The Touch

Chapter 25 - Broken trust

Slade moved out of his chair and stood back waiting for me to follow him. How I wished at that moment that Jeffrey could have asked Theon to drive me back, but of course Theon wasn't the one who planted the bugs in my apartment, it was Slade.

I walked out of the meeting room and back into the main area of the CWT. Tori was still standing in the corner with a few members and smiled that Cheshire grin again at me. Now I knew why she was so happy. It was obvious that she had seen the video and that she knew they were working on a serum to take away the abilities of the Touch. It took everything within me at that moment not to walk up to her and punch her in the face.

Slade walked towards the door leading to the tomb and held it open for me. I didn't look at him as I walked past him and made my way through the tunnels. I was so angry that I wanted to hit something or someone. Slade had betrayed me and made out that he was interested in me just so he could bug my apartment and spy on me. I felt foolish and stupid for ever having feelings for him.

I raced through the tunnels and made my way out of the tomb and towards the church.

"Lacey wait" Slade said as he took hold of my arm and spun me around.

As I turned around I pulled my hand back and slapped him hard across the face. He looked stunned but didn't let go of me.

"I deserved that" he said, looking directly into my eyes. "Lacey I need to explain something to you. Please will you give me the chance to explain".

"Explain what? That you came over and kissed me so you could plant a bug in my house, then you came back and went into my private room to bug it once again. That is my home and you went through it with complete disregard for how I would have felt to have my privacy invaded!" I spat at him.

"Lacey please" he begged "I didn't want to come over to bug your place and I certainly didn't want to go into your private area and bug that as well. But I had to do it because they were concerned that you could be working for the government or may try and give details about the CWT to someone else. But as far as the kiss goes, I meant every part of it and I know you feel the same way as I do".

He relaxed his grip on my arm and I could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth.

"Don't you know by now, after all this time working together in training and the way I always have to be near you? Don't you know that I am in love with you Lacey Bradford? he said.

He placed his hands on each side of my face gently and pulled me into him. His lips met mine and the flame that I had felt that first time he had kissed me ignited again. His lips moved against mine in unison as his hands moved around my waist as he pulled me closer into him. I could feel the electricity between us as his hands moved gently up my back.

My body was completely betraying my brain and I knew this was wrong. As if a bucket of cold water had suddenly been poured over me I pushed him away and saw the look of hurt on his face. Deep inside I knew that I loved him but he had betrayed me and right now I just felt so much anger towards him.

Slade looked at me with his eyes pleading "I know you love me Lacey and I know that I have hurt you, which is something I never wanted to do and for which I am sorry. I told you before that I will wait, no matter how long and that is still correct. All I can say now is that I am sorry for what I had to do, but I will never be sorry for meeting you, for getting to know the person that you are or for falling in love with you".

I couldn't think straight, everything within me felt confused. I was totally exhausted and all I wanted to do now was get home.

"I can't give you any answers Slade as I feel totally betrayed by everyone here and especially by you. I need time to think and all I want to do now is go home so you can take those bugs out of my apartment and then I can tune into her. Nothing else matters now apart from that".