Where Are You

Chapter 7

            Jared stared at me with wide eyes as I tried to come up with an explanation to what I said. I didn’t want to tell him that if he ever loved me and I loved him back then The Assassins were going to kill him. The silence dragged on while I tried to think of words to say, words that could make Jared believe that I was joking. But I knew that Jared would never believe me, he knew only too well that I was keeping something from him.

            I pulled the blankets up so that they could cover my face but that wasn’t going to stop Jared from talking to me. He ripped the sheet back and glared at me. I went to grab the blanket but he ripped it away from me.

            “Alexis, what did you just say?” Jared asked his voice dripping with venom.

            “Nothing,” I replied.

            “You said something that you’re going to repeat,” Jared informed me. ‘

            I raised an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

            Jared groaned and grabbed my shoulders. “I have a right to know!”

            I shook his hands off of my shoulders. “You don’t want to know this.”

            “Please.” Jared stared at me with pleading eyes. “Alexis, please tell me. If someone has threatened my life then don’t I have a right to know? If you really consider me a friend then you’d tell me.”

            The way Jared’s eyes shone in the light made him look innocent; it made him look like a child. I bit my bottom lip as I debated whether or not to explain to Jared what I meant.

            “If I tell you, you must promise to not over react. Don’t go killing every single one of The Assassins, that’s my job.” I smiled weakly at my lame joke.

            “I can’t make any promises,” Jared replied.

            I stood up from the couch. “Then I’m not going to tell you.”

            Jared grabbed my hand and yanked me back onto the couch. He sat on my stomach and pinned my arms down; he’d seen the damage I could do with my fists. My heart slammed in my chest in both surprise and desire.

            “I’m going to get it out of you somehow,” Jared declared.

            “Ha! I loved to see you try that!” I retorted.

            Jared smirked. “There’s a way.”

            He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against mine. I tried to get my arms free knowing that I had to stop him! The Assassins seemed to be watching us and the last thing I need is to have Jared’s death on my hands. A part of me wanted him to kiss me and wanted me to stay this way until Jared pulled away. I shoved that small part of me away; I couldn’t give into this desire, it was too deadly.

I jerked my knee up, hitting Jared. He rolled off of me and groaned loudly. I jumped to my feet so that I could escape; I wasn’t going to let Jared do anything else that could get him killed. I ran to the front door and slammed it open, I ran out the door without closing. I had to get away. I ran without knowing where I was going, all I knew is that I had to get away from Jared so I could protect him, so that I could think about the events that just happened.

I ran until my feet crunched on sand, I slowed down to a walk. I ambled towards the water’s edge, sinking to the ground. I sat close enough to the water that I could reach out and place my hand in the water but it never touched me. I watched the surfers on their boards waiting for the perfect wave, if only I could join them.