X-tras

Chapter 3: Thorns

I stand there. Completely still except for my jaw slowly dropping to the floor. My hands, still in their fists, are completely glued to my side.

I was supposed to die yesterday?

My legs begin to feel weak underneath me. I need to move or sit, but I can't find the strength to even look away from him. He seems to be in sort of the same state that I'm in. He hasn't moved since he spoke. The gun is still in his right hand, finger on the trigger. Luckily the  safety was off or I was scared he would shoot me right now. The look on his face is filled with uneasiness. He keeps his hard eyes trained on the door. His mouth set in a hard line. A vain popping out in his neck. He is so concentrated, I wonder if he knew I was staring at him.

Not more than a second later, I noticed he's focus has changed. His eyes are on me. This time though, he has a look of pity. His hard eyes glisten now. He presses his lips together. He has changed since the first time I met him. I realize that I never got a very good look at him before. He's quite attractive, when he's not being rude.

Sadness clouds his features. Was he sad for me? It looks like he knows something. I need to know more.

Before I can say anything, he gets out of the chair and puts his gun back into its holster. He approaches me and cups my chin in his fingers. I close my mouth, realizing it was still open. His hand leaves my chin and finds its way to my hand. He holds it as I look in into his coffee brown eyes. There's little specks of gray that you could only notice if you were this close. He's not looking at me though. He's looking at our hands. I suddenly feel self conscious about my hand. I've never liked how small my hands are and now it feels even smaller in his large, calloused hand. After what seems like a while, he flips my hand over and looks a my wrist. He takes in a deep breath and exhales. His eyes find mine. He's gotten so serious.

"Bea, we need to talk."

I didn't realize how much I was sweating. Is it because I'm nervous or stressed? William was pretty close to me... No, it's probably because this dress has to many layers.

I pull my hand out of his and run it through my hair. "I need some air. It's to hot in here. Can we talk outside?" I start to move towards the door but William intersects me, putting the door at his back. I almost fall into him. He moved so quickly.

"Not in that," he looks me up and down.

I take a few steps back. "Why? I don't have anything else to change into."

"I do." He walks down a hallway to a room on the left. I follow and walk into a room. William is going through a pile of clothes in a chest at the end off a big bed. This must be his room seeing that there is are two fresh bottles of beer on the bed side table. He finds what he's looking for a throws me a large navy blue t-shirt.

"This is all?" I look at the fabric in my hands.

"It's the best thing I got. I can't have ya stay in that dress." He brushes by me and closes the door leaving me inside. "Change in there. I'll be here waiting."

"Ok." I can't be in this dress so this t-shirt will have to do. I just hope it covers my butt.

I start to try to take this dress off but I can't reach the zipper in the back. "Great..."

"Do ya need help?" William's voice is heard from beyond the door. I hate to admit it, but I do.

"Yeah, actually. I can't reach the zipper on this dress." Before I can say more, I hear his hand on the doorknob.

"I'm coming."

The door opens and he walks up to me. I stand there holding the top of my dress up. I move my hair out of the way and turn so he can get to the zipper. I feel is strong hands on the zipper as he pulls it down, revealing my back. I expect him to leave once the zipper is down, but he doesn't. I turn my head to see if everything was alright. He's just standing there, looking at my bare back. I start to feel self conscious again. "Are you ok?"

He snaps his head up and it dawns on him what he was doing. "O-oh. Yes. S-sorry," he stutters. "I'll let ya be." He walks out and closes the door behind him.

I change out of the large, flowing dress and lay it out on the wooden chair in the corner of the room. I take the t-shirt and pull it over my head. Luckily, William has some shirts that are to big for him. The t-shirt reaches the middle of my thighs. I exhale, glad nothing will show. Now that my legs are free, I notice a couple scrapes on my right knee. I look through a few drawers by the sink and find some gauze. I start to wrap it when William walks in.

"Man, ya gotta stop hurting yourself." He comes on to the other side of the bed and sits down to help me. He starts wrapping it the right way. "Do ya want to sleep before we talk? Ya need to be a bit more conscious for me to tell ya this big news." I look at him confused. Why would he think I needed sleep? "Ya started to fall asleep a second ago."

Oh. I didn't even realize. "Maybe. But I don't know if I can sleep with so much on my mind. I really need to know what's going on here." I jump up really fast and my head pounds again. My hand immediately goes to the injured area. "Ugg... I thought this was done."

"Ya definitely need some sleep. Plus, ya head needs time to heal. Sit back down. Don't hurt yourself more," he coos. He grabs my arm and pulls me back onto the bed next him. "I'll get ya some warm milk and make ya a bed on the couch." He gets off the bed, making the bed rise a bit underneath me, and walks out.

He's a lot nicer to me now than he was before. I lay back and take in a deep breath. I slowly count to ten and then, at the end, I exhale. It always seems to calm me down. I wonder why though.

I roll onto my side and notice a picture frame sitting next the sweating beer bottles. I scoot closer and pick it up, inspecting the person behind the glass. She is beautiful. Long black hair flowing behind her in the wind, her dress bellowing in that same wind. A soft smile on her face makes her instantly likable. Her cheeks are a sweet rosy-pink, but as I continue up her face, my thoughts of her change. I look at her eyes and see a forest. Not a pretty one either. Dark green trees with thorns poking out everywhere. Thorns that can tear you open if you look at her once. It is haunting. I set the picture back down and roll over, not wanting to look at her again. With my head resting on the pillow, my eyes slowly close, my tough day catching up to me. The last thing I can remember is feeling her eyes throwing thorns at my back.