next to him but I shake my head. I don't want to talk here and risk waking up Jackson, if he stays asleep it will only look like Judah woke up before him and got an early start to the day. Though that hardly ever happens.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep and I don't want to wake Piper, she's awful in the morning. So can we take a walk and talk? Please?"

"Alright,"

He slowly gets out of bed then grabs a jacket and pulls it on. He holds out his hand to me and I take it.

"What's on your mind?" He asks as we walk down the main hall.

"Your story," I say looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that."

"No, it's not like that. I just feel like I owe you now."

"You don't."

"Okay. Still, I want to tell you mine."

"If that's what you want."

I nod my head, "I know you've heard rumors, I was young and let things slip but none of it's true."

"So you didn't push them out of a moving train."

"What? That is what people have said."

"No. Just wanted to lighten the mood a bit." He winks at me and I laugh.

"Okay," I take a shaky breath and then begin my story. "My story isn't quite as horrific as yours but it is up there." "

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I've never been more sure." I take another deep breath, "We had been driving to the playground that day. I loved the playground so much when I was younger. It was a thirty-minute drive from my house, I had asked my mother how much longer till we got to the park about twenty times. It had been forever since we'd been there. Father had laughed and told me to be patient, he often told me that. But again, I loved it, especially the swing sets. Eventually, I stopped asking as tiredness slowly took hold of me. My parents kept me awake by making jokes and laughing during the rest of the ride. I think I had been having a bad day or maybe it was week and my parents wanted to spend time with me, but it's all a little fuzzy."