POSSESSION, Book 1 in the Possession Trilogy

Chapter 13

13.

Jag grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. He hugged me, smelling of soap and fresh summer air. I wanted to bury my face in his chest and inhale him right down to my toes. Instead, I pushed him away. The light was not so gone that he couldn’t see my glare. I certainly noticed his perfectly styled hair.

“I’m so glad you made it across the border.” I folded my arms and focused on the horizon. “By yourself.”

“Come on, Vi, don’t be mad.” He smiled slyly, like he knew I wanted to slobber all over him.

“You’re a high-class jerk,” I said. “You left me!”

He had the gall to shrug.

“Don’t you dare shrug!”

He took an uncertain step forward that he should have taken backward.

“Stop,” I said. He’d left me in the woods—alone—to cross the border into the scariest place of my life—alone. “You. Promised.” I shoved him in the chest with every word. “You. Said. You’d. Help.”

“Vi—”

“Don’t ‘Vi’ me,” I snapped. “Why don’t you use my whole name?”

Jag opened his mouth to say something, then shut it.

“Spill it, Barque,” I said.

His mouth opened again. He squeezed his eyes closed and clenched his fists. “Look, you said I was different.” When he opened his eyes, his glare could’ve cut holes through me.

“You are.” I stepped closer to him, and this time he moved back. “It’s not a bad thing, Jag.”

“It is to me.”

“Well, maybe you’re mental.”

“Maybe you are.” He paused, and I took a swing at his pretty face.

He grabbed my wrist before I made contact. “Violet, don’t.” His voice became soft and full of apology. “I’ve been looking for you for two days.”

“That sure makes me feel better.” I tried shaking off his grip. He chuckled, but I wanted to stay mad. “Jag, don’t you get it? I told you my life was better, because of—and then you left me.”

“I know, I came back. You were already—”

“What was I supposed to do? Wait around for you? You deserve to…to…I don’t know what, but something really, really bad.” My voice cracked, totally ruining the threat.

“Please don’t be mad.” His words wrapped around me like a quilt. My anger faded, replaced by relief. Jag was here. He’d find me somewhere to sleep and something better than gel-flavored tubers to eat. Everything would be okay now.

He released my hands as we sat on one of the rocks. The silence was comfortable. It seemed like no time had passed, we’d never been apart, and he hadn’t abandoned me to cross the border by myself.

“You want me to fix your hair?” he asked. I interpreted this as Jag-speak for, “Please forgive me, you’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever met. I’m so, so sorry, and I’ll do anything if you’ll let me kiss you later.”

“Sure.” I sat on the dusty ground in front of the rock with him behind me, his knees gently pressing into my arms. Jag’s touch sent a thrill from the top of my head to my throat, where my breath caught. When he finished, he put his hands on my shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” His words in my ear made me shiver.

“Me too,” I said, getting up before I turned to total mush. “I didn’t know different meant bad.”