Friend Reunion » Theo Raeken

Part 28

"Do you know him?" I asked Scott. We were all standing around the body on the metal table in the Animal Clinic.

"His name's Josh. He was a junior." Scott said. "Which one did it? The one with the cane?"

"Yep, that one." I nodded.

"What are we going to do with him? We can't just set the alarm and leave. That's how Tracy disappeared." Stiles said.

"All right, someone's got to stay here with him." Scott looked at us.

"I'll do it. It's not like I had a big Saturday night planned." Theo said.

"Well, I'm staying too." I said. If somebody's taking the bodies, I wanna see who it is.

Scott's phone buzzed. He frowned.

"What is it?" Stiles asked.

"Another one. Another chimera." Scott said.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were at the library?" I asked as I leant against the wall.

Theo sighed. "Honestly? I don't know. I just thought that if you knew that I know you would be even more worried. But I didn't tell Scott because you didn't tell anything. I saw that it was self-defense. I didn't understand why you didn't tell anybody but I didn't want to ask you about it."

I nodded.

"You stayed because you don't trust me." Theo said after a while. And I just snapped.

"You left me. One day you were gone. For no reason. Without explanation. Even without note telling me that you are okay. You left me just with my memories that slowly faded. No, Theo, I don't trust you. Actually I don't even know if I will EVER be able to trust you again."

And he snapped too. "You think that you are the only one who suffered? It wasn't my choice to leave. You think I didn't miss you?! Kenzie, I didn't have any friends! And I didn't want any. I didn't want anybody expect for you. I never forgot about you. I thought about you. Every. Single. Day."

"Then why did you leave?!" I screamed.

"Because I had NO choice!" He yelled back.

I gave him a sad smiled. "You know you left me broken. I kept so much pain inside of me for years. Because I didn't want anybody else to get hurt. I didn't want to bother anyone with my problems. I made new friends and I was happy. In some sick way that only I understood but I was happy. But then you came back. And it started to fall apart. Again. Everyone thinks I'm such a happy person and I'm okay even with all this happening around us. The Dread Doctors, alive chimeras trying to kill us, dead chimeras whose bodies are disappearing. But I'm dying inside and nobody can see it. Honestly, I don't want anybody to see it. Maybe that is the problem. That I keep everything in. The secrets, the pain, the anger, loneliness. I hold onto it and it changed me. I don't recognize myself. I feel lost even when I know exactly where I am." I looked up at him. He was speechless. I laughed through the tears. "You know what is funny? That even after everything, the moments with you is what matters to me. You don't know how much those little moments with you matter to me. I let go of all the things that are destroying me inside and it is just you and me. I am myself. I am happy. I feel safe. I was broken and scared, I felt weak, I was worrying without a break. But with you I just didn't feel any of it. I've been building these walls around me all those years to protect me and I am just going to batter them down by saying something stupid like... I love you. I love you, Theo Raeken."

And till I manage to say something his lips are on mine. I immediately kissed him back. I threw my arms around his neck trying to pull him even closer to me. I needed him. I always needed him. He ran his fingers down my spine sending electricity through my whole body.

It seemed like eternity and infinity stood still at that moment.