The Elites

Give Him a Choice: Part 29

Tia POV

"Is dinner ready?" Steph asked walking cautiously into the kitchen to open the fridge door, she was certainly getting use to things, I thought idly, glancing back at her quickly, she was now just about as bad as my dad at helping.

"Nope, so there's plenty that you can do to help," she grimaced, although I'm sure she had to know it was coming—I had no intention of spoiling her nor Sherry. A small smile slid across my face as she pulled out a knife and started cutting fruits for dessert beside me, "Good girl." I encouraged teasingly. She laughed lightly, and then there was a silence.

"Did you hear from...him yet?" I asked, not bothering to look up, I could sense a flash of anger coming from her even without having to see her face—it had been like that for the past two weeks actually.

"No, he probably won't call or anything," she said between grit teeth. I grit mine too, I expected that somehow.

"You're quite annoyed with him aren't you?" I voiced for the first time. It was quite obvious, whenever Dad or Sherry mentioned him she would tense, and I got accustomed to a presence of anger emitting from her. Although truthfully I knew I was giving off one as well, that darn mutt—it was too the point I was avoiding calling the darn mutt's name —good thing I gave him a nickname.

"So are you," she stated, not looking up either.

"Yeah, but that's my norm—you're the exception," I voiced with no emotion, I heard her scoff loudly.

"He crossed a line," she replied, bitterness etched in her voice.

"He crossed tons of lines," I put in with even more bitterness than her, chopping the poor onion as it were Jayden himself. Steph looked up at that point, and I could feel her eyes on me as her anger subsided and it turned to remorse.

"I know you must be angry with me too, about Esther and Sherry," she said, it was almost a question, and from her tone alone I could tell she was repentant—still I refused to look across at her.

"I am—angry —" I admitted enunciating each word, then she cut me off, turning her face to me to look up at me.

"I swear I was going to do something, the moment he dropped her to the ground, if Jayden hadn't said something—" she was saying practically pleadingly with her eyes that I would forgive her for not acting. I folded my lip, as I remembered her vaguely stiffening beside me, hmmm—so that's how she goes when she's about to do something, I registered idly, I could feel my muscles tensing at the sentiment.

"Well you have my 'would have been' thanks," I replied drily, refusing to look at her, she had to learn it just wasn't right to bloody desert people you call friends. From the corner of my eye I could see Steph bite her lip silently then turn to look down at her platter of fruits again as if to find the answer in there.

"I deserved that one," she admitted, turning to face her fruits again. We stood in silence again, quietly chopping and cooking the food up, then she spoke again, in a soft almost inaudible voice, "I was always in a middle ground position..." she said, then continued in a lower voice if that was even possible, "and always decided to go with Jayden even when I thought it wasn't right but I know...now...I've decided that, I'm going to follow my own path, for my friends—even if Jayden hates me..." she finished, adding a bit more bravery to her voice than I knew she had. "I'm sorry—I didn't before." she added apologetically. I sighed, and put down my knife, as I gazed studiously at the stove just over her head, searching for the words.

"You're ten years old, and Jayden is all you've got—," I shrugged my shoulders slightly, " I don't blame you—," I paused, but then turned to look at her seriously, " but it's not good to abandon people—even if it's inconvenient. What kind of sad world would we live in if you couldn't rely on someone else to care for you, look out for you and stand by you regardless of the situation," I smiled across at her, "Steph regardless of the situation, I've decided I love you  and I want to be able to be there by your side standing by to help you, you're practically a sister to me," for the first time in days, I saw a smile that brightened Steph's face again as she dropped her knife and ran over to hug me.

"Thank you, Titi!" I smiled broader, and then she continued, "I wish Jayden could have you by his side too." I bit my lip.

"I think he's already made his choice, Steph," I stated quickly, shrugging the thought, that I did as well,  from my mind. She shook her head vehemently at me, in complete confidence.

"No, he was forced to!" she argued, she bit her lip slightly as if pondering something, her past annoyance—even fear and remorse now long forgotten, "But if he knows he has a choice then, I think he'd choose you!" she cried joyfully. I blushed, as much as I hated on him—I couldn't help it.

"What do you mean, choose me!?" I stammered, trying to calm down about the thought of Jayden being with me again.

"Choose to love and be loved by you." I blushed again; ooh my gosh—this kid is going to take my dignity to a whole new low.

"Why do you say he was forced?" I asked, ignoring her presumptuous statements, not allowing myself to reel in any such thought, besides I still wanted to kill him—loving him was the furthest thing from my mind...definitely, I convinced myself.

"Because I can't heal everything—Jayden is in this war so—if I want out then maybe...he'd..." I frowned, Steph was definitely making no sense—the changing mood I could deal with but...

"Because you can't heal everything?" I repeated, wondering if she'd elaborate. She hesitated slightly, then shook her head wildly.

"It doesn't matter, the fact is—I want him out! Will you help me, Tia?" she coerced, ignoring my question completely. Help her—stop Jayden from killing people? I rose my eye-brow, even if I dislike him now—there's no-way I could object to that.

"Hello, sweetheart—my name's Tia," I said pulling a polite smile on my face as I stressed my name for her, then turned my face to a look of confusion to continue, "...have we met?" the smile on her face brightened, "In case we haven't I'll like you to know--there's no chance I'd say no," I finished with a real smirk crossing my face, and hers. Yup...Tia 101...I believe—Jayden should have been stopped long ago. And I'll make sure I'll be there to be in his way.

&&&&&&&

Steph walked into my room, later in the night and plopped down onto my bed, awaiting further instructions.

"You ready to plan, Stephie?" I asked, turning around to face her in my twirling chair, I loved those things.

"I was born ready," she smirked again, bursting with enthusiasm.

"So first off, we need to find out where he is," I stated, she nodded, "I suppose he didn't tell you?" I asked hopefully. Cause I sure in hell don't know, I added dryly to myself, darn mutt, I pouted inwardly, half to stay angry instead of getting depressed. Steph shook her head.

"Not a murmur."

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