Second Chances

Chapter Six

Chapter Six: The First Resistance

April 6, 2011

In the past few days, I'd learned several things. And one of them was that Vera Barclay wasn't merely a badass cook. Apparently, my brother taught her a few things about sleuthing, and for that I was thankful for her friendship with Todd.

On the 4th of April, Vera had come into my office with a tray containing lunch for two. I hadn't seen her the entire day before, seeing as she was completely working her ass off (Vera's words, not mine) getting me information on a certain blonde human.

"She snuck out," she had proclaimed, handing me the food.

"And?" I prodded, unwrapping the warm and cheesy sandwich of which I had an extreme weakness for.

Vera looked distastefully at the way I stuffed the food into my mouth, but said, "To the Western border, Lucas."

That's when I got it: no-fucking-body in their right minds goes to the Western border unless they wanted their asses ripped to shreds by the rogues that ran along there. The Westerners had formed a semi-alliance with them, and anyone without permission to be on that land was instantly dead.

"And she's still alive?" I asked, in shock.

Vera nodded. "I didn't dare follow. She didn't sneak out last night, though. But - trust me, you're going to shower me in praise for this next part - she was on the phone with somebody named Raph. She told him that it would happen soon."

"What would happen soon?"

Vera shrugged. "I don't know, but the minute she sneaks off again, I'll get ahold of you."

Thus, I'm sitting in my office at midnight, waiting to see if Leigh would sneak out again. I was semi-hoping she would, semi-hoping she would just fuck off. Like I said, the Western border is not a good place.

"Damn." Leigh was stumbling slightly as she slid out of the window from her room, which conveniently was located below mine, four rooms to the left. In the light of the moon, it was easy to see her figure sprint across to the trees. But, as ungraceful as she was, I had to give her props for the speed she possessed.

Time to go.

I hopped up from my seat by my window, and hurried quietly to Vera's room. I decided to give Leigh enough of a head-start to where she wouldn't see me.

"She's going," I told Vera as she opened her door.

Vera cocked a brow. "She left from her room? She knows you sleep in your office more often than not, doesn't she?" As I nodded, she went onto say, "She's not a stupid girl, Lucas. She's smart and deceptive as all hell. Surely she'd know not to take..." Vera paused, swallowing.

"She wants me to follow," I stated carefully, before running onto Leigh’s trail, never leaving my human state. That way, there was a slimmer chance of a rogue catching a whiff of me.

She was quicker than I expected, because I had anticipated her losing energy and slowing down. Then, the trail was cold and her scent was nowhere to be found. But the even stranger thing was that rogues weren’t on my ass.

I stopped in my tracks, inhaling deeply. My hands landed on my thighs, right above my knees. There was a hint of a familiar scent filling my nostrils. It was blood, but of something I couldn’t place quite yet. I knew it, I know I did. I knew it very well. And my blood chilled as the realization hit me smack in the face.

Brittanie.

Though she had died along the Eastern border, it had been to the West where Ivan took refuge from my murderous wrath. I would still give anything I currently have just to rip his throat out and let him bleed through my fingers. Surely that would numb the pain of my loss somewhat, if only temporarily. But nothing could ever bring Brittanie back, I suppose.

In front of me, the trees’ leaves suddenly rustled, stealing the calmness of the night. I was torn from my memories, from the love I’d lost, to see the very person who I couldn’t decide what to do with.

 “I see you did follow me, after all,” calmly stated Leigh, having seemingly appeared out of thin air. She stood across from me, a tree’s branch obscuring her from my view. It embraced her much like arms, keeping her nice and safe. “A shame this is the first time.”

“What the hell is going on, Leigh?”

She squeezed herself out of the darkness, and casually made her way into the very spot where the moon’s light would perfectly wash over her. “Nothing much.”

“What does Tallulah have to do with this?” My hands came together, clenching tightly.

Leigh shook her head, as if speaking to a child. “I can’t say. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but…”

I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down.

“Lucas,” she whispered. I hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten, until I felt her lips smoothly brush against my jawline.

I flinched, pulling sharply away from her. My head was spinning, my breathing was heavy. But her lips were ghosting across my skin yet again, and I currently found her scent intoxicating. Like a tidal wave, I could smell the ocean washing over me and knocking me off my feet. Everything was hazy, and I knew nothing at that moment but her. She was the beautiful and dangerous sea. She was the alluring siren awaiting me upon the cliff, drawing me to my death by her side. 

“Lucas,” she said again, this time her lips but a whisper atop my own. 

The oxygen had disappeared from my lungs. I was gasping for air against her warm mouth, as it tantalizingly trailed along my skin.

“Brittanie,” I somehow managed to get out, pushing myself away from Leigh. Leigh stilled, and her face was blank as she pulled back.

“She’s gone, Lucas,” Leigh said gently, softly pushing my hair out of my face. Her fingers were just as velvety as her lips had been, caressing me.

“No,” I croaked, stumbling back. My back hit the trunk of a tree and I slid into a sitting position. “She’s not.” I realized I sounded somewhat like a child, denying the truth. Because no matter what they told me, Brittanie was still dead as a goddamn doornail.

Leigh nodded. Her blonde hair whipped around in the wind, and her stance reminded me of the defiant nature of Becky. I couldn’t help but think of how Brittanie had stood, with an aura of beauty and grace surrounding her. In fact, she had reminded me a good deal of a calla-lily. But this Leigh Lancaster was so much like a rose – her beauty was undeniable, her words could be sharp as thorns, and her layers left so much to be discovered.

Silence befell us, and I found that it was becoming easier to breathe again as each minute passed.

She stood there still, not saying a word. Her face betrayed no emotion other than complete and utter boredom, masking what she felt inside.

Silences were becoming too much – I began to hate them more and more. They were awkward and unpleasant. So I said, breaking it off with, “When does Tallulah get here?”

“She comes tomorrow,” she said crisply, each word slow and deliberate. She pursed her lips and glanced upwards. Her eyes brightened slightly, glowing with a soft fondness.“I see stars.”

A corner of my lip tugged up. “That’s a band,” I commented lightly as I could, though I was still recovering from the earlier ordeal.

“I know. You like them.” Not a question, merely a statement. It was strange, because out contact had been limited. “You should go back.”

I stood up shakily, brushing the dirt of my pants. “Yeah.” Beginning to walk away from her, there was something I couldn’t shake off: the fact that now clear-headed, I wanted nothing more than to turn around and rejoin Leigh. And I had absolutely no reason why, other than the fact that my heart sped up ever so slightly in the event of her lips on mine.